Cross-species PCR and field studies on Paulownia elongata: A potential bioenergy crop

Abstract

Paulownia elongata is a short-rotation fast growing tree and is known for high biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration potential. Optimization of protocols for nucleic acid extraction, PCR, RT-PCR, and other molecular biology techniques are required for better understanding of cellulose synthesis and to assess the potential of Paulownia as a biofuel tree. The main objective of this work was to study a putative cellulose synthase amplicon expression under various environmental conditions and evaluate the potentials of Paulownia as a biofuel tree. Using cross-species PCR an amplicon representative of a putative cellulose synthase gene from Paulownia was identified. This 177-bp long DNA sequence was 46% similar with cellulose synthase genes from Arabidopsis as expected. Gene specific primers for this particular Paulownia cellulose synthase gene were designed and reverse transcription PCR was performed to confirm its transcription. We report an inexpensive cDNA dot-blot method to study expression of this gene under various environmental conditions. We observed that cold and, to a lesser extent, heat stress downregulated its expression. This information will help to understand cellulose deposition in plant cell wall under stressful conditions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first characterization of a cDNA sequence from Paulownia elongata.

Potential Use of Multipurpose <i>Paulownia elongata</i> Tree as an Animal Feed Resource

“…There is a huge demand for nutritious feed for poultry, small ruminants and other livestock animals. As Paulownia species are mainly grown for timber and exhibit great potential as a bioenergy crop [6], additional value added products will help rural economy generating multiple revenue streams. In our previous research we reported suitability of growing P. elongata and biomass and carbon sequestration data of three years old trees in the middle Georgia conditions [6].…”

“…As Paulownia species are mainly grown for timber and exhibit great potential as a bioenergy crop [6], additional value added products will help rural economy generating multiple revenue streams. In our previous research we reported suitability of growing P. elongata and biomass and carbon sequestration data of three years old trees in the middle Georgia conditions [6]. During the same period leaf samples were collected and this study was carried out to learn about the availability window of Paulownia leaves in the field, their nutritional profile and standardization of pellet making process.…”

Silica-Milled Paulownia Biochar as Partial Replacement of Carbon Black Filler in Natural Rubber

“…Paulownia elongata is a fast-growing hardwood tree that generated interest as a bioenergy crop due to its growth rate and ability to be coppiced (wood cut from the main stump is harvested and the regrowth from that stump can be re-harvested periodically) [6]. Paulownia plantations in Georgia with 1680 trees per hectare are expected to yield 100 tons of biomass after three years [7], and another study reported that 2000 trees per hectare produced 300 tons of hardwood annually beginning six years after planting [8]. Paulownia is a robust tree that can grow well in hardiness zones 6-11 [9], which means it could grow over virtually the entire southeastern United States from the Carolinas to Texas.…”

RNA-seq analysis of the salt stress-induced transcripts in fast-growing bioenergy tree, Paulownia elongata

“…A three-year-old Paulownia tree, on an average, can sequester 50.11 lb CO 2 /year (29.91-92.74 lb CO 2 /year). Studies conducted at Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA, U.S.A. indicate that three-year-old trees can reach a diameter of 14.8 cm and achieve a height of 8.31 m (Basu et al 2015). The tree benefits from not requiring replanting and can be used for fodder and medicinal purposes (Ipekci & Gozukirmizi 2003).…”

“…The tree benefits from not requiring replanting and can be used for fodder and medicinal purposes (Ipekci & Gozukirmizi 2003). New shoots sprout from a stump after harvesting and grow as much as 20 feet in the first growing season (Basu et al 2015). Approximately 65% of P. elongata is composed of cellulose or hemicellulose; high content of lignocellulosic biomass has made it an attractive energy source for biofuel production (Naik et al 2010;Joshee 2012;Yadav et al 2013) .…”