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Yang T, Niu Q, Dai H, Tian X, Ma J, Pritchard HW, Lin L, Yang X. The transcription factor MYB1 activates DGAT2 transcription to promote triacylglycerol accumulation in sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) leaves under heat stress. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 208:108517. [PMID: 38503190 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation is frequently triggered in vegetative tissues experiencing heat stress, which may increases plant basal plant thermo-tolerance by sequestering the toxic lipid intermediates that contribute to membrane damage or cell death under stress conditions. However, stress-responsive TAG biosynthesis and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the lipidomic and transcriptomic landscape under heat stress in the leaves of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), an important oilseed crop in tropical regions. Under heat stress (45 °C), the content of polyunsaturated TAGs (e.g., TAG18:2 and TAG18:3) and total TAGs were significantly higher, while those of unsaturated sterol esters, including ZyE 28:4, SiE 18:2 and SiE 18:3, were dramatically lower. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of PvDGAT2-2, encoding a type II diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) that is critical for TAG biosynthesis, was substantially induced under heat stress. We confirmed the function of PvDGAT2-2 in TAG production by complementing a yeast mutant defective in TAG biosynthesis. Importantly, we also identified the heat-induced transcription factor PvMYB1 as an upstream activator of PvDGAT2-2 transcription. Our findings on the molecular mechanism leading to TAG biosynthesis in leaves exposed to heat stress have implications for improving the biotechnological production of TAGs in vegetative tissues, offering an alternative to seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianquan Yang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Qian Niu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huan Dai
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoling Tian
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Junchao Ma
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Hugh W Pritchard
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Liang Lin
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
| | - Xiangyun Yang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
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2
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Cao VD, Luo G, Korynta S, Liu H, Liang Y, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Intron-mediated enhancement of DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE1 expression in energycane promotes a step change for lipid accumulation in vegetative tissues. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:153. [PMID: 37838699 PMCID: PMC10576891 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic engineering for hyperaccumulation of lipids in vegetative tissues is a novel strategy for enhancing energy density and biofuel production from biomass crops. Energycane is a prime feedstock for this approach due to its high biomass production and resilience under marginal conditions. DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE (DGAT) catalyzes the last and only committed step in the biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG) and can be a rate-limiting enzyme for the production of TAG. RESULTS In this study, we explored the effect of intron-mediated enhancement (IME) on the expression of DGAT1 and resulting accumulation of TAG and total fatty acid (TFA) in leaf and stem tissues of energycane. To maximize lipid accumulation these evaluations were carried out by co-expressing the lipogenic transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1) and the TAG protect factor oleosin (OLE1). Including an intron in the codon-optimized TmDGAT1 elevated the accumulation of its transcript in leaves by seven times on average based on 5 transgenic lines for each construct. Plants with WRI1 (W), DGAT1 with intron (Di), and OLE1 (O) expression (WDiO) accumulated TAG up to a 3.85% of leaf dry weight (DW), a 192-fold increase compared to non-modified energycane (WT) and a 3.8-fold increase compared to the highest accumulation under the intron-less gene combination (WDO). This corresponded to TFA accumulation of up to 8.4% of leaf dry weight, a 2.8-fold or 6.1-fold increase compared to WDO or WT, respectively. Co-expression of WDiO resulted in stem accumulations of TAG up to 1.14% of DW or TFA up to 2.08% of DW that exceeded WT by 57-fold or 12-fold and WDO more than twofold, respectively. Constitutive expression of these lipogenic "push pull and protect" factors correlated with biomass reduction. CONCLUSIONS Intron-mediated enhancement (IME) of the expression of DGAT resulted in a step change in lipid accumulation of energycane and confirmed that under our experimental conditions it is rate limiting for lipid accumulation. IME should be applied to other lipogenic factors and metabolic engineering strategies. The findings from this study may be valuable in developing a high biomass feedstock for commercial production of lipids and advanced biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viet Dang Cao
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guangbin Luo
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shelby Korynta
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Yuanxue Liang
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA.
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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3
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Volk MJ, Tran VG, Tan SI, Mishra S, Fatma Z, Boob A, Li H, Xue P, Martin TA, Zhao H. Metabolic Engineering: Methodologies and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 123:5521-5570. [PMID: 36584306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic engineering aims to improve the production of economically valuable molecules through the genetic manipulation of microbial metabolism. While the discipline is a little over 30 years old, advancements in metabolic engineering have given way to industrial-level molecule production benefitting multiple industries such as chemical, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. This review describes the design, build, test, and learn steps necessary for leading a successful metabolic engineering campaign. Moreover, we highlight major applications of metabolic engineering, including synthesizing chemicals and fuels, broadening substrate utilization, and improving host robustness with a focus on specific case studies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on perspectives and future challenges related to metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Volk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Vinh G Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shih-I Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Aashutosh Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hongxiang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Teresa A Martin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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4
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Burgess AJ, Masclaux‐Daubresse C, Strittmatter G, Weber APM, Taylor SH, Harbinson J, Yin X, Long S, Paul MJ, Westhoff P, Loreto F, Ceriotti A, Saltenis VLR, Pribil M, Nacry P, Scharff LB, Jensen PE, Muller B, Cohan J, Foulkes J, Rogowsky P, Debaeke P, Meyer C, Nelissen H, Inzé D, Klein Lankhorst R, Parry MAJ, Murchie EH, Baekelandt A. Improving crop yield potential: Underlying biological processes and future prospects. Food Energy Secur 2022; 12:e435. [PMID: 37035025 PMCID: PMC10078444 DOI: 10.1002/fes3.435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing world population and global increases in the standard of living both result in an increasing demand for food, feed and other plant-derived products. In the coming years, plant-based research will be among the major drivers ensuring food security and the expansion of the bio-based economy. Crop productivity is determined by several factors, including the available physical and agricultural resources, crop management, and the resource use efficiency, quality and intrinsic yield potential of the chosen crop. This review focuses on intrinsic yield potential, since understanding its determinants and their biological basis will allow to maximize the plant's potential in food and energy production. Yield potential is determined by a variety of complex traits that integrate strictly regulated processes and their underlying gene regulatory networks. Due to this inherent complexity, numerous potential targets have been identified that could be exploited to increase crop yield. These encompass diverse metabolic and physical processes at the cellular, organ and canopy level. We present an overview of some of the distinct biological processes considered to be crucial for yield determination that could further be exploited to improve future crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J. Burgess
