Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp4 (2026): National Symposium on Recent Advances in Life Sciences

Relationship between nitrogen fertilisation, ferulate 5-hydroxylase activity and manganese peroxidase response during wheat straw decomposition

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12989
Submitted
28 November 2025
Published
19-06-2026

Abstract

Lignin structure significantly dictates the biodegradability of lingo cellulosic residues like wheat straw, rice and other crops. The lignin structure, or its quality, is determined by plant enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H), which regulates the ratio of lignin monomers (syringyl-to-guaiacyl-to-p-hydroxyphenyl (S/H/G) ratio) and are sensitive to nitrogen (N) fertilisation. This study investigated how N rate influences F5H activity, thereby altering lignin structure and its vulnerability to the key fungal enzyme, manganese peroxidase (MnP), during post-harvest degradation of wheat straw of different wheat genotypes. A total of 5 wheat genotypes were cultivated under three distinct N rates applications i.e. (N0 block have 0 kg ha-1, N1 block have 120 kg ha-1 and block N2 have 240 kg ha-1). Spectrophotometry quantified F5H activity in leaf extracts, establishing pre-harvest lignin quality. Resulting straw was exposed to a white rot fungus and MnP activity was measured over time to determine degradation efficiency. Nitrogen rate strongly modulated F5H activity, confirming lignin quality is pre-conditioned by field management. Straw grown under N levels affecting F5H required different MnP activity for similar breakdown levels. These findings confirm lignin structure, dictated by F5H, governs susceptibility to MnP lignolysis and provide a basis for strategic N use to enhance biomass bioconversion.

References

  1. 1. Sanchez C. Lignocellulosic residues: biodegradation and bioconversion by fungi. Biotechnol Adv. 2009;27(2):185–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2008.11.001
  2. 2. Ragauskas AJ, Williams CK, Davison BH, Britovsek G, Cairney J, Eckert JW, et al. The path forward for biofuels and biomaterials. Science. 2006;311(5760):484–9. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1114736
  3. 3. Himmel ME, Ding SY, Johnson DK, Adney WS, Nimlos MR, Brady JW, et al. Biomass recalcitrance: engineering plants and pretreatments for biofuels production. Science. 2007;315(5813):804–7. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1137016
  4. 4. Taha M, Khan AT, Gultom S, Al-Jawaad AH, Ema MHS, Arai H, et al. Lignocellulosic biomass: A critical review of pretreatment methods, sustainable chemicals, and bioconversion. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2021;105:6101–26.
  5. 5. Mota F, Frollini E, Silva BM. Structure and properties of lignin: a review. Compos Part B Eng. 2020;184:107693.
  6. 6. Ali S, Yoganathan K, Basit A, Rani A, Qaisrani MM. Recent advances in characterization and valorization of lignin and its value-added products: challenges and future perspectives. Biomass. 2024;4(3):503–35. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomass4030053
  7. 7. Vanholme R, Demedts B, Morreel J, Ralph L, Boerjan W. Lignin biosynthesis and structure. Plant Physiol. 2010;153(3):897–905. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.110.155119
  8. 8. Chen F, Dixon RA. Lignin modification improves the efficiency of conversion of biomass to biofuels. Nat Biotechnol. 2007;25(7):759–61. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1316
  9. 9. Del Rio JC, Rencoret J, Gutierrez A, Ralph J. Lignin characterization, a comprehensive review. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2023;73:102263.
  10. 10. Humphreys JM, Lu S, Chapple C. The final step of S lignin monomer biosynthesis is regulated by ferulate 5-hydroxylase in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 1999;11(11):2217–25.
  11. 11. Wagner A, Tobimatsu Y, Su Y, Zhao S, Anderson MX, Ralph J. The role of F5H in determining the syringyl content of lignin in plants. Plant Physiol. 2007;144(1):180–92.
  12. 12. Cao Y, Yan X, Ran S, Ralph J, Smith RA, Chen X, et al. Knockout of the lignin pathway gene BnF5H decreases the S/G lignin compositional ratio and improves Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resistance in Brassica napus. Plant Cell Environ. 2022;45(5):1433–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14208
  13. 13. Dong J, He J, Li Z, Sun Y, Dong Y. N application rate and timing affect the lodging resistance of winter wheat. Agronomy. 2023;13(10):2548.
  14. 14. Cook S, Berg A. The effect of nitrogen on secondary metabolism in plants. Plant Physiol. 2000;124(1):59–65.
  15. 15. Li R, Ye X, Fang F, Wu J, Zhang Y, Du Y. Nitrogen application regulates plant biomass and lignin content in rice. Eur J Agron. 2018;94:100–8.
  16. 16. Nilsen S, Visschers AM, Hinderaker P. Effect of nitrogen fertilization on lignin content and distribution in Norway spruce wood. Tree Physiol. 2007;27(3):437–46.
  17. 17. Kumar P, Sharma A. Impact of varying nitrogen levels on secondary metabolite pathways and stress response genes in cereal crops. Plant Sci Today. 2022;9(3):510–7.
  18. 18. Paszczynski A, Huynh VB, Crawford RL. Enzymatic activities of ligninase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1985;29(1–2):85–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1097(85)90267-8
  19. 19. Hammel KE, Cullen D. Enzymology of lignin degradation by white-rot fungi. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2008;12(3):329–35.
  20. 20. Li Y, Wang X, Zhang L. Understanding manganese peroxidase-catalyzed conversion of the lignin structure and its application for the polymerization of kraft lignin. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2024;12(5):1820–30.
  21. 21. Kersten PJ, Kirk TK. Involvement of a MnII peroxidase in lignin degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. J Bacteriol. 1987;169(5):2199–205. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.169.5.2195-2201.1987
  22. 22. Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976;72(1–2):248–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3
  23. 23. Stewart JJ, Akiyama T, Chapple C, Ralph J, Mansfield SD. The effects on lignin structure of overexpression of ferulate 5-hydroxylase in hybrid poplar. Plant Physiol. 2009;150(2):621–35. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.109.137059
  24. 24. Zhang M, Wu F, Yu C, Wang W. Nitrogen supply influences the expression of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes and lignin accumulation in wheat. Biol Plant. 2016;60:737–44.
  25. 25. Li X, Ximenes E, Kim Y, Slininger MA, Meilan R, Ladisch M, et al. Lignin monomer composition affects Arabidopsis cell-wall degradability after liquid hot water pretreatment. Biotechnol Biofuels. 2010;3(1):1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-6834-3-27
  26. 26. Wan C, Li Y. Fungal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. Biotechnol Adv. 2012;30(6):1447–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2012.03.003
  27. 27. Yuan JS, Tiller KH, Al-Ahmad H, Stewart NR, Stewart CN. Plants to power: bioenergy to fuel the future. Trends Plant Sci. 2008;13(8):421–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2008.06.001
  28. 28. Luo L, van der Voet E, Huppes G. Biorefining of lignocellulosic feedstock - technical, economic and environmental considerations. Bioresour Technol. 2010;101(13):5023–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.12.109
  29. 29. Vanholme R, Morreel J, Ralph J, Boerjan W. Lignin engineering. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2008;11(3):278–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2008.03.005

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.