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Yang X, Lin S, Chen Y, Chen W, Lan D, Wang Y. Efficient Enzymatic Enrichment of High-purity Nervonic Acid from Malania oleifera Seed Oil. J Oleo Sci 2024; 73:99-111. [PMID: 38171735 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess23170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Nervonic acid (NA) is a monounsaturated fatty acid vital for brain health and is of emerging importance in various industrial applications, including therapeutics, food, and cosmetics. Given the growing demands of the food and pharmaceutical industries, there's a pressing need for high-purity NA. Previously, NA constituents in plant seed oils were chemically transformed into nervonic acid ethyl ester (NAEE) to facilitate extraction from seed oils. In this study, we present an enzymatic approach to convert NA constituents in Malania oleifera seed oil to NAEE. Combined with the utilization of the semi-preparative chromatography, we achieved a remarkable purity of 97.52% NAEE. Compared to conventional chemical preparations characterized by multiple steps, prolonged processing times, and low yields and purities, our enzymatic method stands out as a more efficient and advantageous alternative. On top of that, this innovative approach is environmentally friendly and circumvents health and safety issues associated with chemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximei Yang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
| | - Sen Lin
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
| | - Wen Chen
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
| | - Dongming Lan
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
| | - Yonghua Wang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology
- Guangdong Youmei Institute of Intelligent Bio-manufacturing Co., Ltd
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2
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Su H, Shi P, Shen Z, Meng H, Meng Z, Han X, Chen Y, Fan W, Fa Y, Yang C, Li F, Wang S. High-level production of nervonic acid in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica by systematic metabolic engineering. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1125. [PMID: 37935958 PMCID: PMC10630375 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05502-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervonic acid benefits the treatment of neurological diseases and the health of brain. In this study, we employed the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to overproduce nervonic acid oil by systematic metabolic engineering. First, the production of nervonic acid was dramatically improved by iterative expression of the genes ecoding β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase CgKCS, fatty acid elongase gELOVL6 and desaturase MaOLE2. Second, the biosynthesis of both nervonic acid and lipids were further enhanced by expression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases and diacylglycerol acyltransferases from Malania oleifera in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Third, overexpression of a newly identified ER structure regulator gene YlINO2 led to a 39.3% increase in lipid production. Fourth, disruption of the AMP-activated S/T protein kinase gene SNF1 increased the ratio of nervonic acid to lignoceric acid by 61.6%. Next, pilot-scale fermentation using the strain YLNA9 exhibited a lipid titer of 96.7 g/L and a nervonic acid titer of 17.3 g/L (17.9% of total fatty acids), the highest reported titer to date. Finally, a proof-of-concept purification and separation of nervonic acid were performed and the purity of it reached 98.7%. This study suggested that oleaginous yeasts are attractive hosts for the cost-efficient production of nervonic acid and possibly other very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Su
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Penghui Shi
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Zhaoshuang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Huimin Meng
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao Institute for Food and Drug Control, Qingdao, 266073, China
| | - Ziyue Meng
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Xingfeng Han
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Yanna Chen
- Zhejiang Zhenyuan Biotech Co., LTD, Shaoxing, 312365, China
| | - Weiming Fan
- Zhejiang Zhenyuan Biotech Co., LTD, Shaoxing, 312365, China
| | - Yun Fa
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Chunyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Fuli Li
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.
| | - Shi'an Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.
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Zhao XR, Chen XL, Yang JL, Gao Q, Shi JT, Hua Q, Wei LJ. De novo synthesis of nervonic acid and optimization of metabolic regulation by Yarrowia lipolytica. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:70. [PMID: 38647797 PMCID: PMC10992393 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00689-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Nervonic acid, a natural fatty acid compound and also a core component of nerve fibers and nerve cells, has been widely used to prevent and treat related diseases of the brain nervous system. At present, fatty acids and their derivatives are mainly obtained by natural extraction or chemical synthesis which are limited by natural resources and production costs. In this study, the de novo synthetic pathway of nervonic acid was constructed in Yarrowia lipolytica by means of synthetic biology, and the yield of nervonic acid was further improved by metabolic engineering and fermentation optimization. Specially, heterologous elongases and desaturases derived from different organism were successfully expressed and evaluated for their potential for the production of nervonic acid in Y. lipolytica. Meanwhile, we overexpressed the genes involved in the lipid metabolism to increase the nervonic acid titer to 111.6 mg/L. In addition, the potential of adding oil as auxiliary carbon sources for nervonic acid production by the engineered Y. lipolytica was analyzed. The results indicated that supplementation with colleseed oil as an auxiliary carbon source can be beneficial for the nervonic acid productivity, which led to the highest concentration of 185.0 mg/L in this work. To summarize, this study describes that the Y. lipolytica can be used as a promising platform for the production of nervonic acid and other very long-chain fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Ru Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Lin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang-Ting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Liu-Jing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
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Liu F, Wu R, Ma X, Su E. The Advancements and Prospects of Nervonic Acid Production. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:12772-12783. [PMID: 36166330 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nervonic acid (NA) is a monounsaturated very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) and has been identified with critical biological functions in medical and health care for brain development and injury repair. Yet, the approaches to producing NA from the sources of plants or animals continue to pose challenges to meet increasing market demand, as they are generally associated with high costs, a lack of natural resources, a long life cycle, and low production efficiency. The recent technological advance in metabolic engineering allows us to precisely engineer oleaginous microbes to develop high-content NA-producing strains, which has the potential to provide a possible solution to produce NA on a commercial fermentation scale. In this Review, the biosynthetic pathway, natural sources, and metabolic engineering of NA are summarized. The strategies of metabolic engineering that could be adopted to modify oleaginous yeast to produce NA are discussed in detail, providing the prospecting views for the microbial cells producing NA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feixiang Liu