- School of Biosciences University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington campus Loughborough UK
| | | | - Günter Strittmatter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) Heinrich‐Heine‐Universität Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Andreas P. M. Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) Heinrich‐Heine‐Universität Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany
| | | | - Jeremy Harbinson
- Laboratory for Biophysics Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Xinyou Yin
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant Sciences Wageningen University & Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Stephen Long
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
- Plant Biology and Crop Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
| | | | - Peter Westhoff
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) Heinrich‐Heine‐Universität Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Francesco Loreto
- Department of Biology, Agriculture and Food Sciences, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy and University of Naples Federico II Napoli Italy
| | - Aldo Ceriotti
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology National Research Council (CNR) Milan Italy
| | - Vandasue L. R. Saltenis
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Mathias Pribil
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Philippe Nacry
- BPMP, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS Institut Agro Montpellier France
| | - Lars B. Scharff
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Poul Erik Jensen
- Department of Food Science University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Bertrand Muller
- Université de Montpellier ‐ LEPSE – INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
| | | | - John Foulkes
- School of Biosciences University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington campus Loughborough UK
| | - Peter Rogowsky
- INRAE UMR Plant Reproduction and Development Lyon France
| | | | - Christian Meyer
- IJPB UMR1318 INRAE‐AgroParisTech‐Université Paris Saclay Versailles France
| | - Hilde Nelissen
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent Belgium
| | - Dirk Inzé
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent Belgium
| | - René Klein Lankhorst
- Wageningen Plant Research Wageningen University & Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | | | - Erik H. Murchie
- School of Biosciences University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington campus Loughborough UK
| | - Alexandra Baekelandt
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent Belgium
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5
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Wang W, Wen H, Jin Q, Yu W, Li G, Wu M, Bai H, Shen L, Wu C. Comparative transcriptome analysis on candidate genes involved in lipid biosynthesis of developing kernels for three walnut cultivars in Xinjiang. FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN WELLNESS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fshw.2022.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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6
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Luo G, Cao VD, Kannan B, Liu H, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Metabolic engineering of energycane to hyperaccumulate lipids in vegetative biomass. BMC Biotechnol 2022; 22:24. [PMID: 36042455 PMCID: PMC9425976 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-022-00753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The metabolic engineering of high-biomass crops for lipid production in their vegetative biomass has recently been proposed as a strategy to elevate energy density and lipid yields for biodiesel production. Energycane and sugarcane are highly polyploid, interspecific hybrids between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum that differ in the amount of ancestral contribution to their genomes. This results in greater biomass yield and persistence in energycane, which makes it the preferred target crop for biofuel production. Results Here, we report on the hyperaccumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) in energycane following the overexpression of the lipogenic factors Diacylglycerol acyltransferase1-2 (DGAT1-2) and Oleosin1 (OLE1) in combination with RNAi suppression of SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 (SDP1) and Trigalactosyl diacylglycerol1 (TGD1). TAG accumulated up to 1.52% of leaf dry weight (DW,) a rate that was 30-fold that of non-modified energycane, in addition to almost doubling the total fatty acid content in leaves to 4.42% of its DW. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the accumulation of TAG had the highest correlation with the expression level of ZmDGAT1-2, followed by the level of RNAi suppression for SDP1. Conclusions This is the first report on the metabolic engineering of energycane and demonstrates that this resilient, high-biomass crop is an excellent target for the further optimization of the production of lipids from vegetative tissues. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-022-00753-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangbin Luo
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Viet Dang Cao
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Baskaran Kannan
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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7
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Chen G, Harwood JL, Lemieux MJ, Stone SJ, Weselake RJ. Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase: Properties, physiological roles, metabolic engineering and intentional control. Prog Lipid Res 2022; 88:101181. [PMID: 35820474 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT, EC 2.3.1.20) catalyzes the last reaction in the acyl-CoA-dependent biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG). DGAT activity resides mainly in membrane-bound DGAT1 and DGAT2 in eukaryotes and bifunctional wax ester synthase-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD) in bacteria, which are all membrane-bound proteins but exhibit no sequence homology to each other. Recent studies also identified other DGAT enzymes such as the soluble DGAT3 and diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT), as well as enzymes with DGAT activities including defective in cuticular ridges (DCR) and steryl and phytyl ester synthases (PESs). This review comprehensively discusses research advances on DGATs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes with a focus on their biochemical properties, physiological roles, and biotechnological and therapeutic applications. The review begins with a discussion of DGAT assay methods, followed by a systematic discussion of TAG biosynthesis and the properties and physiological role of DGATs. Thereafter, the review discusses the three-dimensional structure and insights into mechanism of action of human DGAT1, and the modeled DGAT1 from Brassica napus. The review then examines metabolic engineering strategies involving manipulation of DGAT, followed by a discussion of its therapeutic applications. DGAT in relation to improvement of livestock traits is also discussed along with DGATs in various other eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada.
| | - John L Harwood
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - M Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Scot J Stone
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E5, Canada.
