TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preparation : No preparation method is given. Preferred Nucleic Acid: The nucleic acid molecule expression in a plant cell reduces lignin content of the plant cell. Preferred Vector: The recombinant vector comprises promoter chosen from plant developmentally-regulated promoter, organelle-specific promoter, inducible promoter, tissue-specific promoter, constitutive promoter, heterologous promoter or cell-specific promoter. The recombinant vector is an expression cassette. The heterologous promoter is constitutive or tissue specific promoter. Preferred Plant: The transgenic plant of claim 6, wherein the plant exhibits increased lignin content in selected tissues relative to those tissues in a second plant that differs from the transgenic plant only in that the nucleic acid molecule is absent. The transgenic plant is fertile R0 transgenic plant. The transgenic plant is progeny plant of any generation of a fertile R0 transgenic plant. The CCR2 gene is mutated genomic CCR2 gene. The plant (T3) comprises a DNA molecule capable of expressing a nucleic acid sequence complementary to all or a portion of a CCR2 mRNA. The nucleic acid sequence complementary to all or a portion of a CCR2 mRNA comprises a sequence complimentary to all or a portion of base pair sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36-70 (even numbers). The mutated genomic CCR2 gene comprises deletion, point mutation or insertion in a wild-type CCR2 gene. The mutated genomic CCR2 gene is produced by irradiation, T-DNA insertion, transposon insertion or chemical mutagenesis. The plant (T3) further comprises a second DNA sequence that down-regulates lignin biosynthesis. The plant part (P3) is protoplast, cell, meristem, root, pistil, anther, flower, seed, embryo, stalk or petiole. The plant (T3) is forage plant, biofuel crop, cereal crop or industrial plant. Preferred Method: The nucleic acid is introduced into the plant by plant breeding or genetic transformation of the plant. The method (M1) further involves preparing a transgenic progeny plant of any generation of the plant, where the progeny plant comprises the nucleic acid sequence. The method (M3) further involves harvesting the plant tissue. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.