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Silva RA, Hernández MA, Kalscheuer R, Steinbüchel A, Alvarez HM. Two protocols for the detection of oleaginous bacteria using Oil Red O. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:375. [PMID: 38878165 PMCID: PMC11180012 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13177-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024]
Abstract
The selection of oleaginous bacteria, potentially applicable to biotechnological approaches, is usually carried out by different expensive and time-consuming techniques. In this study, we used Oil Red O (ORO) as an useful dye for staining of neutral lipids (triacylglycerols and wax esters) on thin-layer chromatography plates. ORO could detect minimal quantities of both compounds (detection limit, 0.0025 mg of tripalmitin or 0.005 mg of cetylpalmitate). In addition, we developed a specific, rapid, and inexpensive screening methodology to detect triacylglycerol-accumulating microorganisms grown on the agar plate. This staining methodology detected 9/13 strains with a triacylglycerol content higher than 20% by cellular dry weight. ORO did not stain polyhydroxyalkanoates-producing bacteria. The four oleaginous strains not detected by this screening methodology exhibited a mucoid morphology of their colonies. Apparently, an extracellular polymeric substance produced by these strains hampered the entry of the lipophilic dye into cells. The utilization of the developed screening methodology would allow selecting of oleaginous bacteria in a simpler and faster way than techniques usually used nowadays, based on unspecific staining protocols and spectrophotometric or chromatographic methods. Furthermore, the use of ORO as a staining reagent would easily characterize the neutral lipids accumulated by microorganisms as reserve compounds. KEY POINTS: • Oil Red O staining is specific for triacylglycerols • Oil Red O staining is useful to detect oleaginous bacteria • Fast and inexpensive staining to isolate oleaginous bacteria from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana A Silva
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco y CONICET, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Martín A Hernández
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco y CONICET, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Rainer Kalscheuer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany.
| | - Héctor M Alvarez
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco y CONICET, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
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2
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Keyl A, Herrfurth C, Pandey G, Kim RJ, Helwig L, Haslam TM, de Vries S, de Vries J, Gutsche N, Zachgo S, Suh MC, Kunst L, Feussner I. Divergent evolution of the alcohol-forming pathway of wax biosynthesis among bryophytes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38501480 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The plant cuticle is a hydrophobic barrier, which seals the epidermal surface of most aboveground organs. While the cuticle biosynthesis of angiosperms has been intensively studied, knowledge about its existence and composition in nonvascular plants is scarce. Here, we identified and characterized homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) ECERIFERUM 4 (AtCER4) and bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (AtWSD1) in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha (MpFAR2 and MpWSD1) and the moss Physcomitrium patens (PpFAR2A, PpFAR2B, and PpWSD1). Although bryophyte harbor similar compound classes as described for angiosperm cuticles, their biosynthesis may not be fully conserved between the bryophytes M. polymorpha and P. patens or between these bryophytes and angiosperms. While PpFAR2A and PpFAR2B contribute to the production of primary alcohols in P. patens, loss of MpFAR2 function does not affect the wax profile of M. polymorpha. By contrast, MpWSD1 acts as the major wax ester-producing enzyme in M. polymorpha, whereas mutations of PpWSD1 do not affect the wax ester levels of P. patens. Our results suggest that the biosynthetic enzymes involved in primary alcohol and wax ester formation in land plants have either evolved multiple times independently or undergone pronounced radiation followed by the formation of lineage-specific toolkits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Keyl
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Garima Pandey
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Korea
| | - Ryeo Jin Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Korea
| | - Lina Helwig
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Tegan M Haslam
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Sophie de Vries
- Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jan de Vries
- Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
- Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
- Department of Applied Informatics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Nora Gutsche
- Division of Botany, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrueck, 49076, Germany
| | - Sabine Zachgo
- Division of Botany, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrueck, 49076, Germany
| | - Mi Chung Suh
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Korea
| | - Ljerka Kunst
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, 37077, Germany
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3
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Pfefferle K, Averhoff B. Wax Ester and Triacylglycerol Production in Acinetobacter baumannii: Role in Osmostress Protection, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Antibiotic Sensitivity. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2093-2104. [PMID: 37883671 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters (WEs) are neutral lipids that are produced by many different bacteria as potential carbon and energy storage compounds. Comparatively little is known about the role of WE in pathogenic bacteria. The opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide. Salt and desiccation resistance foster A. baumannii infections such as urinary tract infections and allow for reinfection when bacteria are taken up from dry surfaces in the hospital environment. Here we report on WE and triacylglycerol (TAG) production in A. baumannii as a response to nitrogen limitation and high salt stress. Fatty acids and fatty alcohols with chain lengths of C16 and C18 were identified as the most prominent WE constituents. We identified the terminal key enzyme of WE biosynthesis, the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acylCoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) encoded by the wax/dgat gene, and demonstrated that transcription of wax/dgat and production of WS/DGAT are independent of the nitrogen concentration. A Δwax/dgat mutant was impaired in growth in the presence of high salt concentration and was more sensitive to imipenem and reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Pfefferle
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Beate Averhoff
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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4
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Sokołowska B, Orłowska M, Okrasińska A, Piłsyk S, Pawłowska J, Muszewska A. What can be lost? Genomic perspective on the lipid metabolism of Mucoromycota. IMA Fungus 2023; 14:22. [PMID: 37932857 PMCID: PMC10629195 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00127-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucoromycota is a phylum of early diverging fungal (EDF) lineages, of mostly plant-associated terrestrial fungi. Some strains have been selected as promising biotechnological organisms due to their ability to produce polyunsaturated fatty acids and efficient conversion of nutrients into lipids. Others get their lipids from the host plant and are unable to produce even the essential ones on their own. Following the advancement in EDF genome sequencing, we carried out a systematic survey of lipid metabolism protein families across different EDF lineages. This enabled us to explore the genomic basis of the previously documented ability to produce several types of lipids within the fungal tree of life. The core lipid metabolism genes showed no significant diversity in distribution, however specialized lipid metabolic pathways differed in this regard among different fungal lineages. In total 165 out of 202 genes involved in lipid metabolism were present in all tested fungal lineages, while remaining 37 genes were found to be absent in some of fungal lineages. Duplications were observed for 69 genes. For the first time we demonstrate that ergosterol is not being produced by several independent groups of plant-associated fungi due to the losses of different ERG genes. Instead, they possess an ancestral pathway leading to the synthesis of cholesterol, which is absent in other fungal lineages. The lack of diacylglycerol kinase in both Mortierellomycotina and Blastocladiomycota opens the question on sterol equilibrium regulation in these organisms. Early diverging fungi retained most of beta oxidation components common with animals including Nudt7, Nudt12 and Nudt19 pointing at peroxisome divergence in Dikarya. Finally, Glomeromycotina and Mortierellomycotina representatives have a similar set of desaturases and elongases related to the synthesis of complex, polyunsaturated fatty acids pointing at an ancient expansion of fatty acid metabolism currently being explored by biotechnological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Sokołowska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Orłowska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alicja Okrasińska
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sebastian Piłsyk
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Julia Pawłowska
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland.