| | - Randall J Weselake
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada
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8
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Chu KL, Koley S, Jenkins LM, Bailey SR, Kambhampati S, Foley K, Arp JJ, Morley SA, Czymmek KJ, Bates PD, Allen DK. Metabolic flux analysis of the non-transitory starch tradeoff for lipid production in mature tobacco leaves. Metab Eng 2022; 69:231-248. [PMID: 34920088 PMCID: PMC8761171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The metabolic plasticity of tobacco leaves has been demonstrated via the generation of transgenic plants that can accumulate over 30% dry weight as triacylglycerols. In investigating the changes in carbon partitioning in these high lipid-producing (HLP) leaves, foliar lipids accumulated stepwise over development. Interestingly, non-transient starch was observed to accumulate with plant age in WT but not HLP leaves, with a drop in foliar starch concurrent with an increase in lipid content. The metabolic carbon tradeoff between starch and lipid was studied using 13CO2-labeling experiments and isotopically nonstationary metabolic flux analysis, not previously applied to the mature leaves of a crop. Fatty acid synthesis was investigated through assessment of acyl-acyl carrier proteins using a recently derived quantification method that was extended to accommodate isotopic labeling. Analysis of labeling patterns and flux modeling indicated the continued production of unlabeled starch, sucrose cycling, and a significant contribution of NADP-malic enzyme to plastidic pyruvate production for the production of lipids in HLP leaves, with the latter verified by enzyme activity assays. The results suggest an inherent capacity for a developmentally regulated carbon sink in tobacco leaves and may in part explain the uniquely successful leaf lipid engineering efforts in this crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L Chu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Somnath Koley
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Lauren M Jenkins
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Sally R Bailey
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA; United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | | | - Kevin Foley
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Jennifer J Arp
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Stewart A Morley
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA; United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Kirk J Czymmek
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Philip D Bates
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6340, USA
| | - Doug K Allen
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA; United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA.
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9
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Biermann U, Bornscheuer UT, Feussner I, Meier MAR, Metzger JO. Fatty Acids and their Derivatives as Renewable Platform Molecules for the Chemical Industry. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:20144-20165. [PMID: 33617111 PMCID: PMC8453566 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202100778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Oils and fats of vegetable and animal origin remain an important renewable feedstock for the chemical industry. Their industrial use has increased during the last 10 years from 31 to 51 million tonnes annually. Remarkable achievements made in the field of oleochemistry in this timeframe are summarized herein, including the reduction of fatty esters to ethers, the selective oxidation and oxidative cleavage of C-C double bonds, the synthesis of alkyl-branched fatty compounds, the isomerizing hydroformylation and alkoxycarbonylation, and olefin metathesis. The use of oleochemicals for the synthesis of a great variety of polymeric materials has increased tremendously, too. In addition to lipases and phospholipases, other enzymes have found their way into biocatalytic oleochemistry. Important achievements have also generated new oil qualities in existing crop plants or by using microorganisms optimized by metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Biermann
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of Oldenburg26111OldenburgGermany
- abiosuse.V.Bloherfelder Straße 23926129OldenburgGermany
| | - Uwe T. Bornscheuer
- Institute of BiochemistryDept. of Biotechnology & Enzyme CatalysisGreifswald UniversityFelix-Hausdorff-Strasse 417487GreifswaldGermany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- University of GoettingenAlbrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant SciencesInternational Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC) and Goettingen Center of Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)Dept. of Plant BiochemistryJustus-von-Liebig-Weg 1137077GoettingenGermany
| | - Michael A. R. Meier
- Laboratory of Applied ChemistryInstitute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Straße am Forum 776131KarlsruheGermany
- Laboratory of Applied ChemistryInstitute of Biological and Chemical Systems—Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 176344Eggenstein-LeopoldshafenGermany
| | - Jürgen O. Metzger
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of Oldenburg26111OldenburgGermany
- abiosuse.V.Bloherfelder Straße 23926129OldenburgGermany
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Biermann U, Bornscheuer UT, Feussner I, Meier MAR, Metzger JO. Fettsäuren und Fettsäurederivate als nachwachsende Plattformmoleküle für die chemische Industrie. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202100778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Biermann
- Institut für Chemie Universität Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Deutschland
- abiosuse.V. Bloherfelder Straße 239 26129 Oldenburg Deutschland
| | - Uwe T. Bornscheuer
- Institut für Biochemie Abt. Biotechnologie & Enzymkatalyse Universität Greifswald Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 4 17487 Greifswald Deutschland
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Universität Göttingen Albrecht-von-Haller Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC) und Göttinger Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (GZMB) Abt. für die Biochemie der Pflanze Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11 37077 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Michael A. R. Meier
- Labor für Angewandte Chemie Institut für Organische Chemie (IOC) Karlsruher Institut für Technology (KIT) Straße am Forum 7 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
- Labor für Angewandte Chemie Institut für biologische und chemische Systeme –, Funktionale Molekülsysteme (IBCS-FMS) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Deutschland
| | - Jürgen O. Metzger
- Institut für Chemie Universität Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Deutschland
- abiosuse.V. Bloherfelder Straße 239 26129 Oldenburg Deutschland
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11
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Cooney LJ, Beechey-Gradwell Z, Winichayakul S, Richardson KA, Crowther T, Anderson P, Scott RW, Bryan G, Roberts NJ. Changes in Leaf-Level Nitrogen Partitioning and Mesophyll Conductance Deliver Increased Photosynthesis for Lolium perenne Leaves Engineered to Accumulate Lipid Carbon Sinks. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:641822. [PMID: 33897730 PMCID: PMC8063613 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.641822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Diacylglycerol acyl-transferase (DGAT) and cysteine oleosin (CO) expression confers a novel carbon sink (of encapsulated lipid droplets) in leaves of Lolium perenne and has been shown to increase photosynthesis and biomass. However, the physiological mechanism by which DGAT + CO increases photosynthesis remains unresolved. To evaluate the relationship between sink strength and photosynthesis, we examined fatty acids (FA), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), gas exchange parameters and leaf nitrogen for multiple DGAT + CO lines varying in transgene accumulation. To identify the physiological traits which deliver increased photosynthesis, we assessed two important determinants of photosynthetic efficiency, CO2 conductance from atmosphere to chloroplast, and nitrogen partitioning between different photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pools. We found that DGAT + CO accumulation increased FA at the expense of WSC in leaves of L. perenne and for those lines with a significant reduction in WSC, we also observed an increase in photosynthesis and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency. DGAT + CO L. perenne displayed no change in rubisco content or Vcmax but did exhibit a significant increase in specific leaf area (SLA), stomatal and mesophyll conductance, and leaf nitrogen allocated to photosynthetic electron transport. Collectively, we showed that increased carbon demand via DGAT+CO lipid sink accumulation can induce leaf-level changes in L. perenne which deliver increased rates of photosynthesis and growth. Carbon sinks engineered within photosynthetic cells provide a promising new strategy for increasing photosynthesis and crop productivity.
