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Cao VD, Luo G, Korynta S, Liu H, Liang Y, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Intron-mediated enhancement of DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE1 expression in energycane promotes a step change for lipid accumulation in vegetative tissues. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:153. [PMID: 37838699 PMCID: PMC10576891 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic engineering for hyperaccumulation of lipids in vegetative tissues is a novel strategy for enhancing energy density and biofuel production from biomass crops. Energycane is a prime feedstock for this approach due to its high biomass production and resilience under marginal conditions. DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE (DGAT) catalyzes the last and only committed step in the biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG) and can be a rate-limiting enzyme for the production of TAG. RESULTS In this study, we explored the effect of intron-mediated enhancement (IME) on the expression of DGAT1 and resulting accumulation of TAG and total fatty acid (TFA) in leaf and stem tissues of energycane. To maximize lipid accumulation these evaluations were carried out by co-expressing the lipogenic transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1) and the TAG protect factor oleosin (OLE1). Including an intron in the codon-optimized TmDGAT1 elevated the accumulation of its transcript in leaves by seven times on average based on 5 transgenic lines for each construct. Plants with WRI1 (W), DGAT1 with intron (Di), and OLE1 (O) expression (WDiO) accumulated TAG up to a 3.85% of leaf dry weight (DW), a 192-fold increase compared to non-modified energycane (WT) and a 3.8-fold increase compared to the highest accumulation under the intron-less gene combination (WDO). This corresponded to TFA accumulation of up to 8.4% of leaf dry weight, a 2.8-fold or 6.1-fold increase compared to WDO or WT, respectively. Co-expression of WDiO resulted in stem accumulations of TAG up to 1.14% of DW or TFA up to 2.08% of DW that exceeded WT by 57-fold or 12-fold and WDO more than twofold, respectively. Constitutive expression of these lipogenic "push pull and protect" factors correlated with biomass reduction. CONCLUSIONS Intron-mediated enhancement (IME) of the expression of DGAT resulted in a step change in lipid accumulation of energycane and confirmed that under our experimental conditions it is rate limiting for lipid accumulation. IME should be applied to other lipogenic factors and metabolic engineering strategies. The findings from this study may be valuable in developing a high biomass feedstock for commercial production of lipids and advanced biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viet Dang Cao
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guangbin Luo
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shelby Korynta
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Yuanxue Liang
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Upton, NY, USA.
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Liang Y, Yu X, Anaokar S, Shi H, Dahl WB, Cai Y, Luo G, Chai J, Cai Y, Mollá‐Morales A, Altpeter F, Ernst E, Schwender J, Martienssen RA, Shanklin J. Engineering triacylglycerol accumulation in duckweed (Lemna japonica). PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:317-330. [PMID: 36209479 PMCID: PMC9884027 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Duckweeds are amongst the fastest growing of higher plants, making them attractive high-biomass targets for biofuel feedstock production. Their fronds have high rates of fatty acid synthesis to meet the demand for new membranes, but triacylglycerols (TAG) only accumulate to very low levels. Here we report on the engineering of Lemna japonica for the synthesis and accumulation of TAG in its fronds. This was achieved by expression of an estradiol-inducible cyan fluorescent protein-Arabidopsis WRINKLED1 fusion protein (CFP-AtWRI1), strong constitutive expression of a mouse diacylglycerol:acyl-CoA acyltransferase2 (MmDGAT), and a sesame oleosin variant (SiOLE(*)). Individual expression of each gene increased TAG accumulation by 1- to 7-fold relative to controls, while expression of pairs of these genes increased TAG by 7- to 45-fold. In uninduced transgenics containing all three genes, TAG accumulation increased by 45-fold to 3.6% of dry weight (DW) without severely impacting growth, and by 108-fold to 8.7% of DW after incubation on medium containing 100 μm estradiol for 4 days. TAG accumulation was accompanied by an increase in total fatty acids of up to three-fold to approximately 15% of DW. Lipid droplets from fronds of all transgenic lines were visible by confocal microscopy of BODIPY-stained fronds. At a conservative 12 tonnes (dry matter) per acre and 10% (DW) TAG, duckweed could produce 350 gallons of oil/acre/year, approximately seven-fold the yield of soybean, and similar to that of oil palm. These findings provide the foundation for optimizing TAG accumulation in duckweed and present a new opportunity for producing biofuels and lipidic bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxue Liang
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Xiao‐Hong Yu
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Sanket Anaokar
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Hai Shi
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | | | - Yingqi Cai
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Guangbin Luo
- Agronomy Department, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Jin Chai
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Yuanheng Cai
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | | | - Fredy Altpeter
- Agronomy Department, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Evan Ernst
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborNYUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborNYUSA
| | - Jorg Schwender
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
| | - Robert A. Martienssen
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborNYUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborNYUSA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNYUSA
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3
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Cai Y, Yu XH, Shanklin J. A toolkit for plant lipid engineering: Surveying the efficacies of lipogenic factors for accumulating specialty lipids. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1064176. [PMID: 36589075 PMCID: PMC9795026 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1064176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce energy-dense lipids from carbohydrates using energy acquired via photosynthesis, making plant oils an economically and sustainably attractive feedstock for conversion to biofuels and value-added bioproducts. A growing number of strategies have been developed and optimized in model plants, oilseed crops and high-biomass crops to enhance the accumulation of storage lipids (mostly triacylglycerols, TAGs) for bioenergy applications and to produce specialty lipids with increased uses and value for chemical feedstock and nutritional applications. Most successful metabolic engineering strategies involve heterologous expression of lipogenic factors that outperform those from other sources or exhibit specialized functionality. In this review, we summarize recent progress in engineering the accumulation of triacylglycerols containing - specialized fatty acids in various plant species and tissues. We also provide an inventory of specific lipogenic factors (including accession numbers) derived from a wide variety of organisms, along with their reported efficacy in supporting the accumulation of desired lipids. A review of previously obtained results serves as a foundation to guide future efforts to optimize combinations of factors to achieve further enhancements to the production and accumulation of desired lipids in a variety of plant tissues and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqi Cai
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | - Xiao-Hong Yu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
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Kannan B, Liu H, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Towards oilcane: preliminary field evaluation of metabolically engineered sugarcane with hyper-accumulation of triacylglycerol in vegetative tissues. MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2022; 42:64. [PMID: 37313011 PMCID: PMC10248597 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-022-01333-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We recently generated oilcane, a metabolically engineered sugarcane with hyper-accumulation of energy dense triacylglycerol in vegetative tissues. Refinement of this strategy in high biomass crops like sugarcane may result in elevated lipid yields that exceed traditional oilseed crops for biodiesel production. This is the first report of agronomic performance, stable co-expression of lipogenic factors, and TAG accumulation in transgenic sugarcane under field conditions. Co-expression of WRI1; DGAT1, OLE1, and RNAi suppression of PXA1 was stable during the 2-year field evaluation and resulted in TAG accumulation up to 4.4% of leaf DW. This TAG accumulation was 70-fold higher than in non-transgenic sugarcane and more than 2-fold higher than previously reported for the same line under greenhouse conditions. TAG accumulation correlated highest with the expression of WRI1. However, constitutive expression of WRI1 was negatively correlated with biomass accumulation. Transgenic lines without WRI1 expression accumulated TAG up to 1.6% of leaf DW and displayed no biomass yield penalty in the plant cane. These findings confirm sugarcane as a promising platform for the production of vegetative lipids and will be used to inform strategies to maximize future biomass and lipid yields. The main conclusion is that constitutive expression of WRI1 in combination with additional lipogenic factors (DGAT1-2, OLE1, PXA1) in sugarcane under field conditions leads to hyper-accumulation of TAG and reduces biomass yield. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01333-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baskaran Kannan
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, Brookhaven, NY USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, Brookhaven, NY USA
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL USA
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Li W, Wang L, Qi Y, Xie Y, Zhao W, Dang Z, Zhang J. Overexpression of WRINKLED1 improves the weight and oil content in seeds of flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1003758. [PMID: 36247608 PMCID: PMC9562325 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1003758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Seeds of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) are highly rich in both oil and linolenic acid (LIN). It is crucial for flax agricultural production to identify positive regulators of fatty acid biosynthesis. In this study, we find that WRINKLED1 transcription factors play important positive roles during flax seed oil accumulation. Two WRINKLED1 genes, LuWRI1a and LuWRI1b, were cloned from flax, and LuWRI1a was found be expressed predominantly in developing seeds during maturation. Overexpression of LuWRI1a increased seed size, weight, and oil content in Arabidopsis and increased seed storage oil content in transgenic flax without affecting seed production or seed oil quality. The rise in oil content in transgenic flax seeds was primarily attributable to the increase in seed weight, according to a correlational analysis. Furthermore, overexpression or interference of LuWRI1a upregulated the expression of genes in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and LAFL genes, and the expression level of WRI1 was highly significantly positively associated between L1L, LEC1, and BCCP2. Our findings give a theoretical scientific foundation for the future application of genetic engineering to enhance the oil content of plant seeds.