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5
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Galván V, Pascutti F, Sandoval NE, Lanfranconi MP, Lozada M, Arabolaza AL, Mac Cormack WP, Alvarez HM, Gramajo HC, Dionisi HM. High wax ester and triacylglycerol biosynthesis potential in coastal sediments of Antarctic and Subantarctic environments. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288509. [PMID: 37459319 PMCID: PMC10351704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The wax ester (WE) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthetic potential of marine microorganisms is poorly understood at the microbial community level. The goal of this work was to uncover the prevalence and diversity of bacteria with the potential to synthesize these neutral lipids in coastal sediments of two high latitude environments, and to characterize the gene clusters related to this process. Homolog sequences of the key enzyme, the wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) were retrieved from 13 metagenomes, including subtidal and intertidal sediments of a Subantarctic environment (Ushuaia Bay, Argentina), and subtidal sediments of an Antarctic environment (Potter Cove, Antarctica). The abundance of WS/DGAT homolog sequences in the sediment metagenomes was 1.23 ± 0.42 times the abundance of 12 single-copy genes encoding ribosomal proteins, higher than in seawater (0.13 ± 0.31 times in 338 metagenomes). Homolog sequences were highly diverse, and were assigned to the Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota phyla. The genomic context of WS/DGAT homologs included sequences related to WE and TAG biosynthesis pathways, as well as to other related pathways such as fatty-acid metabolism, suggesting carbon recycling might drive the flux to neutral lipid synthesis. These results indicate the presence of abundant and taxonomically diverse bacterial populations with the potential to synthesize lipid storage compounds in marine sediments, relating this metabolic process to bacterial survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Galván
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Federico Pascutti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Natalia E. Sandoval
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana P. Lanfranconi
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Ana L. Arabolaza
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Walter P. Mac Cormack
- Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC-UBA-CONICET), San Martín, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Héctor M. Alvarez
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Hugo C. Gramajo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Hebe M. Dionisi
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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6
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Bovio-Winkler P, Guerrero LD, Erijman L, Oyarzúa P, Suárez-Ojeda ME, Cabezas A, Etchebehere C. Genome-centric metagenomic insights into the role of Chloroflexi in anammox, activated sludge and methanogenic reactors. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:45. [PMID: 36809975 PMCID: PMC9942424 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02765-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The phylum Chloroflexi is highly abundant in a wide variety of wastewater treatment bioreactors. It has been suggested that they play relevant roles in these ecosystems, particularly in degrading carbon compounds and on structuring flocs or granules. Nevertheless, their function is not yet well understood as most species have not been isolated in axenic cultures. Here we used a metagenomic approach to investigate Chloroflexi diversity and their metabolic potential in three environmentally different bioreactors: a methanogenic full-scale reactor, a full-scale activated sludge reactor and a lab scale anammox reactor. RESULTS Differential coverage binning approach was used to assemble the genomes of 17 new Chloroflexi species, two of which are proposed as new Candidatus genus. In addition, we recovered the first representative genome belonging to the genus 'Ca. Villigracilis'. Even though samples analyzed were collected from bioreactors operating under different environmental conditions, the assembled genomes share several metabolic features: anaerobic metabolism, fermentative pathways and several genes coding for hydrolytic enzymes. Interestingly, genome analysis from the anammox reactor indicated a putative role of Chloroflexi in nitrogen conversion. Genes related to adhesiveness and exopolysaccharides production were also detected. Complementing sequencing analysis, filamentous morphology was detected by Fluorescent in situ hybridization. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that Chloroflexi participate in organic matter degradation, nitrogen removal and biofilm aggregation, playing different roles according to the environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Bovio-Winkler
- Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Department of Microbial Biochemistry and Genomic, Biological Research Institute "Clemente Estable", Avenida Italia 3318, CP: 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Leandro D Guerrero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética Y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor N. Torres" (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leonardo Erijman
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética Y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor N. Torres" (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pía Oyarzúa
- GENOCOV Research Group, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Suárez-Ojeda
- GENOCOV Research Group, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Angela Cabezas
- Instituto Tecnológico Regional Centro Sur, Universidad Tecnológica, Francisco Antonio Maciel S/N, CP: 97000, Durazno, Uruguay
| | - Claudia Etchebehere
- Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Department of Microbial Biochemistry and Genomic, Biological Research Institute "Clemente Estable", Avenida Italia 3318, CP: 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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7
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Zhao S, Yan F, Liu Y, Sun M, Wang Y, Li J, Zhang X, Yang X, Wang Q. Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of diacylglycerol acyltransferase genes in soybean ( Glycine max). PeerJ 2023; 11:e14941. [PMID: 36968000 PMCID: PMC10035420 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Soybean (Glycine max) is a major protein and vegetable oil source. In plants, diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) can exert strong flux control, which is rate-limiting for triacylglycerol biosynthesis in seed oil formation. Methods Here, we identified soybean DGAT genes via a bioinformatics method, thereby laying a solid foundation for further research on their function. Based on our bioinformatics analyses, including gene structure, protein domain characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis, 26 DGAT putative gene family members unevenly distributed on 12 of the 20 soybean chromosomes were identified and divided into the following four groups: DGAT1, DGAT2, WS/DGAT, and cytoplasmic DGAT. Results The Ka/Ks ratio of most of these genes indicated a significant positive selection pressure. DGAT genes exhibited characteristic expression patterns in soybean tissues. The differences in the structure and expression of soybean DGAT genes revealed the diversity of their functions and the complexity of soybean fatty acid metabolism. Our findings provide important information for research on the fatty acid metabolism pathway in soybean. Furthermore, our results will help identify candidate genes for potential fatty acid-profile modifications to improve soybean seed oil content. Conclusions This is the first time that in silico studies have been used to report the genomic and proteomic characteristics of DGAT in soybean and the effect of its specific expression on organs, age, and stages.
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8
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Derstine N, Galbraith D, Villar G, Amsalem E. Differential gene expression underlying the biosynthesis of Dufour's gland signals in Bombus impatiens. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:100056. [PMID: 37124651 PMCID: PMC10130613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones regulating social behavior are one of the most explored phenomena in social insects. However, compound identity, biosynthesis and their genetic basis are known in only a handful of species. Here we examined the gene expression associated with pheromone biosynthesis of two main chemical classes: esters and terpenes, using the social bee Bombus impatiens. We conducted chemical and RNA-seq analyses of the Dufour's gland, an exocrine gland producing a plethora of pheromones regulating social behavior in hymenopteran species. The Dufour's gland contains mostly long-chained hydrocarbons, terpenes and esters that signal reproductive and social status in several bee species. In bumble bees, the Dufour's gland contains queen- and worker-specific esters, in addition to terpenes and terpene-esters only found in gynes and queens. These compounds are assumed to be synthesized de novo in the gland, however, their genetic basis is unknown. A whole transcriptome gene expression analysis of the gland in queens, gynes, queenless and queenright workers showed distinct transcriptomic profiles, with thousands of differentially expressed genes between the groups. Workers and queens express genes associated with key enzymes in the biosynthesis of wax esters, while queens and gynes preferentially express key genes in terpene biosynthesis. Overall, our data demonstrate gland-specific regulation of chemical signals associated with social behavior and identifies candidate genes and pathways regulating caste-specific chemical signals in social insects.
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9
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Trenz TS, Turchetto-Zolet AC, Margis R, Margis-Pinheiro M, Maraschin FDS. Functional analysis of alternative castor bean DGAT enzymes. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 46:e20220097. [PMID: 36512712 PMCID: PMC9747089 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs) indicates alternative roles for these enzymes in plant metabolism besides triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis. In this work, we functionally characterized castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) DGATs assessing their subcellular localization, expression in seeds, capacity to restore triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis in mutant yeast and evaluating whether they provide tolerance over free fatty acids (FFA) in sensitive yeast. RcDGAT3 displayed a distinct subcellular localization, located in vesicles outside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in most leaf epidermal cells. This enzyme was unable to restore TAG biosynthesis in mutant yeast; however, it was able to outperform other DGATs providing higher tolerance over FFA. RcDAcTA subcellular localization was associated with the ER membranes, resembling RcDGAT1 and RcDGAT2, but it failed to rescue the long-chain TAG biosynthesis in mutant yeast, even with fatty acid supplementation. Besides TAG biosynthesis, our results suggest that RcDGAT3 might have alternative functions and roles in lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomaz Stumpf Trenz
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Andreia Carina Turchetto-Zolet
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rogério Margis
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biofísica, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcia Margis-Pinheiro
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Felipe dos Santos Maraschin
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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10
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Xu H, Li D, Hao Y, Guo X, Lu J, Zhang T. Genome-wide analysis of DGAT gene family in Perilla frutescens and functional characterization of PfDGAT2-2 and PfDGAT3-1 in Arabidopsis. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 324:111426. [PMID: 35998725 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111426] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is the rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the final step in triacylglycerol biosynthesis, however, members of DGAT gene family of Perilla frutescens has not yet been identified and characterized. In this study, a total of 20 PfDGAT genes were identified from the genome of Perilla frutescens and were divided into four groups (PfDGAT1, PfDGAT2, PfDGAT3, PfWS/DGAT) according to their phylogenetic relationships. These were unevenly distributed across the 12 chromosomes. Sequence analysis revealed that PfDGAT members of the same subfamily have highly conserved gene structures, protein motifs and cis-acting elements in their promoters. Gene duplication analysis showed that random duplication and segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of the DGAT family in P. frutescens. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analysis suggested that they may play a role in the growth and development of Perilla, especially in the accumulation of seed oil. Compared with the wild-type, seed length, width, and 1000-seed weight of transgenic PfDGAT2-2 and PfDGAT3-1 Arabidopsis were significantly increased, as well as the seed oil content increased by 7.36-15.83 %. Over-expression of PfDGAT2-2 could significantly increase the content of C18:3 and C20:1 in Arabidopsis, while over-expression of PfDGAT3-1 could significantly enhance the content of C18:2 and C18:3. In conclusion, in this study the characteristics and potential functions of the PfDGAT family members were elucidated. Our findings provided basic information for further functional studies and helped to increase the yield and quality of Perilla oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Dan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Youjin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Xi Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Junxing Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Tao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, PR China.
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11
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Zhang C, Yang J, Meng W, Zeng L, Sun L. Genome-wide analysis of the WSD family in sunflower and functional identification of HaWSD9 involvement in wax ester biosynthesis and osmotic stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:975853. [PMID: 36212375 PMCID: PMC9539440 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.975853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The wax esters are important cuticular wax composition that cover the outer surface of plant organs and play a critical role in protection and energy metabolism. Wax ester synthesis in plant is catalyzed by a bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD). Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oil crop in the world; however, little is known about WSD in sunflower. In this study, we identified and performed a functional analysis of twelve HaWSD genes from sunflower genome. Tissue-specific expression revealed that 12 HaWSD genes were differentially expressed in various organs and tissues of sunflower, except seeds. HaWSD genes were highly induced by salinity, drought, cold, and abscisic acid (ABA) in sunflower. To ascertain their function, HaWSD9, with highly expressed levels in stems and leaves, was cloned and expressed in a yeast mutant defective in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis. HaWSD9 complemented the phenotype by producing wax ester but not TAG in vivo, indicating that it functions as a wax ester synthase. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that HaWSD9 was located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Heterologous introduction of HaWSD9 into Arabidopsis wsd1 mutant exhibited increased epicuticular wax crystals and cuticular wax contents on the stems. As compared with the wsd1 mutant, HaWSD9 overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis showed less cuticle permeability, chlorophyll leaching and water loss rate. Further analysis showed that the HaWSD9 transgenics enhanced tolerance to ABA, mannitol, drought and salinity, and maintained higher leaf relative water content (RWC) than the wsd1 mutant under drought stress, suggesting that HaWSD9 play an important physiological role in stress response as well as wax synthase. These results contribute to understanding the function of HaWSD genes in wax ester synthesis and stress tolerance in sunflower.