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Beechey-Gradwell Z, Cooney L, Winichayakul S, Andrews M, Hea SY, Crowther T, Roberts N. Storing carbon in leaf lipid sinks enhances perennial ryegrass carbon capture especially under high N and elevated CO2. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:2351-2361. [PMID: 31679036 PMCID: PMC7134912 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
By modifying two genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and storage [cysteine oleosin (cys-OLE)/diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT)], the accumulation of stable lipid droplets in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) leaves was achieved. Growth, biomass allocation, leaf structure, gas exchange parameters, fatty acids, and water-soluble carbohydrates were quantified for a high-expressing cys-OLE/DGAT ryegrass transformant (HL) and a wild-type (WT) control grown under controlled conditions with 1-10 mM nitrogen (N) supply at ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2. A dramatic shift in leaf carbon (C) storage occurred in HL leaves, away from readily mobilizable carbohydrates and towards stable lipid droplets. HL exhibited an increased growth rate, mainly in non-photosynthetic organs, leading to a decreased leaf mass fraction. HL leaves, however, displayed an increased specific leaf area and photosynthetic rate per unit leaf area, delivering greater overall C capture and leaf growth at high N supply. HL also exhibited a greater photosynthesis response to elevated atmospheric CO2. We speculate that by behaving as uniquely stable microsinks for C, cys-OLE-encapsulated lipid droplets can reduce feedback inhibition of photosynthesis and drive greater C capture. Manipulation of many genes and gene combinations has been used to increase non-seed lipid content. However, the cys-OLE/DGAT technology remains the only reported case that increases plant biomass. We contrast cys-OLE/DGAT with other lipid accumulation strategies and discuss the implications of introducing lipid sinks into non-seed organs for plant energy homeostasis and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zac Beechey-Gradwell
- Agresearch Grasslands, Tennent Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Luke Cooney
- Agresearch Grasslands, Tennent Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Mitchell Andrews
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Shen Y Hea
- Agresearch Grasslands, Tennent Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Tracey Crowther
- Agresearch Grasslands, Tennent Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Nick Roberts
- Agresearch Grasslands, Tennent Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Xu XY, Akbar S, Shrestha P, Venugoban L, Devilla R, Hussain D, Lee J, Rug M, Tian L, Vanhercke T, Singh SP, Li Z, Sharp PJ, Liu Q. A Synergistic Genetic Engineering Strategy Induced Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Potato ( Solanum tuberosum) Leaf. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:215. [PMID: 32210994 PMCID: PMC7069356 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Potato is the 4th largest staple food in the world currently. As a high biomass crop, potato harbors excellent potential to produce energy-rich compounds such as triacylglycerol as a valuable co-product. We have previously reported that transgenic potato tubers overexpressing WRINKLED1, DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE 1, and OLEOSIN genes produced considerable levels of triacylglycerol. In this study, the same genetic engineering strategy was employed on potato leaves. The overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana WRINKED1 under the transcriptional control of a senescence-inducible promoter together with Arabidopsis thaliana DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE 1 and Sesamum indicum OLEOSIN driven by the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter and small subunit of Rubisco promoter respectively, resulted in an approximately 30- fold enhancement of triacylglycerols in the senescent transgenic potato leaves compared to the wild type. The increase of triacylglycerol in the transgenic potato leaves was accompanied by perturbations of carbohydrate accumulation, apparent in a reduction in starch content and increased total soluble sugars, as well as changes of polar membrane lipids at different developmental stages. Microscopic and biochemical analysis further indicated that triacylglycerols and lipid droplets could not be produced in chloroplasts, despite the increase and enlargement of plastoglobuli at the senescent stage. Possibly enhanced accumulation of fatty acid phytyl esters in the plastoglobuli were reflected in transgenic potato leaves relative to wild type. It is likely that the plastoglobuli may have hijacked some of the carbon as the result of WRINKED1 expression, which could be a potential factor restricting the effective accumulation of triacylglycerols in potato leaves. Increased lipid production was also observed in potato tubers, which may have affected the tuberization to a certain extent. The expression of transgenes in potato leaf not only altered the carbon partitioning in the photosynthetic source tissue, but also the underground sink organs which highly relies on the leaves in development and energy deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-yu Xu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sehrish Akbar
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Dawar Hussain
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jiwon Lee
- Center for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Melanie Rug
- Center for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Lijun Tian
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | - Zhongyi Li
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Peter J. Sharp
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Qing Liu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Leyland B, Boussiba S, Khozin-Goldberg I. A Review of Diatom Lipid Droplets. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9020038. [PMID: 32098118 PMCID: PMC7168155 DOI: 10.3390/biology9020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic nutrient availability and photon flux density of diatom habitats necessitate buffering capabilities in order to maintain metabolic homeostasis. This is accomplished by the biosynthesis and turnover of storage lipids, which are sequestered in lipid droplets (LDs). LDs are an organelle conserved among eukaryotes, composed of a neutral lipid core surrounded by a polar lipid monolayer. LDs shield the intracellular environment from the accumulation of hydrophobic compounds and function as a carbon and electron sink. These functions are implemented by interconnections with other intracellular systems, including photosynthesis and autophagy. Since diatom lipid production may be a promising objective for biotechnological exploitation, a deeper understanding of LDs may offer targets for metabolic engineering. In this review, we provide an overview of diatom LD biology and biotechnological potential.
