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Ghidoli M, Ponzoni E, Araniti F, Miglio D, Pilu R. Genetic Improvement of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz: Opportunities and Challenges. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:570. [PMID: 36771654 PMCID: PMC9920110 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, a renewed interest in novel crops has been developing due to the environmental issues associated with the sustainability of agricultural practices. In particular, a cover crop, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, is attracting the scientific community's interest for several desirable features. It is related to the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, and its oil extracted from the seeds can be used either for food and feed, or for industrial uses such as biofuel production. From an agronomic point of view, it can grow in marginal lands with little or no inputs, and is practically resistant to the most important pathogens of Brassicaceae. Although cultivated in the past, particularly in northern Europe and Italy, in the last century, it was abandoned. For this reason, little breeding work has been conducted to improve this plant, also because of the low genetic variability present in this hexaploid species. In this review, we summarize the main works on this crop, focused on genetic improvement with three main objectives: yield, seed oil content and quality, and reduction in glucosinolates content in the seed, which are the main anti-nutritional substances present in camelina. We also report the latest advances in utilising classical plant breeding, transgenic approaches, and CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ghidoli
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Ponzoni
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via E. Bassini 15, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Araniti
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Miglio
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Pilu
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Alkotami L, Kornacki C, Campbell S, McIntosh G, Wilson C, Tran TNT, Durrett TP. Expression of a high-activity diacylglycerol acetyltransferase results in enhanced synthesis of acetyl-TAG in camelina seed oil. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:953-964. [PMID: 33619818 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Acetyl-triacylglycerols (acetyl-TAG) contain an acetate group in the sn-3 position instead of the long-chain fatty acid present in regular triacylglycerol (TAG). The acetate group confers unique physical properties such as reduced viscosity and a lower freezing point to acetyl-TAG, providing advantages for use as emulsifiers, lubricants, and 'drop-in' biofuels. Previously, the synthesis of acetyl-TAG in the seeds of the oilseed crop camelina (Camelina sativa) was achieved through the heterologous expression of the diacylglycerol acetyltransferase gene EaDAcT, isolated from Euonymus alatus seeds that naturally accumulate high levels of acetyl-TAG. Subsequent work identified a similar acetyltransferase, EfDAcT, in the seeds of Euonymus fortunei, that possesses higher in vitro activity compared to EaDAcT. In this study, the seed-specific expression of EfDAcT in camelina led to a 20 mol% increase in acetyl-TAG levels over that of EaDAcT. Coupling EfDAcT expression with suppression of the endogenous competing enzyme DGAT1 further enhanced acetyl-TAG accumulation, up to 90 mol% in the best transgenic lines. Accumulation of high levels of acetyl-TAG was stable over multiple generations, with minimal effect on seed size, weight, and fatty acid content. Slight delays in germination were noted in transgenic seeds compared to the wild type. EfDAcT transcript and protein levels were correlated during seed development with a limited window of EfDAcT protein accumulation. In high acetyl-TAG producing lines, EfDAcT protein expression in developing seeds did not reflect the eventual acetyl-TAG levels in mature seeds, suggesting that other factors limit acetyl-TAG accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linah Alkotami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Catherine Kornacki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Shahna Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Gary McIntosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Cole Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Tam N T Tran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Timothy P Durrett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