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12
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Kumar V, Turnbull WB, Kumar A. Review on Recent Developments in Biocatalysts for Friedel–Crafts Reactions. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vajinder Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Akal University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab 151302, India
| | - W. Bruce Turnbull
- School of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Avneesh Kumar
- Department of Botany, Akal University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab 151302, India
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13
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Xin F, Wang R, Chang Y, Gao M, Xie Z, Yang W, Chen M, Zhang H, Song Y. Homologous Overexpression of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase in Oleaginous Fungus Mucor circinelloides WJ11 Enhances Lipid Accumulation under Static Solid Cultivation. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:9073-9083. [PMID: 35844180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) catalyzes the binding of acyl-CoA to diacylglycerol to form triacylglycerol (TAG). Previous studies strongly indicate that DGAT2, rather than DGAT1, is crucial for TAG accumulation in the oleaginous fungus Mucor circinelloides. To increase the lipid content of M. circinelloides WJ11, McDGAT2 was overexpressed by homologous recombination; compared to the control strain Mc2075, transformants McDGAT2d showed a significant increase in biomass for both spores and mycelia (from 87.7 to 101.2 mg/g in spores and from 75.6 to 93.1 mg/g in mycelia). McDGAT2 overexpression under static solid fermentation gave a greater boost to lipid accumulation in mycelia than in spores. Total fatty acid content in mycelia increased by 68.0% (from 13.6 to 22.8%) and in spores by 26.3% (from 10.6 to 13.4%). However, under submerged fermentation, the lipid content of McDGAT2d was the same as the control, while biomass was slightly reduced. Transcriptomics showed that NADPH was derived mainly from the pentose phosphate pathway, acetyl-CoA was from multiple pathways, and leucine metabolism played an important role in substrate supply for fatty acid biosynthesis. Static solid fermentation may be the more suitable fermentation method for microbial oil production by filamentous fungi due to its lower fermentation costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Xin
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruixue Wang
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufei Chang
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Gao
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhike Xie
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Wu Yang
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meiling Chen
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaiyuan Zhang
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanda Song
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun West Road, Zibo, Shandong 255000, People's Republic of China
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14
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Vollheyde K, Kühnel K, Lambrecht F, Kawelke S, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional Wax Synthase 1 from Acinetobacter baylyi Suggests a Conformational Change upon Substrate Binding and Formation of Additional Substrate Binding Sites. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karin Kühnel
- Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Felix Lambrecht
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Kawelke
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
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15
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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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16
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Cheng D, Li L, Rizhsky L, Bhandary P, Nikolau BJ. Heterologous Expression and Characterization of Plant Wax Ester Producing Enzymes. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12070577. [PMID: 35888701 PMCID: PMC9319179 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12070577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wax esters are widely distributed among microbes, plants, and mammals, and they serve protective and energy storage functions. Three classes of enzymes catalyze the reaction between a fatty acyl alcohol and a fatty acyl-CoA, generating wax esters. Multiple isozymes of two of these enzyme classes, the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase class of wax synthase (WS) and the bifunctional wax synthase/diacylglycerol acyl transferase (WSD), co-exist in plants. Although WSD enzymes are known to produce the wax esters of the plant cuticle, the functionality of plant WS enzymes is less well characterized. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic relationships among the 12 WS and 11 WSD isozymes that occur in Arabidopsis, and established two in vivo heterologous expression systems, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in Arabidopsis seeds to investigate the catalytic abilities of the WS enzymes. These two refactored wax assembly chassis were used to demonstrate that WS isozymes show distinct differences in the types of esters that can be assembled. We also determined the cellular and subcellular localization of two Arabidopsis WS isozymes. Additionally, using publicly available Arabidopsis transcriptomics data, we identified the co-expression modules of the 12 Arabidopsis WS coding genes. Collectively, these analyses suggest that WS genes may function in cuticle assembly and in supporting novel photosynthetic function(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daolin Cheng
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (D.C.); (L.L.); (L.R.)
- Center for Metabolic Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Ling Li
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (D.C.); (L.L.); (L.R.)
- Center for Metabolic Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
- Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Ludmila Rizhsky
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (D.C.); (L.L.); (L.R.)
- Center for Metabolic Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Priyanka Bhandary
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
| | - Basil J. Nikolau
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (D.C.); (L.L.); (L.R.)
- Center for Metabolic Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-515-290-3382
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17
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Xue J, Gao H, Xue Y, Shi R, Liu M, Han L, Gao Y, Zhou Y, Zhang F, Zhang H, Jia X, Li R. Functional Characterization of Soybean Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 3 in Yeast and Soybean. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:854103. [PMID: 35693158 PMCID: PMC9174931 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.854103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT) function as the key rate-limiting enzymes in de novo biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG) by transferring an acyl group from acyl-CoA to sn-3 of diacylglycerol (DAG) to form TAG. Here, two members of the type 3 DGAT gene family, GmDGAT3-1 and GmDGAT3-2, were identified from the soybean (Glycine max) genome. Both of them were predicted to encode soluble cytosolic proteins containing the typical thioredoxin-like ferredoxin domain. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that GmDGAT3-2 expression was much higher than GmDGAT3-1's in various soybean tissues such as leaves, flowers, and seeds. Functional complementation assay using TAG-deficient yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutant H1246 demonstrated that GmDGAT3-2 fully restored TAG biosynthesis in the yeast and preferentially incorporated monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), especially oleic acid (C18:1) into TAGs. This substrate specificity was further verified by fatty-acid feeding assays and in vitro enzyme activity characterization. Notably, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) data showed that heterogeneous expression of GmDGAT3-2 resulted in a significant increase in seed oil and C18:1 levels but little change in contents of protein and starch compared to the EV-transformed tobacco plants. Taken together, GmDGAT3-2 displayed a strong enzymatic activity to catalyze TAG assembly with high substrate specificity for MUFAs, particularly C18:1, playing an important role in the cytosolic pathway of TAG synthesis in soybean. The present findings provide a scientific reference for improving oil yield and FA composition in soybean through gene modification, further expanding our knowledge of TAG biosynthesis and its regulatory mechanism in oilseeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinai Xue
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Huiling Gao
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Yinghong Xue
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Ruixiang Shi
- College of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Haerbin, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Lijun Han
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Yu Gao
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Yali Zhou
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Fei Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Haiping Zhang
- Center for Agricultural Genetic Resources Research, Shanxi Agricultural University (Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaoyun Jia
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Runzhi Li
- College of Agriculture, Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
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18
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Domergue F, Miklaszewska M. The production of wax esters in transgenic plants:
towards a sustainable source of bio-lubricants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:2817-2834. [PMID: 35560197 PMCID: PMC9113324 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters are high-value compounds used as feedstocks for the production of lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Currently, they are produced mostly from fossil reserves using chemical synthesis, but this cannot meet increasing demand and has a negative environmental impact. Natural wax esters are also obtained from Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) but comparably in very low amounts and expensively. Therefore, metabolic engineering of plants, especially of the seed storage lipid metabolism of oil crops, represents an attractive strategy for renewable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly production of wax esters tailored to industrial applications. Utilization of wax ester-synthesizing enzymes with defined specificities and modulation of the acyl-CoA pools by various genetic engineering approaches can lead to obtaining wax esters with desired compositions and properties. However, obtaining high amounts of wax esters is still challenging due to their negative impact on seed germination and yield. In this review, we describe recent progress in establishing non-food-plant platforms for wax ester production and discuss their advantages and limitations as well as future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Domergue
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, LBM, UMR 5200, F-33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
| | - Magdalena Miklaszewska
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Molecular Systems Biology (MOSYS), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
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19
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Hatanaka T, Tomita Y, Matsuoka D, Sasayama D, Fukayama H, Azuma T, Soltani Gishini MF, Hildebrand D. Different acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferases vary widely in function, and a targeted amino acid substitution enhances oil accumulation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:3030-3043. [PMID: 35560190 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the major component of plant storage lipids such as oils. Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) catalyzes the final step of the Kennedy pathway, and is mainly responsible for plant oil accumulation. We previously found that the activity of Vernonia DGAT1 was distinctively higher than that of Arabidopsis and soybean DGAT1 in a yeast microsome assay. In this study, the DGAT1 cDNAs of Arabidopsis, Vernonia, soybean, and castor bean were introduced into Arabidopsis. All Vernonia DGAT1-expressing lines showed a significantly higher oil content (49% mean increase compared with the wild-type) followed by soybean and castor bean. Most Arabidopsis DGAT1-overexpressing lines did not show a significant increase. In addition to these four DGAT1 genes, sunflower, Jatropha, and sesame DGAT1 genes were introduced into a TAG biosynthesis-defective yeast mutant. In the yeast expression culture, DGAT1s from Arabidopsis, castor bean, and soybean only slightly increased the TAG content; however, DGAT1s from Vernonia, sunflower, Jatropha, and sesame increased TAG content >10-fold more than the former three DGAT1s. Three amino acid residues were characteristically common in the latter four DGAT1s. Using soybean DGAT1, these amino acid substitutions were created by site-directed mutagenesis and substantially increased the TAG content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Hatanaka
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Tomita
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Matsuoka
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sasayama
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fukayama
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Azuma
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Mohammad Fazel Soltani Gishini
- Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Sciences and Agricultural Engineering, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - David Hildebrand
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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20
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Mancipe NC, Mulliner KM, Plunkett MH, Barney BM. Canvasing the Substrate-Binding Pockets of the Wax Ester Synthase. Biochemistry 2022; 61:922-932. [PMID: 35507417 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of wax esters and triglycerides in bacteria is accomplished through the action of the wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT or wax ester synthase). A hallmark of these enzymes is the broad substrate profile that accepts alcohols, diglycerides, and fatty acyl-CoAs of various carbon chain lengths and degrees of branching. These enzymes have a broad biotechnological potential due to their role in producing high-value lipids or simple fuels similar to biodiesel through biosynthetic routes. Recently, a crystal structure was solved for the wax ester synthase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 (Maqu_0168), providing a much clearer picture of the architecture of this enzyme and enabling a more precise analysis of the important structural features of the protein. In this work, we used the structure to canvas amino acids lining the proposed substrate-binding pockets and tested the effects of exchanging specific residues on the substrate profiles. We also developed an approach to better probe the residues that alter fatty acyl-CoA selectivity, which has proven more difficult to investigate. Our findings provide an improved blueprint for future efforts to understand how these enzymes position substrates for catalysis and to tailor or improve these enzymes in future biosynthetic schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Calixto Mancipe
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Kalene M Mulliner
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Mary H Plunkett
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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21
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Transgenic manipulation of triacylglycerol biosynthetic enzymes in B. napus alters lipid-associated gene expression and lipid metabolism. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3352. [PMID: 35233071 PMCID: PMC8888550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07387-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is an important crop that is cultivated for the oil (mainly triacylglycerol; TAG) it produces in its seeds. TAG synthesis is controlled mainly by key enzymes in the Kennedy pathway, such as glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT), lysophosphatidate acyltransferase (LPAT) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) but can also be produced from phosphoglycerides such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) by the activity of the enzyme phospholipid: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT). To evaluate the potential for these enzymes to alter oil yields or composition, we analysed transgenic B. napus lines which overexpressed GPAT, LPAT or PDAT using heterologous transgenes from Arabidopsis and Nasturtium and examined lipid profiles and changes in gene expression in these lines compared to WT. Distinct changes in PC and TAG abundance and spatial distribution in embryonic tissues were observed in some of the transgenic lines, together with altered expression of genes involved generally in acyl-lipid metabolism. Overall our results show that up-regulation of these key enzymes differentially affects lipid composition and distribution as well as lipid-associated gene expression, providing important information which could be used to improve crop properties by metabolic engineering.