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Yang Y, Kong Q, Lim ARQ, Lu S, Zhao H, Guo L, Yuan L, Ma W. Transcriptional regulation of oil biosynthesis in seed plants: Current understanding, applications, and perspectives. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100328. [PMID: 35605194 PMCID: PMC9482985 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce and accumulate triacylglycerol (TAG) in their seeds as an energy reservoir to support the processes of seed germination and seedling development. Plant seed oils are vital not only for the human diet but also as renewable feedstocks for industrial use. TAG biosynthesis consists of two major steps: de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in the plastids and TAG assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum. The latest advances in unraveling transcriptional regulation have shed light on the molecular mechanisms of plant oil biosynthesis. We summarize recent progress in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of well-characterized and newly discovered transcription factors and other types of regulators that control plant fatty acid biosynthesis. The emerging picture shows that plant oil biosynthesis responds to developmental and environmental cues that stimulate a network of interacting transcriptional activators and repressors, which in turn fine-tune the spatiotemporal regulation of the pathway genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Yang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Audrey R Q Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Shaoping Lu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Ling Yuan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China.
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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7
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Luo G, Cao VD, Kannan B, Liu H, Shanklin J, Altpeter F. Metabolic engineering of energycane to hyperaccumulate lipids in vegetative biomass. BMC Biotechnol 2022; 22:24. [PMID: 36042455 PMCID: PMC9425976 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-022-00753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The metabolic engineering of high-biomass crops for lipid production in their vegetative biomass has recently been proposed as a strategy to elevate energy density and lipid yields for biodiesel production. Energycane and sugarcane are highly polyploid, interspecific hybrids between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum that differ in the amount of ancestral contribution to their genomes. This results in greater biomass yield and persistence in energycane, which makes it the preferred target crop for biofuel production. Results Here, we report on the hyperaccumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) in energycane following the overexpression of the lipogenic factors Diacylglycerol acyltransferase1-2 (DGAT1-2) and Oleosin1 (OLE1) in combination with RNAi suppression of SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 (SDP1) and Trigalactosyl diacylglycerol1 (TGD1). TAG accumulated up to 1.52% of leaf dry weight (DW,) a rate that was 30-fold that of non-modified energycane, in addition to almost doubling the total fatty acid content in leaves to 4.42% of its DW. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the accumulation of TAG had the highest correlation with the expression level of ZmDGAT1-2, followed by the level of RNAi suppression for SDP1. Conclusions This is the first report on the metabolic engineering of energycane and demonstrates that this resilient, high-biomass crop is an excellent target for the further optimization of the production of lipids from vegetative tissues. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-022-00753-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangbin Luo
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Viet Dang Cao
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Baskaran Kannan
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
| | - Fredy Altpeter
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Agronomy Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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8
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Qiao Z, Kong Q, Tee WT, Lim ARQ, Teo MX, Olieric V, Low PM, Yang Y, Qian G, Ma W, Gao YG. Molecular basis of the key regulator WRINKLED1 in plant oil biosynthesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq1211. [PMID: 36001661 PMCID: PMC9401623 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq1211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Vegetable oils are not only major components of human diet but also vital for industrial applications. WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is a pivotal transcription factor governing plant oil biosynthesis, but the underlying DNA-binding mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we resolved the structure of Arabidopsis WRI1 (AtWRI1) with its cognate double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), revealing two antiparallel β sheets in the tandem AP2 domains that intercalate into the adjacent major grooves of dsDNA to determine the sequence recognition specificity. We showed that AtWRI1 represented a previously unidentified structural fold and DNA-binding mode. Mutations of the key residues interacting with DNA element affected its binding affinity and oil biosynthesis when these variants were transiently expressed in tobacco leaves. Seed oil content was enhanced in stable transgenic wri1-1 expressing an AtWRI1 variant (W74R). Together, our findings offer a structural basis explaining WRI1 recognition and binding of DNA and suggest an alternative strategy to increase oil yield in crops through WRI1 bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Qiao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Wan Ting Tee
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Audrey R. Q. Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Miao Xuan Teo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Pui Man Low
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Yuzhou Yang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Guoliang Qian
- College of Plant Protection (Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (Y.-G.G.); (W.M.)
| | - Yong-Gui Gao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (Y.-G.G.); (W.M.)
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9
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Kuczynski C, McCorkle S, Keereetaweep J, Shanklin J, Schwender J. An expanded role for the transcription factor WRINKLED1 in the biosynthesis of triacylglycerols during seed development. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:955589. [PMID: 35991420 PMCID: PMC9389262 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.955589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is known as a master regulator of fatty acid synthesis in developing oilseeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and other species. WRI1 is known to directly stimulate the expression of many fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes and a few targets in the lower part of the glycolytic pathway. However, it remains unclear to what extent and how the conversion of sugars into fatty acid biosynthetic precursors is controlled by WRI1. To shortlist possible gene targets for future in-planta experimental validation, here we present a strategy that combines phylogenetic foot printing of cis-regulatory elements with additional layers of evidence. Upstream regions of protein-encoding genes in A. thaliana were searched for the previously described DNA-binding consensus for WRI1, the ASML1/WRI1 (AW)-box. For about 900 genes, AW-box sites were found to be conserved across orthologous upstream regions in 11 related species of the crucifer family. For 145 select potential target genes identified this way, affinity of upstream AW-box sequences to WRI1 was assayed by Microscale Thermophoresis. This allowed definition of a refined WRI1 DNA-binding consensus. We find that known WRI1 gene targets are predictable with good confidence when upstream AW-sites are phylogenetically conserved, specifically binding WRI1 in the in vitro assay, positioned in proximity to the transcriptional start site, and if the gene is co-expressed with WRI1 during seed development. When targets predicted in this way are mapped to central metabolism, a conserved regulatory blueprint emerges that infers concerted control of contiguous pathway sections in glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis by WRI1. Several of the newly predicted targets are in the upper glycolysis pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway. Of these, plastidic isoforms of fructokinase (FRK3) and of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI1) are particularly corroborated by previously reported seed phenotypes of respective null mutations.
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Huang R, Liu M, Gong G, Wu P, Bai M, Qin H, Wang G, Liao H, Wang X, Li Y, Wu H, Wang X, Yang C, Schubert D, Zhang S. BLISTER promotes seed maturation and fatty acid biosynthesis by interacting with WRINKLED1 to regulate chromatin dynamics in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2242-2265. [PMID: 35262735 PMCID: PMC9134064 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is an important transcription factor that regulates seed oil biosynthesis. However, how WRI1 regulates gene expression during this process remains poorly understood. Here, we found that BLISTER (BLI) is expressed in maturing Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and acts as an interacting partner of WRI1. bli mutant seeds showed delayed maturation, a wrinkled seed phenotype, and reduced oil content, similar to the phenotypes of wri1. In contrast, BLI overexpression resulted in enlarged seeds and increased oil content. Gene expression and genetic analyses revealed that BLI plays a role in promoting the expression of WRI1 targets involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and regulates seed maturation together with WRI1. BLI is recruited by WRI1 to the AW boxes in the promoters of fatty acid biosynthesis genes. BLI shows a mutually exclusive interaction with the Polycomb-group protein CURLY LEAF (CLF) or the chromatin remodeling factor SWITCH/SUCROSE NONFERMENTING 3B (SWI3B), which facilitates gene expression by modifying nucleosomal occupancy and histone modifications. Together, these data suggest that BLI promotes the expression of fatty acid biosynthesis genes by interacting with WRI1 to regulate chromatin dynamics, leading to increased fatty acid production. These findings provide insights into the roles of the WRI1-BLI-CLF-SWI3B module in mediating seed maturation and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guanping Gong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Pingzhi Wu
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institution of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Mei Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hongting Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Guohe Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Huimei Liao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoxiu Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yanqun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hong Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Chengwei Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Daniel Schubert
- Institute for Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
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11
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Wang Z, Wang Y, Shang P, Yang C, Yang M, Huang J, Ren B, Zuo Z, Zhang Q, Li W, Song B. Overexpression of Soybean GmWRI1a Stably Increases the Seed Oil Content in Soybean. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5084. [PMID: 35563472 PMCID: PMC9102168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
WRINKLED1 (WRI1), an APETALA2/ethylene-responsive-element-binding protein (AP2/EREBP) subfamily transcription factor, plays a crucial role in the transcriptional regulation of plant fatty acid biosynthesis. In this study, GmWRI1a was overexpressed in the soybean cultivar 'Dongnong 50' using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to generate three transgenic lines with high seed oil contents. PCR and Southern blotting analysis showed that the T-DNA was inserted into the genome at precise insertion sites and was stably inherited by the progeny. Expression analysis using qRT-PCR and Western blotting indicated that GmWRI1a and bar driven by the CaMV 35S promoter were significantly upregulated in the transgenic plants at different developmental stages. Transcriptome sequencing results showed there were obvious differences in gene expression between transgenic line and transgenic receptor during seed developmental stages. KEGG analysis found that the differentially expressed genes mainly annotated to metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrated metabolism and lipid metabolism. A 2-year single-location field trial revealed that three transgenic lines overexpressing GmWRI1a (GmWRI1a-OE) showed a stable increase in seed oil content of 4.97-10.35%. Importantly, no significant effect on protein content and yield was observed. Overexpression of GmWRI1a changed the fatty acid composition by increasing the linoleic acid (C18:2) content and decreasing the palmitic acid (C16:0) content in the seed. The three GmWRI1a-OE lines showed no significant changes in agronomic traits. The results demonstrated that the three GmWRI1a overexpression lines exhibited consistent increases in seed oil content compared with that of the wild type and did not significantly affect the seed yield and agronomic traits. The genetic engineering of GmWRI1a will be an effective strategy for the improvement of seed oil content and value in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Wenbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Ministry of Education China, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology and Breeding (Genetics) of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (Z.W.); (Y.W.); (P.S.); (C.Y.); (M.Y.); (J.H.); (B.R.); (Z.Z.); (Q.Z.)