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15
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AL-Amery M, Downie B, DeBolt S, Crocker M, Urschel K, Goff B, Teets N, Gollihue J, Hildebrand D. Proximate composition of enhanced DGAT high oil, high protein soybeans. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2019.101303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Wan X, Liu Q, Dong B, Vibhakaran Pillai S, Huang FH, Singh SP, Zhou XR. Molecular and biochemical analysis of the castor caruncle reveals a set of unique genes involved in oil accumulation in non-seed tissues. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:158. [PMID: 31249621 PMCID: PMC6589891 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1496-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the increasing demand for vegetative oil and the approach of peak seed oil production, it is important to develop new oil production platforms from non-seed tissues. Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is one of the crops for vegetable oil for industrial applications with yield around 1.4 ton oil per hectare produced in seed. The castor caruncle is a non-seed tissue attached to seed. RESULTS Caruncle accumulates up to 40% oil by weight in the form of triacylglycerol (TAG), with a highly contrasting fatty acid composition when compared to the seed oil. Biochemical analysis indicated that the caruncle synthesizes TAGs independent of the seed. Such non-seed tissue has provided an excellent resource for understanding the mechanism of oil accumulation in tissues other than seeds. Transcriptome analysis revealed the key members of gene families involved in fatty acid synthesis and TAG assembly in the caruncle. A transient expression assay of these selected genes resulted in a 20-fold increased TAG accumulation in leaves. CONCLUSIONS Castor caruncle utilizes an independent system to synthesize TAGs. Results provide the possibility of exploiting caruncle gene set to engineer oil production in non-seed tissues or microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wan
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Oilseeds Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry and Nutrition, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Liu
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Bei Dong
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | | | - Feng-Hong Huang
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Oilseeds Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry and Nutrition, Wuhan, 430062 People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Xue-Rong Zhou
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
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Reynolds KB, Cullerne DP, El Tahchy A, Rolland V, Blanchard CL, Wood CC, Singh SP, Petrie JR. Identification of Genes Involved in Lipid Biosynthesis through de novo Transcriptome Assembly from Cocos nucifera Developing Endosperm. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 60:945-960. [PMID: 30608545 PMCID: PMC6498750 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcy247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cocos nucifera (coconut), a member of the Arecaceae family, is an economically important woody palm that is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The coconut palm is well known for its ability to accumulate large amounts of oil, approximately 63% of the seed weight. Coconut oil varies significantly from other vegetable oils as it contains a high proportion of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA; 85%). The unique composition of coconut oil raises interest in understanding how the coconut palm produces oil of a high saturated MCFA content, and if such an oil profile could be replicated via biotechnology interventions. Although some gene discovery work has been performed there is still a significant gap in the knowledge associated with coconut's oil production pathways. In this study, a de novo transcriptome was assembled for developing coconut endosperm to identify genes involved in the synthesis of lipids, particularly triacylglycerol. Of particular interest were thioesterases, acyltransferases and oleosins because of their involvement in the processes of releasing fatty acids for assembly, esterification of fatty acids into glycerolipids and protecting oils from degradation, respectively. It is hypothesized that some of these genes may exhibit a strong substrate preference for MCFA and hence may assist the future development of vegetable oils with an enriched MCFA composition. In this study, we identified and confirmed functionality of five candidate genes from the gene families of interest. This study will benefit future work in areas of increasing vegetable oil production and the tailoring of oil fatty acid compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B Reynolds
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Department of Primary Industries, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Darren P Cullerne
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Anna El Tahchy
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Vivien Rolland
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher L Blanchard
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Craig C Wood
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Surinder P Singh
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - James R Petrie
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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18
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Vanhercke T, Dyer JM, Mullen RT, Kilaru A, Rahman MM, Petrie JR, Green AG, Yurchenko O, Singh SP. Metabolic engineering for enhanced oil in biomass. Prog Lipid Res 2019; 74:103-129. [PMID: 30822461 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The world is hungry for energy. Plant oils in the form of triacylglycerol (TAG) are one of the most reduced storage forms of carbon found in nature and hence represent an excellent source of energy. The myriad of applications for plant oils range across foods, feeds, biofuels, and chemical feedstocks as a unique substitute for petroleum derivatives. Traditionally, plant oils are sourced either from oilseeds or tissues surrounding the seed (mesocarp). Most vegetative tissues, such as leaves and stems, however, accumulate relatively low levels of TAG. Since non-seed tissues constitute the majority of the plant biomass, metabolic engineering to improve their low-intrinsic TAG-biosynthetic capacity has recently attracted significant attention as a novel, sustainable and potentially high-yielding oil production platform. While initial attempts predominantly targeted single genes, recent combinatorial metabolic engineering strategies have focused on the simultaneous optimization of oil synthesis, packaging and degradation pathways (i.e., 'push, pull, package and protect'). This holistic approach has resulted in dramatic, seed-like TAG levels in vegetative tissues. With the first proof of concept hurdle addressed, new challenges and opportunities emerge, including engineering fatty acid profile, translation into agronomic crops, extraction, and downstream processing to deliver accessible and sustainable bioenergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vanhercke