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22
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Chellamuthu M, Kumaresan K, Subramanian S. Increase in alpha-linolenic acid content by simultaneous expression of fatty acid metabolism genes in Sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.). PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 28:559-572. [PMID: 35465201 PMCID: PMC8986930 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-022-01152-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Sesame is considered one of India's important sources of edible oil and an excellent dietary source for its nutritional and medicinal value. Sesame DGAT1 and PDAT1 genes were co-expressed with omega 3 FAD genes. Systemic isolation of sesame DGAT1, PDAT1, ER type FAD3, and chloroplast type FAD7/8 genes were performed. Their sequence was analyzed for genomic organization, amino acid characterization, organ specificity, and phylogenetic relationships. The insilico analysis revealed the unique features of DGAT1, PDAT1, and FAD3 gene sequences, whereas FAD7 and FAD8 sequences had the same protein characters and were grouped in phylogeny analysis, only variation was found in their mRNA UTR regions. Functional expression of sesame TAG synthesis genes and omega-3 FAD genes was studied in yeast mutant H1246 deficient for TAG synthesis. Functional analyses in yeast with the presence of ALA confirmed the identity of sesame FAD3, FAD7 and FAD8 genes. Recombinant expression of pESC + DGAT1 + FAD3 vector in yeast mutant resulted in lipid accumulation with 10% higher ALA content. Thus this gene combination can be co-expressed in sesame and other plant systems to increase the lipid accumulation with high omega-3 fatty acid (ALA) content. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01152-0.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kanimozhi Kumaresan
- Department of Biotechnology, PSG College of Technology, 641004 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Selvi Subramanian
- Department of Biotechnology, PSG College of Technology, 641004 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu India
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Zhang Y, Guo X, Yang H, Shi S. The Studies in Constructing Yeast Cell Factories for the Production of Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:799032. [PMID: 35087801 PMCID: PMC8787340 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.799032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid alkyl esters have broad applications in biofuels, lubricant formulas, paints, coatings, and cosmetics. Traditionally, these esters are mostly produced through unsustainable and energy-intensive processes. In contrast, microbial production of esters from renewable and sustainable feedstocks may provide a promising alternative and has attracted widespread attention in recent years. At present, yeasts are used as ideal hosts for producing such esters, due to their availability for high-density fermentation, resistance to phage infection, and tolerance against toxic inhibitors. Here, we summarize recent development on the biosynthesis of alkyl esters, including fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), fatty acid short-branched chain alkyl esters (FASBEs), and wax esters (WEs) by various yeast cell factories. We focus mainly on the enzyme engineering strategies of critical wax ester synthases, and the pathway engineering strategies employed for the biosynthesis of various ester products. The bottlenecks that limit productivity and their potential solutions are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huaiyi Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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Bracalente F, Sabatini M, Arabolaza A, Gramajo H. Escherichia coli coculture for de novo production of esters derived of methyl-branched alcohols and multi-methyl branched fatty acids. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:10. [PMID: 35033081 PMCID: PMC8760833 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01737-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A broad diversity of natural and non-natural esters have now been made in bacteria, and in other microorganisms, as a result of original metabolic engineering approaches. However, the fact that the properties of these molecules, and therefore their applications, are largely defined by the structural features of the fatty acid and alcohol moieties, has driven a persistent interest in generating novel structures of these chemicals. RESULTS In this research, we engineered Escherichia coli to synthesize de novo esters composed of multi-methyl-branched-chain fatty acids and short branched-chain alcohols (BCA), from glucose and propionate. A coculture engineering strategy was developed to avoid metabolic burden generated by the reconstitution of long heterologous biosynthetic pathways. The cocultures were composed of two independently optimized E. coli strains, one dedicated to efficiently achieve the biosynthesis and release of the BCA, and the other to synthesize the multi methyl-branched fatty acid and the corresponding multi-methyl-branched esters (MBE) as the final products. Response surface methodology, a cost-efficient multivariate statistical technique, was used to empirical model the BCA-derived MBE production landscape of the coculture and to optimize its productivity. Compared with the monoculture strategy, the utilization of the designed coculture improved the BCA-derived MBE production in 45%. Finally, the coculture was scaled up in a high-cell density fed-batch fermentation in a 2 L bioreactor by fine-tuning the inoculation ratio between the two engineered E. coli strains. CONCLUSION Previous work revealed that esters containing multiple methyl branches in their molecule present favorable physicochemical properties which are superior to those of linear esters. Here, we have successfully engineered an E. coli strain to broaden the diversity of these molecules by incorporating methyl branches also in the alcohol moiety. The limited production of these esters by a monoculture was considerable improved by a design of a coculture system and its optimization using response surface methodology. The possibility to scale-up this process was confirmed in high-cell density fed-batch fermentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Bracalente
- Microbiology Division, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas Y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular Y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Martín Sabatini
- Microbiology Division, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas Y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular Y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Ana Arabolaza
- Microbiology Division, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas Y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular Y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Microbiology Division, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas Y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular Y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
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Singh A, Singh S, Singh R, Kumar S, Singh SK, Singh IK. Dynamics of Zea mays transcriptome in response to a polyphagous herbivore, Spodoptera litura. Funct Integr Genomics 2021; 21:571-592. [PMID: 34415472 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-021-00796-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Zea mays defense response is well-crafted according to the physical and chemical weapons utilized by their invaders during the coevolutionary period. Maize plants employ diversified defense strategies and alter the spatiotemporal distribution of several classes of defensive compounds to affect insect herbivore performance. However, only little knowledge is available about the defense orchestration of maize in response to Spodoptera litura, a voracious Noctuidae pest. In order to decipher the defense status of Zea mays (African tall variety) against S. litura, a comparative feeding bioassay was executed, which revealed reduced performance of the herbivore on maize. In order to understand the molecular mechanism behind maize tolerance against S. litura, a microarray-based genome-wide expression analysis was performed. The comparative analysis displayed 792 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), wherein 357 genes were upregulated and 435 genes were downregulated at fold change ≥ 2 and p value ≤ 0.05. The upregulated genes were identified and categorized as defense-related, oxidative stress-related, transcription regulatory genes, protein synthesis genes, phytohormone-related, and primary and secondary metabolism-related. In contrast, downregulated genes were mainly associated with plant growth and development, indicating a balance of growth and defense response and utilization of a highly evolved C-diversion response were noticed. Maize plants showed better tolerance against herbivory and maintained its fitness using a combinatorial strategy. This peculiar response of Zea mays against S. litura offers an excellent possibility of managing polyphagous pests by spicing up the plant's defensive response with tolerance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India.
| | - Sujata Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, Delhi-110019, India
| | - Ragini Singh
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
| | - Sumit Kumar
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, Delhi-110019, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar Singh
- Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Indrakant Kumar Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, Delhi-110019, India. .,DBC i4 Centre, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, Delhi-110019, India.