| | - Bo Song
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Ministry of Education China, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology and Breeding (Genetics) of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (Z.W.); (Y.W.); (P.S.); (C.Y.); (M.Y.); (J.H.); (B.R.); (Z.Z.); (Q.Z.)
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12
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Advances in Understanding the Genetic Basis of Fatty Acids Biosynthesis in Perilla: An Update. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11091207. [PMID: 35567213 PMCID: PMC9099743 DOI: 10.3390/plants11091207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Perilla, also termed as purple mint, Chinese basil, or Perilla mint, is a flavoring herb widely used in East Asia. Both crude oil and essential oil are employed for consumption as well as industrial purposes. Fatty acids (FAs) biosynthesis and oil body assemblies in Perilla have been extensively investigated over the last three decades. Recent advances have been made in order to reveal the enzymes involved in the fatty acid biosynthesis in Perilla. Among those fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid retained the attention of scientists mainly due to its medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Lipids synthesis in Perilla exhibited similarities with Arabidopsis thaliana lipids’ pathway. The homologous coding genes for polyunsaturated fatty acid desaturases, transcription factors, and major acyl-related enzymes have been found in Perilla via de novo transcriptome profiling, genome-wide association study, and in silico whole-genome screening. The identified genes covered de novo fatty acid synthesis, acyl-CoA dependent Kennedy pathway, acyl-CoA independent pathway, Triacylglycerols (TAGs) assembly, and acyl editing of phosphatidylcholine. In addition to the enzymes, transcription factors including WRINKLED, FUSCA3, LEAFY COTYLEDON1, and ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 have been suggested. Meanwhile, the epigenome aspect impacting the transcriptional regulation of FAs is still unclear and might require more attention from the scientific community. This review mainly outlines the identification of the key gene master players involved in Perilla FAs biosynthesis and TAGs assembly that have been identified in recent years. With the recent advances in genomics resources regarding this orphan crop, we provided an updated overview of the recent contributions into the comprehension of the genetic background of fatty acid biosynthesis. The provided resources can be useful for further usage in oil-bioengineering and the design of alpha-linolenic acid-boosted Perilla genotypes in the future.
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13
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Sánchez R, González-Thuillier I, Venegas-Calerón M, Garcés R, Salas JJ, Martínez-Force E. The Sunflower WRINKLED1 Transcription Factor Regulates Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Genes through an AW Box Binding Sequence with a Particular Base Bias. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11070972. [PMID: 35406952 PMCID: PMC9002759 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sunflower is an important oilseed crop in which the biochemical pathways leading to seed oil synthesis and accumulation have been widely studied. However, how these pathways are regulated is less well understood. The WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor is considered a key regulator in the control of triacylglycerol biosynthesis, acting through the AW box binding element (CNTNG(N)7CG). Here, we identified the sunflower WRI1 gene and characterized its activity in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We studied its role as a co-regulator of sunflower genes involved in plastidial fatty acid synthesis. Sunflower WRI1-targets included genes encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the α-CT and BCCP genes, genes encoding ACPs and the fatty acid synthase complex, together with the FATA1 gene. As such, sunflower WRI1 regulates genes involved in seed plastidial fatty acid biosynthesis in a coordinated manner, establishing a WRI1 push and pull strategy that drives oleic acid synthesis for its export into the cytosol. We also determined the base bias at the N positions in the active sunflower AW box motif. The sunflower AW box is sequence-sensitive at the non-conserved positions, enabling WRI1-binding. Moreover, sunflower WRI1 could bind to a non-canonical AW-box motif, opening the possibility of searching for new target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Sánchez
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Irene González-Thuillier
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
- Jealotts Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6EY, UK
| | - Mónica Venegas-Calerón
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Rafael Garcés
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Joaquín J. Salas
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Enrique Martínez-Force
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Pablo de Olavide University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain; (R.S.); (I.G.-T.); (M.V.-C.); (R.G.); (J.J.S.)
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14
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Characterisation of Grains and Flour Fractions from Field Grown Transgenic Oil-Accumulating Wheat Expressing Oat WRI1. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11070889. [PMID: 35406869 PMCID: PMC9002947 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple crops in the world and is used to prepare a range of foods. The development of new varieties with wider variation in grain composition could broaden their use. We characterized grains and flours from oil-accumulating transgenic wheat expressing the oat (Avena sativa L.) endosperm WRINKLED1 (AsWRI1) grown under field conditions. Lipid and starch accumulation was determined in developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat and X-ray microtomography was used to study grain morphology. The developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat grains had increased triacylglycerol content and decreased starch content compared to the control. Mature AsWRI1-wheat grains also had reduced weight, were wrinkled and had a shrunken endosperm and X-ray tomography revealed that the proportion of endosperm was decreased while that of the aleurone was increased. Grains were milled to produce two white flours and one bran fraction. Mineral and lipid analyses showed that the flour fractions from the AsWRI1-wheat were contaminated with bran, due to the effects of the changed morphology on milling. This study gives a detailed analysis of grains from field grown transgenic wheat that expresses a gene that plays a central regulatory role in carbon allocation and significantly affects grain composition.
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15
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Lim ARQ, Kong Q, Singh SK, Guo L, Yuan L, Ma W. Sunflower WRINKLED1 Plays a Key Role in Transcriptional Regulation of Oil Biosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063054. [PMID: 35328473 PMCID: PMC8951541 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide. However, the transcriptional regulation underlying oil accumulation in sunflower is not fully understood. WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is an essential transcription factor governing oil accumulation in plant cells. Here, we identify and characterize a sunflower ortholog of WRI1 (HaWRI1), which is highly expressed in developing seeds. Transient production of HaWRI1 stimulated substantial oil accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, fatty acid quantification, and gene expression analysis demonstrate that HaWRI1 acts as a pivotal transcription factor controlling the expression of genes involved in late glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis. HaWRI1 directly binds to the cis-element, AW-box, in the promoter of biotin carboxyl carrier protein isoform 2 (BCCP2). In addition, we characterize an 80 amino-acid C-terminal domain of HaWRI1 that is crucial for transactivation. Moreover, seed-specific overexpression of HaWRI1 in Arabidopsis plants leads to enhanced seed oil content as well as upregulation of the genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis. Taken together, our work demonstrates that HaWRI1 plays a pivotal role in the transcriptional control of seed oil accumulation, providing a potential target for bioengineering sunflower oil yield improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey R. Q. Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (A.R.Q.L.); (Q.K.)
| | - Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (A.R.Q.L.); (Q.K.)
| | - Sanjay K. Singh
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA; (S.K.S.); (L.Y.)
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA; (S.K.S.); (L.Y.)
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (A.R.Q.L.); (Q.K.)
