Plant Cell Wall Oligosaccharide Engineering for Reactive Dye Uptake

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Solution Overview

Problem

Natural cellulose fibers, such as cotton, have limited chemical versatility due to their inert nature, making dyeing processes inefficient and requiring large volumes of wastewater for fiber-reactive dyes, and existing methods to introduce positively charged polysaccharides into plant cell walls often result in root growth retardation.

Innovation Solution

Introducing a chimeric gene into plant cells with a plant-expressible promoter and a DNA region coding for a NODC-type N-acetylglucosamine transferase fused to a Golgi signal anchor sequence to increase the incorporation of positively charged oligosaccharides in plant cell walls, which can be deacetylated to enhance chemical reactivity without affecting root growth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If NODC-type N-acetylglucosamine transferase is introduced into plant cell walls to increase positively charged oligosaccharides, then chemical reactivity and dyeability improve, but root growth is retarded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechemical reactivityVSAvoidroot growth
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by fusing the NODC enzyme with a Golgi signal anchor sequence, which targets the enzyme specifically to the Golgi apparatus membrane. This localized expression ensures that N-acetylglucosamine oligomers are produced at the cell wall interface without accumulating in root tissues, thereby maintaining chemical reactivity improvement while avoiding root growth retardation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The Golgi signal anchor sequence acts as an intermediary element that directs the NODC enzyme to the appropriate cellular location. This intermediary ensures proper subcellular targeting, enabling the enzyme to modify cell wall oligosaccharides without interfering with root development processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If fiber-reactive dyes are used to improve colorfastness, then dye bonding strength increases, but wastewater volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecolorfastnessVSAvoidwastewater volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameter of the fiber surface by introducing positively charged oligosaccharides through NODC enzyme activity. This parameter change creates electrostatic attraction between the fiber and anionic fiber-reactive dyes, improving dye uptake efficiency and reducing the amount of dye and wastewater requiring treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method significantly increases the incorporation of positively charged oligosaccharides in plant cell walls, improving dyeability and chemical modification efficiency while maintaining normal root growth, reducing wastewater usage, and enhancing the fibers' reactivity with dyes and other chemicals.

Implementation Method 1

a DNA region coding for a NODC-type N-acetylglucosamine transferase

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzyme catalysis: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

Chitosan is a positively charged polymer of glucosamine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic interaction: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentEP2627771B1Methods for altering the reactivity of plant cell walls
Publication Date: 2015.08.12 BAYER CROPSCIENCE NV
  • EP2627771B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2627771B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2627771B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Methods and means are provided to produce positively charged oligosaccharides in the plant cell wall by introducing into said plant cell a Nodulation C protein fused to a heterologous Golgi signal anchor sequence.