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26
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Soong YHV, Zhao L, Liu N, Yu P, Lopez C, Olson A, Wong HW, Shao Z, Xie D. Microbial synthesis of wax esters. Metab Eng 2021; 67:428-442. [PMID: 34391890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Microbial synthesis of wax esters (WE) from low-cost renewable and sustainable feedstocks is a promising path to achieve cost-effectiveness in biomanufacturing. WE are industrially high-value molecules, which are widely used for applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Since the natural WE resources are limited, the WE production mostly rely on chemical synthesis from rather expensive starting materials, and therefore solution are sought from development of efficient microbial cell factories. Here we report to engineer the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica and bacterium Escherichia coli to produce WE at the highest level up to date. First, the key genes encoding fatty acyl-CoA reductases and wax ester synthase from different sources were investigated, and the expression system for two different Y. lipolytica hosts were compared and optimized for enhanced WE production and the strain stability. To improve the metabolic pathway efficiency, different carbon sources including glucose, free fatty acid, soybean oil, and waste cooking oil (WCO) were compared, and the corresponding pathway engineering strategies were optimized. It was found that using a lipid substrate such as WCO to replace glucose led to a 60-fold increase in WE production. The engineered yeast was able to produce 7.6 g/L WE with a yield of 0.31 (g/g) from WCO within 120 h and the produced WE contributed to 57% of the yeast DCW. After that, E. coli BL21(DE3), with a faster growth rate than the yeast, was engineered to significantly improve the WE production rate. Optimization of the expression system and the substrate feeding strategies led to production of 3.7-4.0 g/L WE within 40 h in a 1-L bioreactor. The predominant intracellular WE produced by both Y. lipolytica and E. coli in the presence of hydrophobic substrates as sole carbon sources were C36, C34 and C32, in an order of decreasing abundance and with a large proportion being unsaturated. This work paved the way for the biomanufacturing of WE at a large scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hue Valerie Soong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Le Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Carmen Lopez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Andrew Olson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Hsi-Wu Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
| | - Dongming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
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Alvarez HM, Hernández MA, Lanfranconi MP, Silva RA, Villalba MS. Rhodococcus as Biofactories for Microbial Oil Production. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26164871. [PMID: 34443455 PMCID: PMC8401914 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria belonging to the Rhodococcus genus are frequent components of microbial communities in diverse natural environments. Some rhodococcal species exhibit the outstanding ability to produce significant amounts of triacylglycerols (TAG) (>20% of cellular dry weight) in the presence of an excess of the carbon source and limitation of the nitrogen source. For this reason, they can be considered as oleaginous microorganisms. As occurs as well in eukaryotic single-cell oil (SCO) producers, these bacteria possess specific physiological properties and molecular mechanisms that differentiate them from other microorganisms unable to synthesize TAG. In this review, we summarized several of the well-characterized molecular mechanisms that enable oleaginous rhodococci to produce significant amounts of SCO. Furthermore, we highlighted the ability of these microorganisms to degrade a wide range of carbon sources coupled to lipogenesis. The qualitative and quantitative oil production by rhodococci from diverse industrial wastes has also been included. Finally, we summarized the genetic and metabolic approaches applied to oleaginous rhodococci to improve SCO production. This review provides a comprehensive and integrating vision on the potential of oleaginous rhodococci to be considered as microbial biofactories for microbial oil production.
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28
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Xu Y, Pan X, Lu J, Wang J, Shan Q, Stout J, Chen G. Evolutionary and biochemical characterization of a Chromochloris zofingiensis MBOAT with wax synthase and diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5584-5598. [PMID: 34037747 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Wax synthase (WS) catalyzes the last step in wax ester biosynthesis in green plants. Two unrelated sub-families of WS, including the bifunctional acyltransferase and plant-like WS have been reported, but the latter is largely uncharacterized in microalgae. Here, we functionally characterized a putative plant-like WS (CzWS1) from the emerging model green microalga Chromochloris zofingiensis. Our results showed that plant-like WS evolved under different selection constraints in plants and microalgae, with positive selection likely contributing to functional divergence. Unlike jojoba with high amounts of wax ester in seeds and a highly active WS enzyme, C. zofingiensis has no detectable wax ester but a high abundance of WS transcripts. Co-expression analysis showed that C. zofingiensis WS has different expression correlation with lipid biosynthetic genes from jojoba, and may have a divergent function. In vitro characterization indicated that CzWS1 had diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity along with WS activity, and overexpression of CzWS1 in yeast and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii affected triacylglycerol accumulation. Moreover, biochemical and bioinformatic analyses revealed the relevance of the C-terminal region of CzWS1 in enzyme function. Taken together, our results indicated a functional divergence of plant-like WS in plants and microalgae, and the importance of its C-terminal region in specialization of enzyme function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xue Pan
- Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, and Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Junhao Lu
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Juli Wang
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Qiyuan Shan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jake Stout
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Heterotrophic euglenid Rhabdomonas costata resembles its phototrophic relatives in many aspects of molecular and cell biology. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13070. [PMID: 34158556 PMCID: PMC8219788 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92174-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Euglenids represent a group of protists with diverse modes of feeding. To date, only a partial genomic sequence of Euglena gracilis and transcriptomes of several phototrophic and secondarily osmotrophic species are available, while primarily heterotrophic euglenids are seriously undersampled. In this work, we begin to fill this gap by presenting genomic and transcriptomic drafts of a primary osmotroph, Rhabdomonas costata. The current genomic assembly length of 100 Mbp is 14× smaller than that of E. gracilis. Despite being too fragmented for comprehensive gene prediction it provided fragments of the mitochondrial genome and comparison of the transcriptomic and genomic data revealed features of its introns, including several candidates for nonconventional types. A set of 39,456 putative R. costata proteins was predicted from the transcriptome. Annotation of the mitochondrial core metabolism provides the first data on the facultatively anaerobic mitochondrion of R. costata, which in most respects resembles the mitochondrion of E. gracilis with a certain level of streamlining. R. costata can synthetise thiamine by enzymes of heterogenous provenances and haem by a mitochondrial-cytoplasmic C4 pathway with enzymes orthologous to those found in E. gracilis. The low percentage of green algae-affiliated genes supports the ancestrally osmotrophic status of this species.
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30
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Sanya DRA, Onésime D, Passoth V, Maiti MK, Chattopadhyay A, Khot MB. Yeasts of the Blastobotrys genus are promising platform for lipid-based fuels and oleochemicals production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:4879-4897. [PMID: 34110474 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11354-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Strains of the yeast genus Blastobotrys (subphylum Saccharomycotina) represent a valuable biotechnological resource for basic biochemistry research, single-cell protein, and heterologous protein production processes. Species of this genus are dimorphic, non-pathogenic, thermotolerant, and can assimilate a variety of hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates. These can constitute a single-cell oil platform in an emerging bio-based economy as oleaginous traits have been discovered recently. However, the regulatory network of lipogenesis in these yeasts is poorly understood. To keep pace with the growing market demands for lipid-derived products, it is critical to understand the lipid biosynthesis in these unconventional yeasts to pinpoint what governs the preferential channelling of carbon flux into lipids instead of the competing pathways. This review summarizes information relevant to the regulation of lipid metabolic pathways and prospects of metabolic engineering in Blastobotrys yeasts for their application in food, feed, and beyond, particularly for fatty acid-based fuels and oleochemicals. KEY POINTS: • The production of biolipids by heterotrophic yeasts is reviewed. • Summary of information concerning lipid metabolism regulation is highlighted. • Special focus on the importance of diacylglycerol acyltransferases encoding genes in improving lipid production is made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruben Akiola Sanya
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut Micalis, Diversité génomique et fonctionnelle des levures, domaine de Vilvert, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Djamila Onésime
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut Micalis, Diversité génomique et fonctionnelle des levures, domaine de Vilvert, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Volkmar Passoth
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7015, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mrinal K Maiti
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - Atrayee Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - Mahesh B Khot
- Laboratorio de Recursos Renovables, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidad de Concepcion, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepcion, Chile
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Mallick I, Santucci P, Poncin I, Point V, Kremer L, Cavalier JF, Canaan S. Intrabacterial lipid inclusions in mycobacteria: unexpected key players in survival and pathogenesis? FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6283747. [PMID: 34036305 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rely on lipids to survive and chronically persist within their hosts. Upon infection, opportunistic and strict pathogenic mycobacteria exploit metabolic pathways to import and process host-derived free fatty acids, subsequently stored as triacylglycerols under the form of intrabacterial lipid inclusions (ILI). Under nutrient-limiting conditions, ILI constitute a critical source of energy that fuels the carbon requirements and maintain redox homeostasis, promoting bacterial survival for extensive periods of time. In addition to their basic metabolic functions, these organelles display multiple other biological properties, emphasizing their central role in the mycobacterial lifecycle. However, despite of their importance, the dynamics of ILI metabolism and their contribution to mycobacterial adaptation/survival in the context of infection has not been thoroughly documented. Herein, we provide an overview of the historical ILI discoveries, their characterization, and current knowledge regarding the micro-environmental stimuli conveying ILI formation, storage and degradation. We also review new biological systems to monitor the dynamics of ILI metabolism in extra- and intracellular mycobacteria and describe major molecular actors in triacylglycerol biosynthesis, maintenance and breakdown. Finally, emerging concepts regarding to the role of ILI in mycobacterial survival, persistence, reactivation, antibiotic susceptibility and inter-individual transmission are also discuss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Mallick
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LISM, IMM FR3479, Marseille, France.,IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Univ., Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Santucci
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LISM, IMM FR3479, Marseille, France
| | - Isabelle Poncin
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LISM, IMM FR3479, Marseille, France
| | - Vanessa Point
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LISM, IMM FR3479, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Kremer
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), CNRS, UMR 9004, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,IRIM, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Stéphane Canaan
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LISM, IMM FR3479, Marseille, France
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Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1-naturally competent for synthetic biology. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:309-318. [PMID: 33769448 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is a non-pathogenic soil bacterium known for its metabolic diversity and high natural transformation and recombination efficiency. For these features, A. baylyi ADP1 has been long exploited in studying bacterial genetics and metabolism. The large pool of information generated in the fundamental studies has facilitated the development of a broad range of sophisticated and robust tools for the genome and metabolic engineering of ADP1. This mini-review outlines and describes the recent advances in ADP1 engineering and tool development, exploited in, for example, pathway and enzyme evolution, genome reduction and stabilization, and for the production of native and non-native products in both pure and rationally designed multispecies cultures. The rapidly expanding toolbox together with the unique features of A. baylyi ADP1 provide a strong base for a microbial cell factory excelling in synthetic biology applications where evolution meets rational engineering.