- Correspondence:
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16
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Pérez L, Alves R, Perez-Fons L, Albacete A, Farré G, Soto E, Vilaprinyó E, Martínez-Andújar C, Basallo O, Fraser PD, Medina V, Zhu C, Capell T, Christou P. Multilevel interactions between native and ectopic isoprenoid pathways affect global metabolism in rice. Transgenic Res 2022; 31:249-268. [PMID: 35201538 PMCID: PMC8993735 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-022-00299-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Isoprenoids are natural products derived from isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). In plants, these precursors are synthesized via the cytosolic mevalonate (MVA) and plastidial methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways. The regulation of these pathways must therefore be understood in detail to develop effective strategies for isoprenoid metabolic engineering. We hypothesized that the strict regulation of the native MVA pathway could be circumvented by expressing an ectopic plastidial MVA pathway that increases the accumulation of IPP and DMAPP in plastids. We therefore introduced genes encoding the plastid-targeted enzymes HMGS, tHMGR, MK, PMK and MVD and the nuclear-targeted transcription factor WR1 into rice and evaluated the impact of their endosperm-specific expression on (1) endogenous metabolism at the transcriptomic and metabolomic levels, (2) the synthesis of phytohormones, carbohydrates and fatty acids, and (3) the macroscopic phenotype including seed morphology. We found that the ectopic plastidial MVA pathway enhanced the expression of endogenous cytosolic MVA pathway genes while suppressing the native plastidial MEP pathway, increasing the production of certain sterols and tocopherols. Plants carrying the ectopic MVA pathway only survived if WR1 was also expressed to replenish the plastid acetyl-CoA pool. The transgenic plants produced higher levels of fatty acids, abscisic acid, gibberellins and lutein, reflecting crosstalk between phytohormones and secondary metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Pérez
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Rui Alves
- Departament de Cienciès Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Laura Perez-Fons
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, UK
| | - Alfonso Albacete
- Departament of Plant Nutrition, Center of Edaphology and Applied Biology of the Segura (CEBAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Espinardo, Spain
- Department of Plant Production and Agrotechnology, Institute for Agri-Food Research and Development of Murcia, Murcia, La Alberca, Spain
| | - Gemma Farré
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Erika Soto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Vilaprinyó
- Departament de Cienciès Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- IRBLleida, Lleida, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Cristina Martínez-Andújar
- Departament of Plant Nutrition, Center of Edaphology and Applied Biology of the Segura (CEBAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Espinardo, Spain
| | - Oriol Basallo
- Departament de Cienciès Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Paul D Fraser
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, UK
| | - Vicente Medina
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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17
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Yu XH, Cai Y, Keereetaweep J, Wei K, Chai J, Deng E, Liu H, Shanklin J. Biotin attachment domain-containing proteins mediate hydroxy fatty acid-dependent inhibition of acetyl CoA carboxylase. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 185:892-901. [PMID: 33793910 PMCID: PMC8133645 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Hundreds of naturally occurring specialized fatty acids (FAs) have potential as desirable chemical feedstocks if they could be produced at large scale by crop plants; however, transgenic expression of their biosynthetic genes has generally been accompanied by dramatic reductions in oil yield. For example, expression of castor (Ricinus communis) FA hydroxylase (FAH) in the Arabidopsis thaliana FA elongation mutant fae1 resulted in a 50% reduction of FA synthesis rate that was attributed to inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) by an undefined mechanism. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the ricinoleic acid-dependent decrease in ACCase activity is mediated by biotin attachment domain-containing (BADC) proteins. BADCs are inactive homologs of biotin carboxy carrier protein that lack a biotin cofactor and can inhibit ACCase. Arabidopsis contains three BADC genes. To reduce expression levels of BADC1 and BADC3 in fae1/FAH plants, a homozygous badc1,3/fae1/FAH line was created. The rate of FA synthesis in badc1,3/fae1/FAH seeds doubled relative to fae1/FAH, restoring it to fae1 levels, increasing both native FA and HFA accumulation. Total FA per seed, seed oil content, and seed yield per plant all increased in badc1,3/fae1/FAH, to 5.8 µg, 37%, and 162 mg, respectively, relative to 4.9 µg, 33%, and 126 mg, respectively, for fae1/FAH. Transcript levels of FA synthesis-related genes, including those encoding ACCase subunits, did not significantly differ between badc1,3/fae1/FAH and fae1/FAH. These results demonstrate that BADC1 and BADC3 mediate ricinoleic acid-dependent inhibition of FA synthesis. We propose that BADC-mediated FAS inhibition as a general mechanism that limits FA accumulation in specialized FA-accumulating seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hong Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Yuanheng Cai
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | | | - Kenneth Wei
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Jin Chai
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Elen Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
- Author for communication:
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18
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Kong Q, Yang Y, Low PM, Guo L, Yuan L, Ma W. The function of the WRI1-TCP4 regulatory module in lipid biosynthesis. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1812878. [PMID: 32880205 PMCID: PMC7588184 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1812878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The plant-specific TCP transcription factors play pivotal roles in various processes of plant growth and development. However, little is known regarding the functions of TCPs in plant oil biosynthesis. Our recent work showed that TCP4 mediates oil production via interaction with WRINKLED1 (WRI1), an essential transcription factor governing plant fatty acid biosynthesis. Arabidopsis WRI1 (AtWRI1) physically interacts with multiple TCPs, including TCP4, TCP10, and TCP24. Transient co-expression of AtWRI1 with TCP4, but not TCP10 or TCP24, represses oil accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Increased TCP4 in transgenic plants overexpressing a miR319-resistant TCP4 (rTCP4) decreased the expression of AtWRI1 target genes. The tcp4 knockout mutant, the jaw-D mutant with significant reduction of TCP4 expression, and a tcp2 tcp4 tcp10 triple mutant, display increased seed oil contents compared to the wild-type Arabidopsis. The APETALA2 (AP2) transcription factor WRI1 is characterized by regulating fatty acid biosynthesis through cross-family interactions with multiple transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational regulators. The interacting regulator modules control the range of AtWRI1 transcriptional activity, allowing spatiotemporal modulation of lipid production. Interaction of TCP4 with AtWRI1, which results in a reduction of AtWRI1 activity, represents a newly discovered mechanism that enables the fine-tuning of plant oil biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuzhou Yang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pui Man Low
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- CONTACT Wei Ma School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore637551, Singapore
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19
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Kong Q, Singh SK, Mantyla JJ, Pattanaik S, Guo L, Yuan L, Benning C, Ma W. TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR4 Interacts with WRINKLED1 to Mediate Seed Oil Biosynthesis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 184:658-665. [PMID: 32663164 PMCID: PMC7536675 DOI: 10.1104/pp.20.00547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cross-family transcription factor (TF) interactions play critical roles in the regulation of plant developmental and metabolic pathways. WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is a key TF governing oil biosynthesis in plants. However, little is known about WRI1-interacting factors and their roles in oil biosynthesis. We screened a TF library using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) WRI1 (AtWRI1) as bait in yeast two-hybrid assays and identified three TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCP) family TFs, namely TCP4, TCP10, and TCP24, as AtWRI1-interacting partners. The physical interaction between AtWRI1 and TCPs was further validated using bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. TCPs play important roles in various plant developmental processes; however, their involvement in fatty acid biosynthesis was not previously known. Coexpression of TCP4, but not TCP10 or TCP24, with AtWRI1 reduced AtWRI1-mediated oil biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Transcriptomic analysis in transgenic Arabidopsis plants with enhanced TCP4 activity engineered by expressing rTCP4 (i.e. miR319-resistant TCP4) revealed that AtWRI1 target genes were significantly repressed. TCP4 expression is strongly correlated with AtWRI1 during embryo development. A tcp4 loss-of-function mutant, the jaw-D mutant with a strong reduction of TCP4 expression, and a tcp2 tcp4 tcp10 triple mutant accumulated more seed oil than wild-type Arabidopsis. In addition, TCP4 repressed the AtWRI1-mediated transactivation of the promoters of fatty acid biosynthetic genes. Collectively, our findings suggest that TCP4 represses fatty acid biosynthetic gene expression through interaction with AtWRI1, leading to a reduction of AtWRI1-mediated seed oil accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Sanjay K Singh
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | - Jenny J Mantyla
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Sitakanta Pattanaik
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | - Christoph Benning
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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20
