Cloning and Expression Analysis of 4-Coumarate CoA Ligase (4CL) Gene in Sugarcane Clones Varying in Lignin Content

Sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) is one of the highest biomass producing plant, which is the best lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol production. To achieve a more efficient conversion of biomass to ethanol, a better understanding of the main factors affecting biomass recalcitrance is needed. In the present study, the authors have cloned the partial coding sequence of 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) from an energy cane (EC 11010). The deduced amino acid sequence of this gene showed 98% similarity with the Zea mays protein and the phylogeny revealed clustering with the same gene from monocots. The quantitative expression of the 4CL gene among the four different sugarcane genotypes (EC 11010, IK 76-81, Co 86032 and CoC 671) showed higher level of transcripts in the energy cane EC 11010.