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Pongpamorn P, Kiattisewee C, Kittipanukul N, Jaroensuk J, Trisrivirat D, Maenpuen S, Chaiyen P. Carboxylic Acid Reductase Can Catalyze Ester Synthesis in Aqueous Environments. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202013962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pornkanok Pongpamorn
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
- National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang Pathum Thani 12120 Thailand
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
| | - Narongyot Kittipanukul
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
| | - Juthamas Jaroensuk
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
| | - Duangthip Trisrivirat
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
| | - Somchart Maenpuen
- Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science Burapha University Chonburi 20131 Thailand
| | - Pimchai Chaiyen
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley Rayong 21210 Thailand
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Pongpamorn P, Kiattisewee C, Kittipanukul N, Jaroensuk J, Trisrivirat D, Maenpuen S, Chaiyen P. Carboxylic Acid Reductase Can Catalyze Ester Synthesis in Aqueous Environments. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:5749-5753. [PMID: 33247515 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202013962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Most of the well-known enzymes catalyzing esterification require the minimization of water or activated substrates for activity. This work reports a new reaction catalyzed by carboxylic acid reductase (CAR), an enzyme known to transform a broad spectrum of carboxylic acids into aldehydes, with the use of ATP, Mg2+ , and NADPH as co-substrates. When NADPH was replaced by a nucleophilic alcohol, CAR from Mycobacterium marinum can catalyze esterification under aqueous conditions at room temperature. Addition of imidazole, especially at pH 10.0, significantly enhanced ester production. In comparison to other esterification enzymes such as acyltransferase and lipase, CAR gave higher esterification yields in direct esterification under aqueous conditions. The scalability of CAR catalyzed esterification was demonstrated for the synthesis of cinoxate, an active ingredient in sunscreen. The CAR esterification offers a new method for green esterification under high water content conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornkanok Pongpamorn
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand.,National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Narongyot Kittipanukul
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Juthamas Jaroensuk
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Duangthip Trisrivirat
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Somchart Maenpuen
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Chonburi, 20131, Thailand
| | - Pimchai Chaiyen
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
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35
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Abstract
Biological wax esters offer a sustainable, renewable and biodegradable alternative to many fossil fuel derived chemicals including plastics and paraffins. Many species of bacteria accumulate waxes with similar structure and properties to highly desirable animal and plant waxes such as Spermaceti and Jojoba oils, the use of which is limited by resource requirements, high cost and ethical concerns. While bacterial fermentations overcome these issues, a commercially viable bacterial wax production process would require high yields and renewable, affordable feedstock to make it economically competitive and environmentally beneficial. This review describes recent progress in wax ester generation in both wild type and genetically engineered bacteria, with a focus on comparing substrates and quantifying obtained waxes. The full breadth of wax accumulating species is discussed, with emphasis on species generating high yields and utilising renewable substrates. Key areas of the field that have, thus far, received limited attention are highlighted, such as waste stream valorisation, mixed microbial cultures and efficient wax extraction, as, until effectively addressed, these will slow progress in creating commercially viable wax production methods.
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36
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Lijewski AM, Knutson CM, Lenneman EM, Barney BM. Evaluation of two thioesterases from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: Relationship to wax ester production. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 368:fnaa206. [PMID: 33301558 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of lipid-based biofuels is an important aspect of developing sustainable alternatives to conventional oils derived from fossil fuel reserves. Many biosynthetic approaches to biodiesel fuels and oils involve fatty acid derivatives as a precursor, and thioesterases have been employed in various strategies to increase fatty acid pools. Thioesterases liberate fatty acids from fatty acyl-coenzyme A or fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein substrates. The role played by thioesterases has not been extensively studied in model bacteria that accumulate elevated levels of biological oils based on fatty acid precursors. In this report, two primary thioesterases from the wax ester accumulating bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 were heterologously expressed, isolated and characterized. These genes were further analyzed at the transcriptional level in the native bacterium during wax ester accumulation, and their genes were disrupted to determine the effect these changes had on wax ester levels. Combined, these results indicate that these two thioesterases do not play an integral role in wax ester accumulation in this natural lipid-accumulating model bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia M Lijewski
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Carolann M Knutson
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Eric M Lenneman
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
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Li SY, Zhang Q, Jin YH, Zou JX, Zheng YS, Li DD. A MADS-box gene, EgMADS21, negatively regulates EgDGAT2 expression and decreases polyunsaturated fatty acid accumulation in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). PLANT CELL REPORTS 2020; 39:1505-1516. [PMID: 32804247 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02579-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
EgMADS21 regulates PUFA accumulation in oil palm. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most productive world oil crop, accounting for 36% of world plant oil production. However, the molecular mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of fatty acid accumulation and lipid synthesis in the mesocarp of oil palm by up- or downregulating the expression of genes involved in related pathways remains largely unknown. Here, an oil palm MADS-box gene, EgMADS21, was screened in a yeast one-hybrid assay using the EgDGAT2 promoter sequence as bait. EgMADS21 is preferentially expressed in early mesocarp developmental stages in oil palm fruit and presents a negative correlation with EgDGAT2 expression. The direct binding of EgMADS21 to the EgDGAT2 promoter was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Subsequently, transient expression of EgMADS21 in oil palm protoplasts revealed that EgMADS21 not only binds to the EgDGAT2 promoter but also negatively regulates the expression of EgDGAT2. Furthermore, EgMADS21 was stably overexpressed in transgenic oil palm embryoids by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. In three independent transgenic lines, EgDGAT2 expression was significantly suppressed by the expression of EgMADS21. The content of linoleic acid (C18:2) in the three transgenic embryoids was significantly decreased, while that of oleic acid (C18:1) was significantly increased. Combined with the substrate preference of EgDGAT2 identified in previous research, the results demonstrate the molecular mechanism by which EgMADS21 regulates EgDGAT2 expression and ultimately affects fatty acid accumulation in the mesocarp of oil palm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Yu Li
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China
| | - Yuan-Hang Jin
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China
| | - Ji-Xin Zou
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Zheng
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China
| | - Dong-Dong Li
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Hainan, 570228, China.