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Grimberg Å, Wilkinson M, Snell P, De Vos RP, González-Thuillier I, Tawfike A, Ward JL, Carlsson AS, Shewry P, Hofvander P. Transitions in wheat endosperm metabolism upon transcriptional induction of oil accumulation by oat endosperm WRINKLED1. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 20:235. [PMID: 32450804 PMCID: PMC7249431 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02438-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cereal grains, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), are major sources of food and feed, with wheat being dominant in temperate zones. These end uses exploit the storage reserves in the starchy endosperm of the grain, with starch being the major storage component in most cereal species. However, oats (Avena sativa L.) differs in that the starchy endosperm stores significant amounts of oil. Understanding the control of carbon allocation between groups of storage compounds, such as starch and oil, is therefore important for understanding the composition and hence end use quality of cereals. WRINKLED1 is a transcription factor known to induce triacylglycerol (TAG; oil) accumulation in several plant storage tissues. RESULTS An oat endosperm homolog of WRI1 (AsWRI1) expressed from the endosperm-specific HMW1Dx5 promoter resulted in drastic changes in carbon allocation in wheat grains, with reduced seed weight and a wrinkled seed phenotype. The starch content of mature grain endosperms of AsWRI1-wheat was reduced compared to controls (from 62 to 22% by dry weight (dw)), TAG was increased by up to nine-fold (from 0.7 to 6.4% oil by dw) and sucrose from 1.5 to 10% by dw. Expression of AsWRI1 in wheat grains also resulted in multiple layers of elongated peripheral aleurone cells. RNA-sequencing, lipid analyses, and pulse-chase experiments using 14C-sucrose indicated that futile cycling of fatty acids could be a limitation for oil accumulation. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that expression of oat endosperm WRI1 in the wheat endosperm results in changes in metabolism which could underpin the application of biotechnology to manipulate grain composition. In particular, the striking effect on starch synthesis in the wheat endosperm indicates that an important indirect role of WRI1 is to divert carbon allocation away from starch biosynthesis in plant storage tissues that accumulate oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Åsa Grimberg
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-23053, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Plant Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Per Snell
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-23053, Alnarp, Sweden
- Current address: MariboHilleshög Research AB, Box 302, 261 23, Landskrona, Sweden
| | - Rebecca P De Vos
- Department of Computational and Analytical Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | | | - Ahmed Tawfike
- Department of Computational and Analytical Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Jane L Ward
- Department of Computational and Analytical Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Anders S Carlsson
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-23053, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Peter Shewry
- Department of Plant Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Per Hofvander
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-23053, Alnarp, Sweden
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21
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Rong S, Wu Z, Cheng Z, Zhang S, Liu H, Huang Q. Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary Patterns, and Expression Analysis of bZIP Gene Family in Olive ( Olea europaea L.). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11050510. [PMID: 32380769 PMCID: PMC7288668 DOI: 10.3390/genes11050510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Olive (Olea europaea.L) is an economically important oleaginous crop and its fruit cold-pressed oil is used for edible oil all over the world. The basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the largest transcription factors families among eukaryotic organisms; its members play vital roles in environmental signaling, stress response, plant growth, seed maturation, and fruit development. However, a comprehensive report on the bZIP gene family in olive is lacking. In this study, 103 OebZIP genes from the olive genome were identified and divided into 12 subfamilies according to their genetic relationship with 78 bZIPs of A. thaliana. Most OebZIP genes are clustered in the subgroup that has a similar gene structure and conserved motif distribution. According to the characteristics of the leucine zipper region, the dimerization characteristics of 103 OebZIP proteins were predicted. Gene duplication analyses revealed that 22 OebZIP genes were involved in the expansion of the bZIP family. To evaluate the expression patterns of OebZIP genes, RNA-seq data available in public databases were analyzed. The highly expressed OebZIP genes and several lipid synthesis genes (LPGs) in fruits of two varieties with different oil contents during the fast oil accumulation stage were examined via qRT-PCR. By comparing the dynamic changes of oil accumulation, OebZIP1, OebZIP7, OebZIP22, and OebZIP99 were shown to have a close relationship with fruit development and lipid synthesis. Additionally, some OebZIP had a significant positive correlation with various LPG genes. This study gives insights into the structural features, evolutionary patterns, and expression analysis, laying a foundation to further reveal the function of the 103 OebZIP genes in olive.
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22
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Xu XY, Akbar S, Shrestha P, Venugoban L, Devilla R, Hussain D, Lee J, Rug M, Tian L, Vanhercke T, Singh SP, Li Z, Sharp PJ, Liu Q. A Synergistic Genetic Engineering Strategy Induced Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Potato ( Solanum tuberosum) Leaf. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:215. [PMID: 32210994 PMCID: PMC7069356 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Potato is the 4th largest staple food in the world currently. As a high biomass crop, potato harbors excellent potential to produce energy-rich compounds such as triacylglycerol as a valuable co-product. We have previously reported that transgenic potato tubers overexpressing WRINKLED1, DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE 1, and OLEOSIN genes produced considerable levels of triacylglycerol. In this study, the same genetic engineering strategy was employed on potato leaves. The overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana WRINKED1 under the transcriptional control of a senescence-inducible promoter together with Arabidopsis thaliana DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE 1 and Sesamum indicum OLEOSIN driven by the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter and small subunit of Rubisco promoter respectively, resulted in an approximately 30- fold enhancement of triacylglycerols in the senescent transgenic potato leaves compared to the wild type. The increase of triacylglycerol in the transgenic potato leaves was accompanied by perturbations of carbohydrate accumulation, apparent in a reduction in starch content and increased total soluble sugars, as well as changes of polar membrane lipids at different developmental stages. Microscopic and biochemical analysis further indicated that triacylglycerols and lipid droplets could not be produced in chloroplasts, despite the increase and enlargement of plastoglobuli at the senescent stage. Possibly enhanced accumulation of fatty acid phytyl esters in the plastoglobuli were reflected in transgenic potato leaves relative to wild type. It is likely that the plastoglobuli may have hijacked some of the carbon as the result of WRINKED1 expression, which could be a potential factor restricting the effective accumulation of triacylglycerols in potato leaves. Increased lipid production was also observed in potato tubers, which may have affected the tuberization to a certain extent. The expression of transgenes in potato leaf not only altered the carbon partitioning in the photosynthetic source tissue, but also the underground sink organs which highly relies on the leaves in development and energy deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-yu Xu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sehrish Akbar
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Dawar Hussain
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jiwon Lee
- Center for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Melanie Rug
- Center for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Lijun Tian
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | - Zhongyi Li
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Peter J. Sharp
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Qing Liu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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23
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Betekhtin A, Hus K, Rojek-Jelonek M, Kurczynska E, Nibau C, Doonan JH, Hasterok R. In Vitro Tissue Culture in Brachypodium: Applications and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1037. [PMID: 32033195 PMCID: PMC7037373 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Brachypodium distachyon has become an excellent model for plant breeding and bioenergy grasses that permits many fundamental questions in grass biology to be addressed. One of the constraints to performing research in many grasses has been the difficulty with which they can be genetically transformed and the generally low frequency of such transformations. In this review, we discuss the contribution that transformation techniques have made in Brachypodium biology as well as how Brachypodium could be used to determine the factors that might contribute to transformation efficiency. In particular, we highlight the latest research on the mechanisms that govern the gradual loss of embryogenic potential in a tissue culture and propose using B. distachyon as a model for other recalcitrant monocots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Betekhtin
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellonska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland; (K.H.); (M.R.-J.); (E.K.); (R.H.)
| | - Karolina Hus
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellonska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland; (K.H.); (M.R.-J.); (E.K.); (R.H.)
| | - Magdalena Rojek-Jelonek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellonska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland; (K.H.); (M.R.-J.); (E.K.); (R.H.)
| | - Ewa Kurczynska
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellonska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland; (K.H.); (M.R.-J.); (E.K.); (R.H.)
| | - Candida Nibau
- National Plant Phenomics Centre, IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3EE, UK; (C.N.); (J.H.D.)
| | - John H. Doonan
- National Plant Phenomics Centre, IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3EE, UK; (C.N.); (J.H.D.)
| | - Robert Hasterok
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellonska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland; (K.H.); (M.R.-J.); (E.K.); (R.H.)