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - John M Dyer
- USDA-ARS, US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, USA
| | - Robert T Mullen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Aruna Kilaru
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Md Mahbubur Rahman
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - James R Petrie
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Folear, Goulburn, NSW, Australia
| | - Allan G Green
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Olga Yurchenko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Surinder P Singh
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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19
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Bailey-Serres J, Pierik R, Ruban A, Wingler A. The Dynamic Plant: Capture, Transformation, and Management of Energy. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 176:961-966. [PMID: 29438068 PMCID: PMC5813544 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Bailey-Serres
- Center for Plant Cell Biology and Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521; Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Pierik
- Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Ruban
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Astrid Wingler
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
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20
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Singer SD, Weselake RJ, Acharya S. Molecular Enhancement of Alfalfa: Improving Quality Traits for Superior Livestock Performance and Reduced Environmental Impact. CROP SCIENCE 2018; 58:55-71. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2017.07.0434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D. Singer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Lethbridge Research and Development Centre; Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4B1
| | - Randall J. Weselake
- Dep. of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada T6G 2P5
| | - Surya Acharya
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Lethbridge Research and Development Centre; Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4B1
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21
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Reynolds KB, Taylor MC, Cullerne DP, Blanchard CL, Wood CC, Singh SP, Petrie JR. A reconfigured Kennedy pathway which promotes efficient accumulation of medium-chain fatty acids in leaf oils. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2017; 15:1397-1408. [PMID: 28301719 PMCID: PMC5633779 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, C6-14 fatty acids) are an ideal feedstock for biodiesel and broader oleochemicals. In recent decades, several studies have used transgenic engineering to produce MCFA in seeds oils, although these modifications result in unbalance membrane lipid profiles that impair oil yields and agronomic performance. Given the ability to engineer nonseed organs to produce oils, we have previously demonstrated that MCFA profiles can be produced in leaves, but this also results in unbalanced membrane lipid profiles and undesirable chlorosis and cell death. Here we demonstrate that the introduction of a diacylglycerol acyltransferase from oil palm, EgDGAT1, was necessary to channel nascent MCFA directly into leaf oils and therefore bypassing MCFA residing in membrane lipids. This pathway resulted in increased flux towards MCFA rich leaf oils, reduced MCFA in leaf membrane lipids and, crucially, the alleviation of chlorosis. Deep sequencing of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) generated candidate genes of interest, which were then tested for their ability to improve oil accumulation. Thioesterases were explored for the production of lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic (C14:0). The thioesterases from Umbellularia californica and Cinnamomum camphora produced a total of 52% C12:0 and 40% C14:0, respectively, in transient leaf assays. This study demonstrated that the introduction of a complete acyl-CoA-dependent pathway for the synthesis of MFCA-rich oils avoided disturbing membrane homoeostasis and cell death phenotypes. This study outlines a transgenic strategy for the engineering of biomass crops with high levels of MCFA rich leaf oils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B. Reynolds
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and FoodActonACTAustralia
- Department of Primary IndustriesGraham Centre for Agricultural InnovationCharles Sturt UniversityWagga WaggaNSWAustralia
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional GrainsCharles Sturt UniversityWagga WaggaNSWAustralia
| | - Matthew C. Taylor
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganizationLand and WaterActonACTAustralia
| | - Darren P. Cullerne
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and FoodActonACTAustralia
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleNewcastleNSWAustralia
| | - Christopher L. Blanchard
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional GrainsCharles Sturt UniversityWagga WaggaNSWAustralia
| | - Craig C. Wood
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and FoodActonACTAustralia
| | - Surinder P. Singh
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and FoodActonACTAustralia
| | - James R. Petrie
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and FoodActonACTAustralia
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22
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Pyc M, Cai Y, Greer MS, Yurchenko O, Chapman KD, Dyer JM, Mullen RT. Turning Over a New Leaf in Lipid Droplet Biology. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 22:596-609. [PMID: 28454678 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) in plants have long been viewed as storage depots for neutral lipids that serve as sources of carbon, energy, and lipids for membrane biosynthesis. While much of our knowledge of LD function in plants comes from studies of oilseeds, a recent surge in research on LDs in non-seed cell types has led to an array of new discoveries. It is now clear that both evolutionarily conserved and kingdom-specific mechanisms underlie the biogenesis of LDs in eukaryotes, and proteomics and homology-based approaches have identified new protein players. This review highlights some of these recent discoveries and other new areas of plant LD research, including their role in stress responses and as targets of metabolic engineering strategies aimed at increasing oil content in bioenergy crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Pyc
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Yingqi Cai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Plant Lipid Research, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Michael S Greer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Plant Lipid Research, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Olga Yurchenko
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Kent D Chapman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Plant Lipid Research, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - John M Dyer
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA.
