Problm:
A mutant rice line is discovered, which has increased straw digestibility and significantly lower levels of ferulic acid in its cell walls.
Question 1: What is ferulic acid?
Question 2: Why would lower levels of ferulic acid increase straw digestibility at the molecular level?
The causative mutation is mapped to a gene that encodes a glycosyl transferase family 61 enzyme.
Question 3: Explain how loss of function in a glycosyl transferase might result in decreased ferulic acid content.
Question 4: Why would you expect a similar mutation not to have the same effect in dicot plants?
Please Explain don't just write the answer.