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24
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Kong Q, Yang Y, Guo L, Yuan L, Ma W. Molecular Basis of Plant Oil Biosynthesis: Insights Gained From Studying the WRINKLED1 Transcription Factor. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:24. [PMID: 32117370 PMCID: PMC7011094 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Most plant species generate and store triacylglycerol (TAG) in their seeds, serving as a core supply of carbon and energy to support seedling development. Plant seed oils have a wide variety of applications, from being essential for human diets to serving as industrial renewable feedstock. WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor plays a central role in the transcriptional regulation of plant fatty acid biosynthesis. Since the discovery of Arabidopsis WRI1 gene (AtWRI1) in 2004, the function of WRI1 in plant oil biosynthesis has been studied intensively. In recent years, the identification of WRI1 co-regulators and deeper investigations of the structural features and molecular functions of WRI1 have advanced our understanding of the mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of plant oil biosynthesis. These advances also help pave the way for novel approaches that will better utilize WRI1 for bioengineering oil production in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuzhou Yang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Chen B, Zhang G, Li P, Yang J, Guo L, Benning C, Wang X, Zhao J. Multiple GmWRI1s are redundantly involved in seed filling and nodulation by regulating plastidic glycolysis, lipid biosynthesis and hormone signalling in soybean (Glycine max). PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2020; 18:155-171. [PMID: 31161718 PMCID: PMC6920143 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
It has been reported that lipid biosynthesis in plant host root cells plays critical roles in legume-fungal or -rhizobial symbioses, but little is known about its regulatory mechanism in legume-rhizobia interaction. Soybean WRINKLED1 (WRI1) a and b, with their alternative splicing (AS) products a' and b', are highly expressed in developing seeds and nodules, but their functions in soybean nodulation are not known. GmWRI1a and b differently promoted triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in both Arabidopsis wild-type and wri1 mutant seeds and when they ectopically expressed in the soybean hairy roots. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 15 genes containing AW boxes in their promoters were targeted by GmWRI1s, including genes involved in glycolysis, fatty acid (FA) and TAG biosynthesis. GmWRI1a, GmWRI1b and b' differentially transactivated most targeted genes. Overexpression of GmWRI1s affected phospholipid and galactolipid synthesis, soluble sugar and starch contents and led to increased nodule numbers, whereas GmWRI1 knockdown hairy roots interfered root glycolysis and lipid biosynthesis and resulted in fewer nodules. These phenomena in GmWRI1 mutants coincided with the altered expression of nodulation genes. Thus, GmWRI1-regulated starch degradation, glycolysis and lipid biosynthesis were critical for nodulation. GmWRI1 mutants also altered auxin and other hormone-related biosynthesis and hormone-related genes, by which GmWRI1s may affect nodule development. The study expands the views for pleiotropic effects of WRI1s in regulating soybean seed filling and root nodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic ImprovementHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Gaoyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and TechnologyAnhui Agricultural UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Penghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and TechnologyAnhui Agricultural UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Jihong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and TechnologyAnhui Agricultural UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Liang Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic ImprovementHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Christoph Benning
- MSU‐DOE Plant Research LaboratoryMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Xuemin Wang
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MissouriSt. LouisMOUSA
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and TechnologyAnhui Agricultural UniversityHefeiChina
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26
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WRINKLED1, a "Master Regulator" in Transcriptional Control of Plant Oil Biosynthesis. PLANTS 2019; 8:plants8070238. [PMID: 31336651 PMCID: PMC6681333 DOI: 10.3390/plants8070238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A majority of plant species generate and accumulate triacylglycerol (TAG) in their seeds, which is the main resource of carbon and energy supporting the process of seedling development. Plant seed oils have broad ranges of uses, being not only important for human diets but also renewable feedstock of industrial applications. The WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor is vital for the transcriptional control of plant oil biosynthetic pathways. Since the identification of the Arabidopsis WRI1 gene (AtWRI1) fifteen years ago, tremendous progress has been made in understanding the functions of WRI1 at multiple levels, ranging from the identification of AtWRI1 target genes to location of the AtWRI1 binding motif, and from discovery of intrinsic structural disorder in WRI1 to fine-tuning of WRI1 modulation by post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions. The expanding knowledge on the functional understanding of the WRI1 regulatory mechanism not only provides a clearer picture of transcriptional regulation of plant oil biosynthetic pathway, but also helps generate new strategies to better utilize WRI1 for developing novel oil crops.
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27
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Lavell AA, Benning C. Cellular Organization and Regulation of Plant Glycerolipid Metabolism. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 60:1176-1183. [PMID: 30690552 PMCID: PMC6553661 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Great strides have been made in understanding how membranes and lipid droplets are formed and maintained in land plants, yet much more is to be learned given the complexity of plant lipid metabolism. A complicating factor is the multi-organellar presence of biosynthetic enzymes and unique compositional requirements of different membrane systems. This necessitates a rich network of transporters and transport mechanisms that supply fatty acids, membrane lipids and storage lipids to their final cellular destination. Though we know a large number of the biosynthetic enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis and a few transport proteins, the regulatory mechanisms, in particular, coordinating expression and/or activity of the majority remain yet to be described. Plants undergoing stress alter their membranes' compositions, and lipids such as phosphatidic acid have been implicated in stress signaling. Additionally, lipid metabolism in chloroplasts supplies precursors for jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, and perturbations in lipid homeostasis has consequences on JA signaling. In this review, several aspects of plant lipid metabolism are discussed that are currently under investigation: cellular transport of lipids, regulation of lipid biosynthesis, roles of lipids in stress signaling, and lastly the structural and oligomeric states of lipid enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Lavell
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - C Benning
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Corresponding author: E-mail, ; Fax, 517-353-9168
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28
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Heredia-Martínez LG, Andrés-Garrido A, Martínez-Force E, Pérez-Pérez ME, Crespo JL. Chloroplast Damage Induced by the Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthesis Triggers Autophagy in Chlamydomonas. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 178:1112-1129. [PMID: 30181343 PMCID: PMC6236622 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids are synthesized in the stroma of plant and algal chloroplasts by the fatty acid synthase complex. Newly synthesized fatty acids are then used to generate plastidial lipids that are essential for chloroplast structure and function. Here, we show that inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii activates autophagy, a highly conserved catabolic process by which cells degrade intracellular material under adverse conditions to maintain cell homeostasis. Treatment of Chlamydomonas cells with cerulenin, a specific fatty acid synthase inhibitor, stimulated lipidation of the autophagosome protein ATG8 and enhanced autophagic flux. We found that inhibition of fatty acid synthesis decreased monogalactosyldiacylglycerol abundance, increased lutein content, down-regulated photosynthesis, and increased the production of reactive oxygen species. Electron microscopy revealed a high degree of thylakoid membrane stacking in cerulenin-treated cells. Moreover, global transcriptomic analysis of these cells showed an up-regulation of genes encoding chloroplast proteins involved in protein folding and oxidative stress and the induction of major catabolic processes, including autophagy and proteasome pathways. Thus, our results uncovered a link between lipid metabolism, chloroplast integrity, and autophagy through a mechanism that involves the activation of a chloroplast quality control system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Gonzaga Heredia-Martínez
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Ascensión Andrés-Garrido
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Enrique Martínez-Force
- Instituto de la Grasa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - María Esther Pérez-Pérez
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - José L Crespo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
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29
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Holland CK, Jez JM. Arabidopsis: the original plant chassis organism. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2018; 37:1359-1366. [PMID: 29663032 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-018-2286-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) has a past, current, and future role in the era of synthetic biology. Arabidopsis is one of the most well-studied plants with a wealth of genomics, genetics, and biochemical resources available for the metabolic engineer and synthetic biologist. Here we discuss the tools and resources that enable the identification of target genes and pathways in Arabidopsis and heterologous expression in this model plant. While there are numerous examples of engineering Arabidopsis for decreased lignin, increased seed oil, increased vitamins, and environmental remediation, this plant has provided biochemical tools for introducing Arabidopsis genes, pathways, and/or regulatory elements into other plants and microorganisms. Arabidopsis is not a vegetative or oilseed crop, but it is as an excellent model chassis for proof-of-concept metabolic engineering and synthetic biology experiments in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia K Holland
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Joseph M Jez