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Candidate genes linked to QTL regions associated with fatty acid composition in oil palm. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-020-00563-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Subedi U, Jayawardhane KN, Pan X, Ozga J, Chen G, Foroud NA, Singer SD. The Potential of Genome Editing for Improving Seed Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Oilseed Crops. Lipids 2020; 55:495-512. [PMID: 32856292 DOI: 10.1002/lipd.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A continuous rise in demand for vegetable oils, which comprise mainly the storage lipid triacylglycerol, is fueling a surge in research efforts to increase seed oil content and improve fatty acid composition in oilseed crops. Progress in this area has been achieved using both conventional breeding and transgenic approaches to date. However, further advancements using traditional breeding methods will be complicated by the polyploid nature of many oilseed crops and associated time constraints, while public perception and the prohibitive cost of regulatory processes hinders the commercialization of transgenic oilseed crops. As such, genome editing using CRISPR/Cas is emerging as a breakthrough breeding tool that could provide a platform to keep pace with escalating demand while potentially minimizing regulatory burden. In this review, we discuss the technology itself and progress that has been made thus far with respect to its use in oilseed crops to improve seed oil content and quality. Furthermore, we examine a number of genes that may provide ideal targets for genome editing in this context, as well as new CRISPR-related tools that have the potential to be applied to oilseed plants and may allow additional gains to be made in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udaya Subedi
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1, AB, Canada.,Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2P5, AB, Canada
| | - Kethmi N Jayawardhane
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2P5, AB, Canada
| | - Xue Pan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2P5, AB, Canada
| | - Jocelyn Ozga
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2P5, AB, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2P5, AB, Canada
| | - Nora A Foroud
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1, AB, Canada
| | - Stacy D Singer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1, AB, Canada
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Hotton SK, Kammerzell M, Chan R, Hernandez BT, Young HA, Tobias C, McKeon T, Brichta J, Thomson NJ, Thomson JG. Phenotypic Examination of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz Accessions from the USDA-ARS National Genetics Resource Program. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E642. [PMID: 32438618 PMCID: PMC7286027 DOI: 10.3390/plants9050642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Camelina sativa (L.) Crntz. is a hardy self-pollinated oilseed plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family; widely grown throughout the northern hemisphere until the 1940s for production of vegetable oil but was later displaced by higher-yielding rapeseed and sunflower crops. However, interest in camelina as an alternative oil source has been renewed due to its high oil content that is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants as well as its ability to grow on marginal lands with minimal requirements. For this reason, our group decided to screen the existing (2011) National Genetic Resources Program (NGRP) center collection of camelina for its genetic diversity and provide a phenotypic evaluation of the cultivars available. Properties evaluated include seed and oil traits, developmental and mature morphologies, as well as chromosome content. Selectable marker genes were also evaluated for potential use in biotech manipulation. Data is provided in a raw uncompiled format to allow other researchers to analyze the unbiased information for their own studies. Our evaluation has determined that the NGRP collection has a wide range of genetic potential for both breeding and biotechnological manipulation purposes. Accessions were identified within the NGRP collection that appear to have desirable seed harvest weight (5.06 g/plant) and oil content (44.1%). Other cultivars were identified as having fatty acid characteristics that may be suitable for meal and/or food use, such as low (<2%) erucic acid content, which is often considered for healthy consumption and ranged from a high of 4.79% to a low of 1.83%. Descriptive statistics are provided for a breadth of traits from 41 accessions, as well as raw data, and key seed traits are further explored. Data presented is available for public use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ron Chan
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, USDA-ARS-WRRC, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (R.C.); (C.T.); (T.M.); (J.B.)
| | - Bryan T. Hernandez
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | | | - Christian Tobias
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, USDA-ARS-WRRC, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (R.C.); (C.T.); (T.M.); (J.B.)
| | - Thomas McKeon
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, USDA-ARS-WRRC, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (R.C.); (C.T.); (T.M.); (J.B.)
| | - Jenny Brichta
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, USDA-ARS-WRRC, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (R.C.); (C.T.); (T.M.); (J.B.)
| | | | - James G. Thomson
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, USDA-ARS-WRRC, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (R.C.); (C.T.); (T.M.); (J.B.)