| | - Robert T Mullen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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23
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Vanhercke T, Divi UK, El Tahchy A, Liu Q, Mitchell M, Taylor MC, Eastmond PJ, Bryant F, Mechanicos A, Blundell C, Zhi Y, Belide S, Shrestha P, Zhou XR, Ral JP, White RG, Green A, Singh SP, Petrie JR. Step changes in leaf oil accumulation via iterative metabolic engineering. Metab Eng 2017; 39:237-246. [PMID: 27993560 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis and accumulation of plant oils in the entire vegetative biomass offers the potential to deliver yields surpassing those of oilseed crops. However, current levels still fall well short of those typically found in oilseeds. Here we show how transcriptome and biochemical analyses pointed to a futile cycle in a previously established Nicotiana tabacum line, accumulating up to 15% (dry weight) of the storage lipid triacylglycerol in leaf tissue. To overcome this metabolic bottleneck, we either silenced the SDP1 lipase or overexpressed the Arabidopsis thaliana LEC2 transcription factor in this transgenic background. Both strategies independently resulted in the accumulation of 30-33% triacylglycerol in leaf tissues. Our results demonstrate that the combined optimization of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, storage lipid assembly and lipid turnover in leaf tissue results in a major overhaul of the plant central carbon allocation and lipid metabolism. The resulting further step changes in oil accumulation in the entire plant biomass offers the possibility of delivering yields that outperform current oilseed crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vanhercke
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Uday K Divi
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Anna El Tahchy
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Qing Liu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Madeline Mitchell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Matthew C Taylor
- CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Peter J Eastmond
- Department of Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdomna Scholarship Council (CSC
| | - Fiona Bryant
- Department of Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdomna Scholarship Council (CSC
| | - Anna Mechanicos
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Cheryl Blundell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Yao Zhi
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Srinivas Belide
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Pushkar Shrestha
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Xue-Rong Zhou
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jean-Philippe Ral
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Rosemary G White
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Allan Green
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Surinder P Singh
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - James R Petrie
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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24
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O’Neill EC, Kelly S. Engineering biosynthesis of high-value compounds in photosynthetic organisms. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2016; 37:779-802. [DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2016.1237467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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25
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Xu C, Shanklin J. Triacylglycerol Metabolism, Function, and Accumulation in Plant Vegetative Tissues. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 67:179-206. [PMID: 26845499 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-043015-111641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Oils in the form of triacylglycerols are the most abundant energy-dense storage compounds in eukaryotes, and their metabolism plays a key role in cellular energy balance, lipid homeostasis, growth, and maintenance. Plants accumulate oils primarily in seeds and fruits. Plant oils are used for food and feed and, increasingly, as feedstocks for biodiesel and industrial chemicals. Although plant vegetative tissues do not accumulate significant levels of triacylglycerols, they possess a high capacity for their synthesis, storage, and metabolism. The development of plants that accumulate oil in vegetative tissues presents an opportunity for expanded production of triacylglycerols as a renewable and sustainable bioenergy source. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of triacylglycerol synthesis, turnover, storage, and function in leaves and discuss emerging genetic engineering strategies targeted at enhancing triacylglycerol accumulation in biomass crops. Such plants could potentially be modified to produce oleochemical feedstocks or nutraceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changcheng Xu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973; ,
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973; ,
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26
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Robertson M, Kirkegaard J, Rebetzke G, Llewellyn R, Wark T. Prospects for yield improvement in the Australian wheat industry: a perspective. Food Energy Secur 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - John Kirkegaard
- CSIRO Agriculture Wembley Western Australia Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture PO Box 1600 Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Greg Rebetzke
- CSIRO Agriculture Wembley Western Australia Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture PO Box 1600 Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Rick Llewellyn
- CSIRO Agriculture Wembley Western Australia Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture Urrbrae South Australia Australia
| | - Tim Wark
- CSIRO Data 61 Pullenvale Queensland Australia
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27
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Zale J, Jung JH, Kim JY, Pathak B, Karan R, Liu H, Chen X, Wu H, Candreva J, Zhai Z, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Metabolic engineering of sugarcane to accumulate energy-dense triacylglycerols in vegetative biomass. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:661-9. [PMID: 26058948 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Elevating the lipid content in vegetative tissues has emerged as a new strategy for increasing energy density and biofuel yield of crops. Storage lipids in contrast to structural and signaling lipids are mainly composed of glycerol esters of fatty acids, also known as triacylglycerol (TAG). TAGs are one of the most energy-rich and abundant forms of reduced carbon available in nature. Therefore, altering the carbon-partitioning balance in favour of TAG in vegetative tissues of sugarcane, one of the highest yielding biomass crops, is expected to drastically increase energy yields. Here we report metabolic engineering to elevate TAG accumulation in vegetative tissues of sugarcane. Constitutive co-expression of WRINKLED1 (WRI1), diacylglycerol acyltransferase1-2 (DGAT1-2) and oleosin1 (OLE1) and simultaneous cosuppression of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) and a subunit of the peroxisomal ABC transporter1 (PXA1) in transgenic sugarcane elevated TAG accumulation in leaves or stems by 95- or 43-fold to 1.9% or 0.9% of dry weight (DW), respectively, while expression or suppression of one to three of the target genes increased TAG levels by 1.5- to 9.5-fold. Accumulation of TAG in vegetative progeny plants was consistent with the results from primary transgenics and contributed to a total fatty acid content of up to 4.7% or 1.7% of DW in mature leaves or stems, respectively. Lipid droplets were visible within mesophyll cells of transgenic leaves by confocal fluorescence microscopy. These results provide the basis for optimizations of TAG accumulation in sugarcane and other high yielding biomass grasses and will open new prospects for biofuel applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice Zale
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Je Hyeong Jung
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jae Yoon Kim
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Bhuvan Pathak
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ratna Karan
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory 463, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Xiuhua Chen
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jason Candreva
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory 463, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Zhiyang Zhai
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory 463, Upton, NY, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory 463, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
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28
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Singer SD, Zou J, Weselake RJ. Abiotic factors influence plant storage lipid accumulation and composition. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 243:1-9. [PMID: 26795146 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The demand for plant-derived oils has increased substantially over the last decade, and is sure to keep growing. While there has been a surge in research efforts to produce plants with improved oil content and quality, in most cases the enhancements have been small. To add further complexity to this situation, substantial differences in seed oil traits among years and field locations have indicated that plant lipid biosynthesis is also influenced to a large extent by multiple environmental factors such as temperature, drought, light availability and soil nutrients. On the molecular and biochemical levels, the expression and/or activities of fatty acid desaturases, as well as diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1, have been found to be affected by abiotic factors, suggesting that they play a role in the lipid content and compositional changes seen under abiotic stress conditions. Unfortunately, while only a very small number of strategies have been developed as of yet to minimize these environmental effects on the production of storage lipids, it is clear that this feat will be of the utmost importance for developing superior oil crops with the capability to perform in a consistent manner in field conditions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D Singer
- Alberta Innovates Phytola Centre, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Jitao Zou
- National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Randall J Weselake
- Alberta Innovates Phytola Centre, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada.