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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30
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Keereetaweep J, Liu H, Zhai Z, Shanklin J. Biotin Attachment Domain-Containing Proteins Irreversibly Inhibit Acetyl CoA Carboxylase. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 177:208-215. [PMID: 29626162 PMCID: PMC5933113 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The first committed step in fatty acid synthesis is mediated by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), a biotin-dependent enzyme that carboxylates acetyl-CoA to produce malonyl-CoA. ACCase can be feedback regulated by short-term or long-term exposure to fatty acids in the form of Tween 80 (predominantly containing oleic acid), which results in reversible or irreversible ACCase inhibition, respectively. Biotin attachment domain-containing (BADC) proteins are inactive analogs of biotin carboxyl transfer proteins that lack biotin, and their incorporation into ACCase down-regulates its activity by displacing active (biotin-containing) biotin carboxyltransferase protein subunits. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lines containing T-DNA insertions in BADC1, BADC2, and BADC3 were used to generate badc1 badc2 and badc1 badc3 double mutants. The badc1 badc3 mutant exhibited normal growth and development; however, ACCase activity was 26% higher in badc1 badc3 and its seeds contained 30.1% more fatty acids and 32.6% more triacylgycerol relative to wild-type plants. To assess whether BADC contributes to the irreversible phase of ACCase inhibition, cell suspension cultures were generated from the leaves of badc1 badc3 and wild-type plants and treated with 10 mm Tween 80. Reversible ACCase inhibition was similar in badc1 badc3 and wild-type cultures after 2 d of Tween 80 treatment, but irreversible inhibition was reduced by 50% in badc1 badc3 relative to wild-type plants following 4 d of Tween 80 treatment. In this study, we present evidence for two important homeostatic roles for BADC proteins in down-regulating ACCase activity: by acting during normal growth and development and by contributing to its long-term irreversible feedback inhibition resulting from the oversupply of fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
| | - Zhiyang Zhai
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
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31
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Ji XJ, Mao X, Hao QT, Liu BL, Xue JA, Li RZ. Splice Variants of the Castor WRI1 Gene Upregulate Fatty Acid and Oil Biosynthesis When Expressed in Tobacco Leaves. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E146. [PMID: 29303957 PMCID: PMC5796095 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The plant-specific WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is a member of the AP2/EREBP class of transcription factors that positively regulate oil biosynthesis in plant tissues. Limited information is available for the role of WRI1 in oil biosynthesis in castor bean (Ricinus connunis L.), an important industrial oil crop. Here, we report the identification of two alternatively spliced transcripts of RcWRI1, designated as RcWRI1-A and RcWRI1-B. The open reading frames of RcWRI1-A (1341 bp) and RcWRI1-B (1332 bp) differ by a stretch of 9 bp, such that the predicted RcWRI1-B lacks the three amino acid residues "VYL" that are present in RcWRI1-A. The RcWRI1-A transcript is present in flowers, leaves, pericarps and developing seeds, while the RcWRI1-B mRNA is only detectable in developing seeds. When the two isoforms were individually introduced into an Arabidopsiswri1-1 loss-of-function mutant, total fatty acid content was almost restored to the wild-type level, and the percentage of the wrinkled seeds was largely reduced in the transgenic lines relative to the wri1-1 mutant line. Transient expression of each RcWRI1 splice isoform in N. benthamiana leaves upregulated the expression of the WRI1 target genes, and consequently increased the oil content by 4.3-4.9 fold when compared with the controls, and RcWRI1-B appeared to be more active than RcWRI1-A. Both RcWRI1-A and RcWRI1-B can be used as a key transcriptional regulator to enhance fatty acid and oil biosynthesis in leafy biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia-Jie Ji
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
| | - Xue Mao
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
| | - Qing-Ting Hao
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
| | - Bao-Ling Liu
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
| | - Jin-Ai Xue
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
| | - Run-Zhi Li
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
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Kong Q, Ma W. WRINKLED1 as a novel 14-3-3 client: function of 14-3-3 proteins in plant lipid metabolism. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2018; 13:e1482176. [PMID: 30067435 PMCID: PMC6149467 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1482176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The conserved plant 14-3-3 proteins (14-3-3s) function by binding to phosphorylated client proteins to regulate their function. Previous studies indicate that 14-3-3s are involved in the regulation of plant primary metabolism; however, not much is known regarding the functions of 14-3-3s in plant oil biosynthesis. Our recent work shows that 14-3-3 plays a role in mediating plant oil biosynthesis through interacting with the transcription factor, WRINKLED1 (WRI1). WRI1 is critical for the transcriptional control of plant oil biosynthesis. Arabidopsis WRI1 physically interacts with 14-3-3s. Transient co-expression of AtWRI1 with 14-3-3s enhances plant oil biosynthesis in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. Transgenic plants overexpressing of a 14-3-3 show enhanced seed oil content. Co-expression of a 14-3-3 with AtWRI1 results in increased transcriptional activity and protein stability of AtWRI1. Our transcriptional regulation model supports a concept that interaction of a 14-3-3 with a transcription factor enhances the transcriptional activity through protein stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- CONTACT Wei Ma School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
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Zang X, Pei W, Wu M, Geng Y, Wang N, Liu G, Ma J, Li D, Cui Y, Li X, Zhang J, Yu J. Genome-Scale Analysis of the WRI-Like Family in Gossypium and Functional Characterization of GhWRI1a Controlling Triacylglycerol Content. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1516. [PMID: 30386365 PMCID: PMC6198791 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important natural fiber crop and the source of cottonseed oil, a basic by-product after ginning. AtWRI1 and its orthologs in several other crop species have been previously used to increase triacylglycerols in seeds and vegetative tissues. In the present study, we identified 22, 17, 9, and 11 WRI-like genes in G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii, respectively. This gene family was divided into four subgroups, and a more WRI2-like subfamily was identified compared with dicotyledonous Arabidopsis. An analysis of chromosomal distributions revealed that the 22 GhWRI genes were distributed on eight At and eight Dt subgenome chromosomes. Moreover, GhWRI1a was highly expressed in ovules 20-35 days after anthesis and was selected for further functional analysis. Ectopic expression of GhWRI1a rescued the seed phenotype of a wri1-7 mutant and increased the oil content of Arabidopsis seeds. Our comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the cotton WRI-like gene family lays a solid foundation for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinshan Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Wenfeng Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Man Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Yanhui Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Nuohan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Guoyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Jianjiang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Yupeng Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Xingli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
| | - Jinfa Zhang
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Jiwen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Cotton Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, China
- *Correspondence: Jiwen Yu,
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Kong Q, Ma W, Yang H, Ma G, Mantyla JJ, Benning C. The Arabidopsis WRINKLED1 transcription factor affects auxin homeostasis in roots. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:4627-4634. [PMID: 28981783 PMCID: PMC5853644 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is a key transcriptional regulator of fatty acid biosynthesis genes in diverse oil-containing tissues. Loss of function of Arabidopsis WRI1 leads to a reduction in the expression of genes for fatty acid biosynthesis and glycolysis, and concomitant strong reduction of seed oil content. The wri1-1 loss-of-function mutant shows reduced primary root growth and decreased acidification of the growth medium. The content of a conjugated form of the plant growth hormone auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-Asp, was higher in wri1-1 plants compared with the wild-type. GH3.3, a gene encoding an enzyme involved in auxin degradation, displayed higher expression in the wri1-1 mutant. EMSAs demonstrated that AtWRI1 bound to the promoter of GH3.3. Specific AtWRI1-binding motifs were identified in the promoter of GH3.3. In addition, wri1-1 displayed decreased auxin transport. Expression of some PIN genes, which encode IAA carrier proteins, was reduced in wri1-1 plants as well. Correspondingly, AtWRI1 bound to the promoter regions of some PIN genes. It is well known that auxin exerts its maximum effects at a specific, optimal concentration in roots requiring a finely balanced auxin homeostasis. This process appears to be disrupted when the expression of WRI1 and in turn a subset of its target genes are misregulated, highlighting a role for WRI1 in root auxin homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Kong
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Wei Ma
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Haibing Yang
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Guojie Ma
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jenny J Mantyla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Christoph Benning