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Yuan L, Li R. Metabolic Engineering a Model Oilseed Camelina sativa for the Sustainable Production of High-Value Designed Oils. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:11. [PMID: 32117362 PMCID: PMC7028685 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an important Brassicaceae oil crop with a number of excellent agronomic traits including low water and fertilizer input, strong adaptation and resistance. Furthermore, its short life cycle and easy genetic transformation, combined with available data of genome and other "-omics" have enabled camelina as a model oil plant to study lipid metabolism regulation and genetic improvement. Particularly, camelina is capable of rapid metabolic engineering to synthesize and accumulate high levels of unusual fatty acids and modified oils in seeds, which are more stable and environmentally friendly. Such engineered camelina oils have been increasingly used as the super resource for edible oil, health-promoting food and medicine, biofuel oil and high-valued chemical production. In this review, we mainly highlight the latest advance in metabolic engineering towards the predictive manipulation of metabolism for commercial production of desirable bio-based products using camelina as an ideal platform. Moreover, we deeply analysis camelina seed metabolic engineering strategy and its promising achievements by describing the metabolic assembly of biosynthesis pathways for acetyl glycerides, hydroxylated fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids, ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic acid (ω-7) and other high-value oils. Future prospects are discussed, with a focus on the cutting-edge techniques in camelina such as genome editing application, fine directed manipulation of metabolism and future outlook for camelina industry development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Yuan
- College of Biological Science and Technology, Jinzhong University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Runzhi Li
- Institute of Molecular Agriculture and Bioenergy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
- *Correspondence: Runzhi Li,
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Malik MR, Tang J, Sharma N, Burkitt C, Ji Y, Mykytyshyn M, Bohmert-Tatarev K, Peoples O, Snell KD. Camelina sativa, an oilseed at the nexus between model system and commercial crop. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2018; 37:1367-1381. [PMID: 29881973 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-018-2308-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The rapid assessment of metabolic engineering strategies in plants is aided by crops that provide simple, high throughput transformation systems, a sequenced genome, and the ability to evaluate the resulting plants in field trials. Camelina sativa provides all of these attributes in a robust oilseed platform. The ability to perform field evaluation of Camelina is a useful, and in some studies essential benefit that allows researchers to evaluate how traits perform outside the strictly controlled conditions of a greenhouse. In the field the plants are subjected to higher light intensities, seasonal diurnal variations in temperature and light, competition for nutrients, and watering regimes dictated by natural weather patterns, all which may affect trait performance. There are difficulties associated with the use of Camelina. The current genetic resources available for Camelina pale in comparison to those developed for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; however, the sequence similarity of the Arabidopsis and Camelina genomes often allows the use of Arabidopsis as a reference when additional information is needed. Camelina's genome, an allohexaploid, is more complex than other model crops, but the diploid inheritance of its three subgenomes is straightforward. The need to navigate three copies of each gene in genome editing or mutagenesis experiments adds some complexity but also provides advantages for gene dosage experiments. The ability to quickly engineer Camelina with novel traits, advance generations, and bulk up homozygous lines for small-scale field tests in less than a year, in our opinion, far outweighs the complexities associated with the crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna R Malik
- Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Jihong Tang
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA, 01801, USA
| | - Nirmala Sharma
- Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Claire Burkitt
- Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Ji
- Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Marie Mykytyshyn
- Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | | | - Oliver Peoples
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA, 01801, USA
| | - Kristi D Snell
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA, 01801, USA.
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Abstract
Studying seed oil metabolism. The seeds of higher plants represent valuable factories capable of converting photosynthetically derived sugars into a variety of storage compounds, including oils. Oils are the most energy-dense plant reserves and fatty acids composing these oils represent an excellent nutritional source. They supply humans with much of the calories and essential fatty acids required in their diet. These oils are then increasingly being utilized as renewable alternatives to petroleum for the chemical industry and for biofuels. Plant oils therefore represent a highly valuable agricultural commodity, the demand for which is increasing rapidly. Knowledge regarding seed oil production is extensively exploited in the frame of breeding programs and approaches of metabolic engineering for oilseed crop improvement. Complementary aspects of this research include (1) the study of carbon metabolism responsible for the conversion of photosynthetically derived sugars into precursors for fatty acid biosynthesis, (2) the identification and characterization of the enzymatic actors allowing the production of the wide set of fatty acid structures found in seed oils, and (3) the investigation of the complex biosynthetic pathways leading to the production of storage lipids (waxes, triacylglycerols). In this review, we outline the most recent developments in our understanding of the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms of seed oil production, focusing on fatty acids and oils that can have a significant impact on the emerging bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Baud
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France.
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