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29
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Reynolds KB, Taylor MC, Zhou XR, Vanhercke T, Wood CC, Blanchard CL, Singh SP, Petrie JR. Metabolic engineering of medium-chain fatty acid biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana plant leaf lipids. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:164. [PMID: 25852716 PMCID: PMC4371700 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Various research groups are investigating the production of oil in non-seed biomass such as leaves. Recently, high levels of oil accumulation have been achieved in plant biomass using a combination of biotechnological approaches which also resulted in significant changes to the fatty acid composition of the leaf oil. In this study, we were interested to determine whether medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) could be accumulated in leaf oil. MCFA are an ideal feedstock for biodiesel and a range of oleochemical products including lubricants, coatings, and detergents. In this study, we explore the synthesis, accumulation, and glycerolipid head-group distribution of MCFA in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana after transient transgenic expression of C12:0-, C14:0-, and C16:0-ACP thioesterase genes. We demonstrate that the production of these MCFA in leaf is increased by the co-expression of the WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor, with the lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) from Cocos nucifera being required for the assembly of tri-MCFA TAG species. We also demonstrate that the newly-produced MCFA are incorporated into the triacylglycerol of leaves in which WRI1 + diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 (DGAT1) genes are co-expressed for increased oil accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B. Reynolds
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt UniversityWagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains, Charles Sturt UniversityWagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew C. Taylor
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
| | - Xue-Rong Zhou
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
| | - Thomas Vanhercke
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
| | - Craig C. Wood
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher L. Blanchard
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains, Charles Sturt UniversityWagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Surinder P. Singh
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
| | - James R. Petrie
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food and Nutrition FlagshipActon, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: James R. Petrie, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Food, Nutrition and Bioproducts Flagship, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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30
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Laibach N, Post J, Twyman RM, Gronover CS, Prüfer D. The characteristics and potential applications of structural lipid droplet proteins in plants. J Biotechnol 2014; 201:15-27. [PMID: 25160916 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Plant cytosolic lipid droplets are storage organelles that accumulate hydrophobic molecules. They are found in many tissues and their general structure includes an outer lipid monolayer with integral and associated proteins surrounding a hydrophobic core. Two distinct types can be distinguished, which we define here as oleosin-based lipid droplets (OLDs) and non-oleosin-based lipid droplets (NOLDs). OLDs are the best characterized lipid droplets in plants. They are primarily restricted to seeds and other germinative tissues, their surface is covered with oleosin-family proteins to maintain stability, they store triacylglycerols (TAGs) and they are used as a source of energy (and possibly signaling molecules) during the germination of seeds and pollen. Less is known about NOLDs. They are more abundant than OLDs and are distributed in many tissues, they accumulate not only TAGs but also other hydrophobic molecules such as natural rubber, and the structural proteins that stabilize them are unrelated to oleosins. In many species these proteins are members of the rubber elongation factor superfamily. NOLDs are not typically used for energy storage but instead accumulate hydrophobic compounds required for environmental interactions such as pathogen defense. There are many potential applications of NOLDs including the engineering of lipid production in plants and the generation of artificial oil bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Laibach
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
| | - Janina Post
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
| | | | - Christian Schulze Gronover
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
| | - Dirk Prüfer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany; Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
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31
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Divi UK, El Tahchy A, Vanhercke T, Petrie JR, Robles-Martinez JA, Singh SP. Transcriptional and biochemical responses of monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-mediated oil synthesis and associated senescence-like responses in Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 5:204. [PMID: 24904604 PMCID: PMC4033622 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulates in plant seeds as a major renewable source of carbon for food, fuel and industrial feedstock. Approaches to enhance TAG content by altering lipid pathways and genes in vegetative parts have gained significant attention for biofuel and other applications. However, consequences of these modifications are not always studied in detail. In an attempt to increase TAG levels in leaves we previously demonstrated that a novel substrate, monoacylglycerol (MAG), can be used for the biosynthesis of diacylglycerol (DAG) and TAG. Transient expression of the Mus musculus monoacylglycerol acyltransferases MGAT1 and 2 in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana increased TAG levels at 5 days post-infiltration (dpi). Here we show that increased TAG and DAG levels can be achieved as early as 2 dpi. In addition, the MGAT1 infiltrated areas showed senescence-like symptoms from 3 dpi onwards. To unravel underlying molecular mechanisms, Illumina deep sequencing was carried out (a) for de-novo assembling and annotation of N. benthamiana leaf transcripts and (b) to characterize MGAT1-responsive transcriptome. We found that MGAT1-responsive genes are involved in several processes including TAG biosynthesis, photosynthesis, cell-wall, cutin, suberin, wax and mucilage biosynthesis, lipid and hormone metabolism. Comparative analysis with transcript profiles from other senescence studies identified characteristic gene expression changes involved in senescence induction. We confirmed that increased TAG and observed senescence-symptoms are due to the MAG depletion caused by MGAT1 activity and suggest a mechanism for MGAT1 induced TAG increase and senescence-like symptoms. The data generated will serve as a valuable resource for oil and senescence related studies and for future N. benthamiana transcriptome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday K. Divi
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research FlagshipCanberra, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: Uday K. Divi, CSIRO Plant Industry, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia e-mail:
| | - Anna El Tahchy
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research FlagshipCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Thomas Vanhercke
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research FlagshipCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - James R. Petrie
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research FlagshipCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Surinder P. Singh
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research FlagshipCanberra, ACT, Australia
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