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Yang Y, Zienkiewicz A, Lavell A, Benning C. Coevolution of Domain Interactions in the Chloroplast TGD1, 2, 3 Lipid Transfer Complex Specific to Brassicaceae and Poaceae Plants. THE PLANT CELL 2017; 29:1500-1515. [PMID: 28526713 PMCID: PMC5502461 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The import of lipids into the chloroplast is essential for photosynthetic membrane biogenesis. This process requires an ABC transporter in the inner envelope membrane with three subunits, TRIGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL (TGD) 1, 2, and 3, named after the oligogalactolipids that accumulate in the respective Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. Unlike Arabidopsis, in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon, chloroplast lipid biosynthesis is largely dependent on imported precursors, resulting in a characteristic difference in chloroplast lipid acyl composition between the two plants. Accordingly, Arabidopsis is designated as a 16:3 (acyl carbons:double bounds) plant and Brachypodium as an 18:3 plant. Repression of TGD1 (BdTGD1) in Brachypodium affected growth without triggering oligogalactolipid biosynthesis. Moreover, expressing BdTGD1 in the Arabidopsis tgd1-1 mutant restored some phenotypes but did not reverse oligogalactolipid biosynthesis. A 27-amino acid loop (L45) is solely responsible for the incomplete functioning of BdTGD1 in Arabidopsis tgd1-1 Coevolutionary analysis and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that the TGD1 L45 loop interacts with the mycobacterial cell entry domain of TGD2. To explain the observed differences in oligogalactolipid biosynthesis between the two species, we suggest that excess monogalactosyldiacylglycerol derived from chloroplast-derived precursors in Arabidopsis tgd1-1 is converted into oligogalactolipids, a process absent from Brachypodium with reduced TGD1 levels, which assembles monogalactosyldiacylglycerol exclusively from imported precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- MSU-Department of Energy, Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Agnieszka Zienkiewicz
- MSU-Department of Energy, Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Anastasiya Lavell
- MSU-Department of Energy, Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Christoph Benning
- MSU-Department of Energy, Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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Zhai Z, Liu H, Shanklin J. Phosphorylation of WRINKLED1 by KIN10 Results in Its Proteasomal Degradation, Providing a Link between Energy Homeostasis and Lipid Biosynthesis. THE PLANT CELL 2017; 29:871-889. [PMID: 28314829 PMCID: PMC5435435 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
WRINKLED1 (WRI1), a member of the APETALA2 (AP2) class of transcription factors, positively regulates glycolysis and lipid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana Here, we identify mechanistic links between KIN10, the major SUCROSE NON-FERMENTATION1-RELATED KINASE1 involved in sugar/energy homeostasis, and the posttranslational regulation of WRI1. Transient expression of WRI1 with OLEOSIN1 in Nicotiana benthamiana stimulates triacylglycerol accumulation, but their coexpression with KIN10 abrogates this effect by inducing proteasomal degradation of WRI1. While WRI1 lacks canonical KIN10 target sequences, we demonstrated direct KIN10-dependent phosphorylation of WRI1 using purified Escherichia coli-expressed components. The resulting phosphorylated WRI1 was more rapidly degraded than native WRI1 in cell-free degradation assays. WRI1 phosphorylation was localized to two variants of the canonical KIN10 recognition sequence, one in each of its two AP2 DNA binding domains. Conversion of the phosphorylation sites at Thr-70 and Ser-166 to Ala resulted in a loss of KIN10-dependent phosphorylation, and when coexpressed with KIN10 the WRI1 double mutant accumulated to 2- to 3-fold higher levels than native WRI1. KIN10-dependent degradation of WRI1 provides a homeostatic mechanism that favors lipid biosynthesis when intracellular sugar levels are elevated and KIN10 is inhibited; conversely, glycolysis and lipid biosynthesis are curtailed as sugar levels decrease and KIN10 regains activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyang Zhai
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
| | - Hui Liu
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
| | - John Shanklin
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
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Transcriptome and functional analysis reveals hybrid vigor for oil biosynthesis in oil palm. Sci Rep 2017; 7:439. [PMID: 28348403 PMCID: PMC5428490 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00438-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Oil palm is the most productive oil crop in the world and composes 36% of the world production. However, the molecular mechanisms of hybrids vigor (or heterosis) between Dura, Pisifera and their hybrid progeny Tenera has not yet been well understood. Here we compared the temporal and spatial compositions of lipids and transcriptomes for two oil yielding organs mesocarp and endosperm from Dura, Pisifera and Tenera. Multiple lipid biosynthesis pathways are highly enriched in all non-additive expression pattern in endosperm, while cytokinine biosynthesis and cell cycle pathways are highly enriched both in endosperm and mesocarp. Compared with parental palms, the high oil content in Tenera was associated with much higher transcript levels of EgWRI1, homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana WRINKLED1. Among 338 identified genes in lipid synthesis, 207 (61%) has been identified to contain the WRI1 specific binding AW motif. We further functionally identified EgWRI1-1, one of three EgWRI1 orthologs, by genetic complementation of the Arabidopsis wri1 mutant. Ectopic expression of EgWRI1-1 in plant produced dramatically increased seed mass and oil content, with oil profile changed. Our findings provide an explanation for EgWRI1 as an important gene contributing hybrid vigor in lipid biosynthesis in oil palm.
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Abstract
Lipids and oils derived from plant and algal photosynthesis constitute much of human daily caloric intake and provide the basis for high-energy bioproducts, chemical feedstocks for countless applications, and even fossil fuels over geological time scales. Sustainable production of high-energy compounds from plants is essential to preserving fossil fuel sources and ensuring the well-being of future generations. As a result of progress in basic research on plant and algal lipid metabolism, in combination with advances in synthetic biology, we can now tailor plant lipids for desirable biological, physical, and chemical properties. We highlight recent advances in plant lipid translational biology and discuss untapped areas of research that might expand the application of plant lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Horn
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Christoph Benning
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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An D, Kim H, Ju S, Go YS, Kim HU, Suh MC. Expression of Camelina WRINKLED1 Isoforms Rescue the Seed Phenotype of the Arabidopsis wri1 Mutant and Increase the Triacylglycerol Content in Tobacco Leaves. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:34. [PMID: 28174580 PMCID: PMC5258696 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Triacylglycerol (TAG) is an energy-rich reserve in plant seeds that is composed of glycerol esters with three fatty acids. Since TAG can be used as a feedstock for the production of biofuels and bio-chemicals, producing TAGs in vegetative tissue is an alternative way of meeting the increasing demand for its usage. The WRINKLED1 (WRI1) gene is a well-established key transcriptional regulator involved in the upregulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in developing seeds. WRI1s from Arabidopsis and several other crops have been previously employed for increasing TAGs in seed and vegetative tissues. In the present study, we first identified three functional CsWRI1 genes (CsWRI1A. B, and C) from the Camelina oil crop and tested their ability to induce TAG synthesis in leaves. The amino acid sequences of CsWRI1s exhibited more than 90% identity with those of Arabidopsis WRI1. The transcript levels of the three CsWRI1 genes showed higher expression levels in developing seeds than in vegetative and floral tissues. When the CsWRI1A. B, or C was introduced into Arabidopsis wri1-3 loss-of-function mutant, the fatty acid content was restored to near wild-type levels and percentages of the wrinkled seeds were remarkably reduced in the transgenic lines relative to wri1-3 mutant line. In addition, the fluorescent signals of the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) fused to the CsWRI1 genes were observed in the nuclei of Nicotiana benthamiana leaf epidermal cells. Nile red staining indicated that the transient expression of CsWRI1A. B, or C caused an enhanced accumulation of oil bodies in N. benthamiana leaves. The levels of TAGs was higher by approximately 2.5- to 4.0-fold in N. benthamiana fresh leaves expressing CsWRI1 genes than in the control leaves. These results suggest that the three Camelina WRI1s can be used as key transcriptional regulators to increase fatty acids in biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahee An
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National UniversityGwangju, South Korea
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National UniversityGwangju, South Korea
| | - Seulgi Ju
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National UniversityGwangju, South Korea
| | - Young Sam Go
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National UniversityGwangju, South Korea
| | - Hyun Uk Kim
- Department of Bioindustry and Bioresource Engineering, Plant Engineering Research Institute, Sejong UniversitySeoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Hyun Uk Kim, Mi Chung Suh,
| | - Mi Chung Suh
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National UniversityGwangju, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Hyun Uk Kim, Mi Chung Suh,
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Hofvander P, Ischebeck T, Turesson H, Kushwaha SK, Feussner I, Carlsson AS, Andersson M. Potato tuber expression of Arabidopsis WRINKLED1 increase triacylglycerol and membrane lipids while affecting central carbohydrate metabolism. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:1883-98. [PMID: 26914183 PMCID: PMC5069604 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Tuber and root crops virtually exclusively accumulate storage products in the form of carbohydrates. An exception is yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) in which tubers have the capacity to store starch and triacylglycerols (TAG) in roughly equal amounts. This suggests that a tuber crop can efficiently handle accumulation of energy dense oil. From a nutritional as well as economic aspect, it would be of interest to utilize the high yield capacity of tuber or root crops for oil accumulation similar to yellow nutsedge. The transcription factor WRINKLED1 from Arabidopsis thaliana, which in seed embryos induce fatty acid synthesis, has been shown to be a major factor for oil accumulation. WRINKLED1 was expressed in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers to explore whether this factor could impact tuber metabolism. This study shows that a WRINKLED1 transcription factor could induce triacylglycerol accumulation in tubers of transformed potato plants grown in field (up to 12 nmol TAG/mg dry weight, 1% of dry weight) together with a large increase in polar membrane lipids. The changes in metabolism further affected starch accumulation and composition concomitant with massive increases in sugar content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Hofvander
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Till Ischebeck
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Helle Turesson
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Sandeep K Kushwaha
- PlantLink, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anders S Carlsson
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Mariette Andersson
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
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