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38
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Shalini T, Martin A. Identification, isolation, and heterologous expression of Sunflower wax synthase for the synthesis of tailored wax esters. J Food Biochem 2020; 44:e13433. [PMID: 33090542 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.13433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters (WE) are neutral lipids formed by condensation of fatty alcohol with fatty acyl-CoA by wax synthases. They serve as carbon and energy reserves and are potential substrates for various commercial applications. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) an edible oil seed is a source of WE, however, the gene responsible for WE formation has hitherto remained unidentified. Using an in silico approach we identified, isolated putative Sunflower wax synthase (HaWS) gene and investigated it's potential for WE production in yeast. Heterologous expression of HaWS in Saccharomyces cerevisiae H1246 exhibited 57 kDa protein which was confirmed by immunoblotting. Recombinant yeast expressing HaWS were fed with combinations of C16, C18 fatty alcohols with 16:0, 18:0 fatty acyl CoA's as potential substrates to validate WE formation in vivo. The yeast cells accumulated C-32 to C-36 WE. Our study reveals identification, isolation, and heterologous functional expression of WS gene from Sunflower for the first time. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Wax synthases (WSs) are critical enzymes for wax ester (WE) biosynthesis. WEs are high value products having several industrial applications. WE serve as substrates for lubricants, food coatings, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. There is a demand for alternate renewable resource of WEs. In this study, we have successfully isolated a putative wax synthase gene from Sunflower and submitted its sequence data to the GenBank (Accession number MH460820). Conserved sequence search analysis showed presence of condensation superfamily motif‒HHXXXDG, critical for WE biosynthesis. Heterologous expression of HaWS in yeast revealed synthesis of C-32 to C-36 WE. Our study demonstrates the efficacy of HaWS to accumulate specific WE of desired lengths in yeast, and thus represents an alternate source of WE for commercial applications and for biotechnological production of tailored WE in eukaryotic expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Shalini
- Department of Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Asha Martin
- Department of Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Qi W, Wang Y, Cao Y, Cao Y, Guan Q, Sun T, Zhang L, Guo Y. Simultaneous Analysis of Fatty Alcohols, Fatty Aldehydes, and Sterols in Thyroid Tissues by Electrospray Ionization-Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Based on Charge Derivatization. Anal Chem 2020; 92:8644-8648. [PMID: 32574041 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we developed a rapid and high-sensitivity method for simultaneous analyses of fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes, and sterols by combining the optimized derivatization reaction with electrospray ionization-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-MS). Pyridine and thionyl chloride were used as derivatization reagents as they were easily removed after the derivatization reaction and could generate permanently charged tags on different functional groups including hydroxyls and aldehydes. Through this one-step derivatization reaction, the sensitivity of detection for fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes, and sterols was significantly increased. Moreover, the introduction of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), offering an additional resolution power, ensured more sensitive and accurate detection of derivative products without increasing analytical time. Being connected with high-performance liquid chromatography, more than 15 kinds of compounds were analyzed within 4 min. Relative quantification using peak intensity ratios between d0-/d5-labeled ions were subsequently applied for analyzing these 15 kinds of compounds in human thyroid carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues. The results showed significant differences in content of some analytes between these two kinds of tissues (p < 0.05). The correlations between most of the analytes in thyroid carcinoma tissues are better than the correlations in para-carcinoma tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanshu Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yunjun Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yuqi Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yanjing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Qing Guan
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Tuanqi Sun
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yinlong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
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40
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Luo J, Efimova E, Losoi P, Santala V, Santala S. Wax ester production in nitrogen-rich conditions by metabolically engineered Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. Metab Eng Commun 2020; 10:e00128. [PMID: 32477866 PMCID: PMC7251950 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2020.e00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic engineering can be used as a powerful tool to redirect cell resources towards product synthesis, also in conditions that are not optimal for the production. An example of synthesis strongly dependent on external conditions is the production of storage lipids, which typically requires a high carbon/nitrogen ratio. This requirement also limits the use of abundant nitrogen-rich materials, such as industrial protein by-products, as substrates for lipid production. Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is known for its ability to produce industrially interesting storage lipids, namely wax esters (WEs). Here, we engineered A. baylyi ADP1 by deleting the gene aceA encoding for isocitrate lyase and overexpressing fatty acyl-CoA reductase Acr1 in the wax ester production pathway to allow redirection of carbon towards WEs. This strategy led to 3-fold improvement in yield (0.075 g/g glucose) and 3.15-fold improvement in titer (1.82 g/L) and productivity (0.038 g/L/h) by a simple one-stage batch cultivation with glucose as carbon source. The engineered strain accumulated up to 27% WEs of cell dry weight. The titer and cellular WE content are the highest reported to date among microbes. We further showed that the engineering strategy alleviated the inherent requirement for high carbon/nitrogen ratio and demonstrated the production of wax esters using nitrogen-rich substrates including casamino acids, yeast extract, and baker's yeast hydrolysate, which support biomass production but not WE production in wild-type cells. The study demonstrates the power of metabolic engineering in overcoming natural limitations in the production of storage lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Luo
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hervanta Campus, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, Tampere, 33720, Finland
| | - Elena Efimova
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hervanta Campus, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, Tampere, 33720, Finland
| | - Pauli Losoi
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hervanta Campus, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, Tampere, 33720, Finland
| | - Ville Santala
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hervanta Campus, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, Tampere, 33720, Finland
| | - Suvi Santala
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hervanta Campus, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, Tampere, 33720, Finland
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41
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Vollheyde K, Yu D, Hornung E, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. The Fifth WS/DGAT Enzyme of the Bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. Lipids 2020; 55:479-494. [PMID: 32434279 DOI: 10.1002/lipd.12250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters (WE) belong to the class of neutral lipids. They are formed by an esterification of a fatty alcohol and an activated fatty acid. Dependent on the chain length and desaturation degree of the fatty acid and the fatty alcohol moiety, WE can have diverse physicochemical properties. WE derived from monounsaturated long-chain acyl moieties are of industrial interest due to their very good lubrication properties. Whereas WE were obtained in the past from spermaceti organs of the sperm whale, industrial WE are nowadays mostly produced chemically from fossil fuels. In order to produce WE more sustainably, attempts to produce industrial WE in transgenic plants are steadily increasing. To achieve this, different combinations of WE producing enzymes are expressed in developing Arabidopsis thaliana or Camelina sativa seeds. Here we report the identification and characterization of a fifth wax synthase from the organism Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8, MaWSD5. It belongs to the class of bifunctional wax synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol O-acyltransferases (WSD). The protein was purified to homogeneity. In vivo and in vitro substrate analyses revealed that MaWSD5 is able to synthesize WE but no triacylglycerols. The protein produces WE from saturated and monounsaturated mid- and long-chain substrates. Arabidopsis thaliana seeds expressing a fatty acid reductase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and MaWSD5 produce WE. Main WE synthesized are 20:1/18:1 and 20:1/20:1. This makes MaWSD5 a suitable candidate for industrial WE production in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dan Yu
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ellen Hornung
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Department for Plant Biochemistry, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
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42
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Tanaka M, Ishikawa T, Tamura S, Saito Y, Kawai-Yamada M, Hihara Y. Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses of Triacylglycerol Production in the Wild-Type Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the Strain Expressing AtfA from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 61:1537-1547. [DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcaa069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Although cyanobacteria do not possess wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), the bacterial enzyme for triacylglycerol (TAG) production, there have been several studies reporting the accumulation of TAG-like compounds in cyanobacteria. In this study, we aimed to evaluate TAG productivity of the ΔrecJ::atfA strain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 generated by inserting atfA encoding WS/DGAT from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 into recJ (sll1354), together with the wild type (WT) and the gene-disrupted strain of slr2103 having homology with eukaryotic DGAT2 gene family (Δ2103). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of neutral lipids or isolation of the neutral lipid-enriched fraction followed by gas chromatography or liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was employed for analyses. The ΔrecJ::atfA strain accumulated 0.508 nmol ml−1OD730−1 of TAG after a week of incubation at 100 μmol photons m−2 s−1. The saturated fatty acids C16:0 and C18:0 accounted for about 50% and 20% of the TAG fatty acids, respectively, suggesting that de novo-synthesized fatty acids were preferentially incorporated into TAG molecules. When the neutral lipid profile of the lipid extracts was examined by TLC, a spot located in a slightly lower position compared with the TAG standard was detected in WT but not in the Δ2103 strain. TAG accumulation levels of both strains was only 0.01–0.03 nmol ml−1OD730−1, but the fatty acid composition was substantially different from that of the background. These results suggest that trace amounts of TAG can be produced in Synechocystis cells by enzymes other than Slr2103, and major constituents of the TAG-like spot are unknown lipid species produced by Slr2103.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoki Tanaka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
| | - Toshiki Ishikawa
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
| | - So Tamura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
| | - Yujiro Saito
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
| | - Maki Kawai-Yamada
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
| | - Yukako Hihara
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan
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Niu Y, Wu L, Li Y, Huang H, Qian M, Sun W, Zhu H, Xu Y, Fan Y, Mahmood U, Xu B, Zhang K, Qu C, Li J, Lu K. Deciphering the transcriptional regulatory networks that control size, color, and oil content in Brassica rapa seeds. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:90. [PMID: 32467731 PMCID: PMC7236191 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01728-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brassica rapa is an important oilseed and vegetable crop species and is the A subgenome donor of two important oilseed Brassica crops, Brassica napus and Brassica juncea. Although seed size (SZ), seed color (SC), and oil content (OC) substantially affect seed yield and quality, the mechanisms regulating these traits in Brassica crops remain unclear. RESULTS We collected seeds from a pair of B. rapa accessions with significantly different SZ, SC, and OC at seven seed developmental stages (every 7 days from 7 to 49 days after pollination), and identified 28,954 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from seven pairwise comparisons between accessions at each developmental stage. K-means clustering identified a group of cell cycle-related genes closely connected to variation in SZ of B. rapa. A weighted correlation analysis using the WGCNA package in R revealed two important co-expression modules comprising genes whose expression was positively correlated with SZ increase and negatively correlated with seed yellowness, respectively. Upregulated expression of cell cycle-related genes in one module was important for the G2/M cell cycle transition, and the transcription factor Bra.A05TSO1 seemed to positively stimulate the expression of two CYCB1;2 genes to promote seed development. In the second module, a conserved complex regulated by the transcription factor TT8 appear to determine SC through downregulation of TT8 and its target genes TT3, TT18, and ANR. In the third module, WRI1 and FUS3 were conserved to increase the seed OC, and Bra.A03GRF5 was revealed as a key transcription factor on lipid biosynthesis. Further, upregulation of genes involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis and storage in the seed oil body may increase OC. We further validated the accuracy of the transcriptome data by quantitative real-time PCR of 15 DEGs. Finally, we used our results to construct detailed models to clarify the regulatory mechanisms underlying variations in SZ, SC, and OC in B. rapa. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insight into the regulatory mechanisms underlying the variations of SZ, SC, and OC in plants based on transcriptome comparison. The findings hold great promise for improving seed yield, quality and OC through genetic engineering of critical genes in future molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Niu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Limin Wu
- InnoTech Alberta, Hwy 16A & 75 St., PO Bag 4000, Vegreville, AB Canada
- Saskatoon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | - Yanhua Li
- Institute of Characteristic Crop Research, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, 402160 China
| | - Hualei Huang
- Institute of Characteristic Crop Research, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, 402160 China
| | - Mingchao Qian
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Wei Sun
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Hong Zhu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Yuanfang Xu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Yonghai Fan
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Umer Mahmood
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Benbo Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025 Hubei China
| | - Kai Zhang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Cunmin Qu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Jiana Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Kun Lu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715 China
- College of Life Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025 Hubei China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715 China
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Triacylglycerol and phytyl ester synthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:6216-6222. [PMID: 32123083 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915930117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are unicellular prokaryotic algae that perform oxygenic photosynthesis, similar to plants. The cells harbor thylakoid membranes composed of lipids related to those of chloroplasts in plants to accommodate the complexes of photosynthesis. The occurrence of storage lipids, including triacylglycerol or wax esters, which are found in plants, animals, and some bacteria, nevertheless remained unclear in cyanobacteria. We show here that the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 accumulates both triacylglycerol and wax esters (fatty acid phytyl esters). Phytyl esters accumulate in higher levels under abiotic stress conditions. The analysis of an insertional mutant revealed that the acyltransferase slr2103, with sequence similarity to plant esterase/lipase/thioesterase (ELT) proteins, is essential for triacylglycerol and phytyl ester synthesis in Synechocystis The recombinant slr2103 enzyme showed acyltransferase activity with phytol and diacylglycerol, thus producing phytyl esters and triacylglycerol. Acyl-CoA thioesters were the preferred acyl donors, while acyl-ACP (acyl carrier protein), free fatty acids, or galactolipid-bound fatty acids were poor substrates. The slr2103 protein sequence is unrelated to acyltransferases from bacteria (AtfA) or plants (DGAT1, DGAT2, PDAT), and therefore establishes an independent group of bacterial acyltransferases involved in triacylglycerol and wax ester synthesis. The identification of the gene slr2103 responsible for triacylglycerol synthesis in cyanobacteria opens the possibility of using prokaryotic photosynthetic cells in biotechnological applications.
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Yuan Y, Arondel V, Domergue F. Characterization and heterologous expression of three DGATs from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) mesocarp in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochimie 2020; 169:18-28. [PMID: 31536755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) can accumulate up to 88% oil in fruit mesocarp. A previous transcriptome study of oil palm fruits indicated that genes coding for three diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs), designated as EgDGAT1_3, EgDGAT2_2 and EgWS/DGAT_1 (according to Rosli et al., 2018) were highly expressed in mesocarp during oil accumulation. In the present study, the corresponding open reading frames were isolated, and characterized by heterologous expression in the mutant yeast H1246, which is devoid of neutral lipid synthesis. Expression of EgDGAT1_3 or EgDGAT2_2 could restore TAG synthesis, confirming that both proteins are true DGAT. In contrast, expression of EgWS/DGAT_1 resulted in the synthesis of fatty acid isoamyl esters (FAIEs) with saturated long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acids. In the presence of exogenously supplied fatty alcohols, EgWS/DGAT_1 was able to produce wax esters, indicating that EgWS/DGAT_1 codes for an acyltransferase with wax ester synthase but no DGAT activity. Finally, the complete wax ester biosynthetic pathway was reconstituted in yeast by coexpressing EgWS/DGAT_1 with a fatty acyl reductase from Tetrahymena thermophila. Altogether, our results characterized two novel DGATs from oil palm as well as a putative wax ester synthase that preferentially using medium chain fatty alcohols and saturated very-long chain fatty acids as substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Yuan
- Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, CNRS - University of Bordeaux - UMR 5200, Bâtiment A3 - INRA Bordeaux Aquitaine, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux - CS 20032, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Vincent Arondel
- Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, CNRS - University of Bordeaux - UMR 5200, Bâtiment A3 - INRA Bordeaux Aquitaine, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux - CS 20032, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Frédéric Domergue
- Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, CNRS - University of Bordeaux - UMR 5200, Bâtiment A3 - INRA Bordeaux Aquitaine, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux - CS 20032, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France.
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Steryl Ester Formation and Accumulation in Steroid-Degrading Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02353-19. [PMID: 31704679 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02353-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Steryl esters (SEs) are important storage compounds in many eukaryotes and are often prominent components of intracellular lipid droplets. Here, we demonstrate that selected Actino- and Proteobacteria growing on sterols are also able to synthesize SEs and to sequester them in cytoplasmic lipid droplets. We found cholesteryl ester (CE) formation in members of the actinobacterial genera Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, and Amycolatopsis, as well as several members of the proteobacterial Cellvibrionales order. CEs maximally accumulated under nitrogen-limiting conditions, suggesting that steryl ester formation plays a crucial role for storing excess energy and carbon under adverse conditions. Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 was able to synthesize phytosteryl and cholesteryl esters, the latter reaching up to 7% of its cellular dry weight and 69% of its lipid droplets. Purified lipid droplets from RHA1 contained CEs, free cholesterol, and triacylglycerols. In addition, we found formation of CEs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis when it was grown with cholesterol plus an additional fatty acid substrate. This study provides a basis for the application of bacterial whole-cell systems in the biotechnological production of SEs for use in functional foods and cosmetics.IMPORTANCE Oleaginous bacteria exhibit great potential for the production of high-value neutral lipids, such as triacylglycerols and wax esters. This study describes the formation of steryl esters (SEs) as neutral lipid storage compounds in sterol-degrading oleaginous bacteria, providing a basis for biotechnological production of SEs using bacterial systems with potential applications in the functional food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. We found cholesteryl ester (CE) formation in several sterol-degrading Actino- and Proteobacteria under nitrogen-limiting conditions, suggesting an important role of this process in storing energy and carbon under adverse conditions. In addition, Mycobacterium tuberculosis grown on cholesterol accumulated CEs in the presence of an additional fatty acid substrate.
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Fungal Bioengineering in Biodiesel Production. Fungal Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41870-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Zhao J, Bi R, Li S, Zhou D, Bai Y, Jing G, Zhang K, Zhang W. Genome-wide analysis and functional characterization of Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase from soybean identify GmDGAT1A and 1B roles in oil synthesis in Arabidopsis seeds. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 242:153019. [PMID: 31437808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2019.153019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is a key enzyme in the Kennedy pathway of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. It catalyzes the acyl-CoA-dependent acylation of sn-1, 2-diacylglycerol to form TAG. DGATs in soybean (Glycine max) have been reported, but their functions are largely unclear. Here we cloned three members of DGAT1 and four members of DGAT2 family from soybean, named GmDGAT1A to GmDGAT1C, and GmDGAT2A to GmDGAT2D, respectively. GmDGAT1A and GmDGAT1C were expressed at a high level in immature seeds, GmDGAT2B in mature seeds, and GmDGAT2C in older leaves. The seven genes were transformed into the H1246 quadruple mutant yeast strain, in which GmDGAT1A, GmDGAT1B, GmDGAT1C, GmDGAT2A, and GmDGAT2B had the ability to produce TAG. Six genes were transformed into Arabidopsis respectively, and constitutive expression of GmDGAT1A and GmDGAT1B resulted in an increase in oil content at the cost of reduced protein content in seeds. Overexpression of GmDGAT1A produced heavier weight of individual seed, but did not affect the weight of total seeds from a plant. Our results reveal the functions of soybean DGATs in seed oil synthesis using transgenic Arabidopsis. The implications for the biotechnological modification of the oil contents in soybeans by altering DGAT expression are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangzhe Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China; College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
| | - Rongrong Bi
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Shuxiang Li
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Dan Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
| | - Yang Bai
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Guangqin Jing
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Kewei Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
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Santín O, Galié S, Moncalián G. Directed evolution of a bacterial WS/DGAT acyltransferase: improving tDGAT from Thermomonospora curvata. Protein Eng Des Sel 2019; 32:25-32. [PMID: 31251342 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzz011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Some bacteria belonging to the actinobacteria and proteobacteria groups can accumulate neutral lipids expressing enzymes of the wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) family. tDGAT is a WS/DGAT-like enzyme from Thermomonospora curvata able to produce TAGs and WEs when heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. In this study, a protocol for the directed evolution of bacterial lipid-producing enzymes based on fluorimetry is developed and tested. tDGAT has been successfully evolved towards the improvement of TAG production with an up to 2.5 times increase in TAG accumulation. Mutants with no ability to produce TAGs but able to accumulate waxes were also selected during the screening. The localization of the mutations that enhance TAG production in the outer surface of tDGAT points out possible new mechanisms that contribute to the activity of this family of enzymes. This Nile red-based high throughput screening provides an evolution platform for other WS/DGAT-like enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Santín
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Serena Galié
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Gabriel Moncalián
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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Singh D, Singh CK, Taunk J, Jadon V, Pal M, Gaikwad K. Genome wide transcriptome analysis reveals vital role of heat responsive genes in regulatory mechanisms of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:12976. [PMID: 31506558 PMCID: PMC6736890 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49496-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study reports the role of morphological, physiological and reproductive attributes viz. membrane stability index (MSI), osmolytes accumulations, antioxidants activities and pollen germination for heat stress tolerance in contrasting genotypes. Heat stress increased proline and glycine betaine (GPX) contents, induced superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities and resulted in higher MSI in PDL-2 (tolerant) compared to JL-3 (sensitive). In vitro pollen germination of tolerant genotype was higher than sensitive one under heat stress. In vivo stressed pollens of tolerant genotype germinated well on stressed stigma of sensitive genotype, while stressed pollens of sensitive genotype did not germinate on stressed stigma of tolerant genotype. De novo transcriptome analysis of both the genotypes showed that number of contigs ranged from 90,267 to 104,424 for all the samples with N50 ranging from 1,755 to 1,844 bp under heat stress and control conditions. Based on assembled unigenes, 194,178 high-quality Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), 141,050 microsatellites and 7,388 Insertion-deletions (Indels) were detected. Expression of 10 genes was evaluated using quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Comparison of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under different combinations of heat stress has led to the identification of candidate DEGs and pathways. Changes in expression of physiological and pollen phenotyping related genes were also reaffirmed through transcriptome data. Cell wall and secondary metabolite pathways are found to be majorly affected under heat stress. The findings need further analysis to determine genetic mechanism involved in heat tolerance of lentil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
| | - Chandan Kumar Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Jyoti Taunk
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Vasudha Jadon
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Madan Pal
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
| | - Kishor Gaikwad
- ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
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