- Co-innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Department of Biological Science and Food Engineering, Bozhou University, Bozhou 236800, China
| | - Rong Wu
- Co-innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Ma
- Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Erzheng Su
- Co-innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
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Giwa AS, Ali N. Perspectives of nervonic acid production by Yarrowia lipolytica. Biotechnol Lett 2022; 44:193-202. [PMID: 35119573 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-022-03231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Nervonic acid (cis-15-tetracosenoic acid, 24:1Δ15) is a long chain monounsaturated fatty acid, mainly exists in white matt er of the human brains. It plays an important role in the development of nervous system and curing neurological diseases. The limited natural sources and high price are considered limiting factors for the extensive application of nervonic acid. Yarrowia lipolytica is a high lipid producing yeast and engineered strain which can produce nervonic acid. The biosynthesis of nervonic acid has yet to be investigated, although the metabolism has been examined for couple of years. Normally, oleic acid is considered the origin of nervonic acid synthesis through fatty acid prolongation, where malonyl-CoA and acyl-CoA are initially concise by 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS). To meet the high requirement of industrial production, the optimization of fermentation and bioreactors configurations are necessary tools to be carried out. This review article summarizes the research literature on advancements and recent trends about the production, synthesis and properties of nervonic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulmoseen Segun Giwa
- School of Human Settlements and Environment, Nanchang Institute of Science and Technology, Nanchang, 330108, China.,State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Nasir Ali
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Liu F, Wang P, Xiong X, Zeng X, Zhang X, Wu G. A Review of Nervonic Acid Production in Plants: Prospects for the Genetic Engineering of High Nervonic Acid Cultivars Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:626625. [PMID: 33747006 PMCID: PMC7973461 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.626625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Nervonic acid (NA) is a very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid that plays crucial roles in brain development and has attracted widespread research interest. The markets encouraged the development of a refined, NA-enriched plant oil as feedstocks for the needed further studies of NA biological functions to the end commercial application. Plant seed oils offer a renewable and environmentally friendly source of NA, but their industrial production is presently hindered by various factors. This review focuses on the NA biosynthesis and assembly, NA resources from plants, and the genetic engineering of NA biosynthesis in oil crops, discusses the factors that affect NA production in genetically engineered oil crops, and provides prospects for the application of NA and prospective trends in the engineering of NA. This review emphasizes the progress made toward various NA-related topics and explores the limitations and trends, thereby providing integrated and comprehensive insight into the nature of NA production mechanisms during genetic engineering. Furthermore, this report supports further work involving the manipulation of NA production through transgenic technologies and molecular breeding for the enhancement of crop nutritional quality or creation of plant biochemical factories to produce NA for use in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Pandi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaojuan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinhua Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- Life Science and Technology Center, China National Seed Group Co. Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Umemoto H, Yasugi S, Tsuda S, Yoda M, Ishiguro T, Kaba N, Itoh T. Protective Effect of Nervonic Acid Against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Oxidative Stress in PC-12 Cells. J Oleo Sci 2021; 70:95-102. [PMID: 33431776 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess20262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased oxidative stress in the human brain is observed in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is considered to be a major cause of progression of these disease states. A very long-chain fatty acid, nervonic acid (NA), is the main fatty acid found in various sphingolipid species in the central nervous system. NA plays an important role in forming the plasma membrane's lipid bilayer and in maintaining normal myelin function. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of NA against rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells stimulated by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which served as a cell model of PD. PC-12 cells were pre-treated with different concentrations of NA for 48 h then subsequently co-treated with NA and 6-OHDA for 48 h to induce cellular oxidative stress. Cell viability was significantly increased by pre-treatment with a very low concentration of NA. The level of malondialdehyde, a marker of lipid peroxidation, was significantly decreased in NA-treated cells. The expression levels of superoxide dismutases (Mn SOD and Cu/Zn SOD) and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCLC), responsible for the synthesis of glutathione, were significantly increased, indicating that pre-treatment with NA activated the cellular antioxidant defense system. These results suggest that NA may play a role as a neuroprotective mediator in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Umemoto
- Technical Department, Foods Division, Miyoshi Oil and Fat Co. Ltd
| | - Saika Yasugi
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University
| | - Shinji Tsuda
- Technical Department, Foods Division, Miyoshi Oil and Fat Co. Ltd
| | - Minoru Yoda
- Technical Department, Foods Division, Miyoshi Oil and Fat Co. Ltd
| | - Takashi Ishiguro
- Technical Department, Foods Division, Miyoshi Oil and Fat Co. Ltd
| | - Naoko Kaba
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University
| | - Tatsuki Itoh
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University
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A mini review of nervonic acid: Source, production, and biological functions. Food Chem 2019; 301:125286. [PMID: 31382110 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Nervonic acid (NA) has attracted considerable attention because of its close relationship with brain development. Sources of NA include oil crop seeds, oil-producing microalgae, and other microorganisms. Transgenic technology has also been applied to improve the sources and production of NA. NA can be separated and purified by urea adduction fractionation, molecular distillation, and crystallization. Studies on NA functionality involved treatments for demyelinating diseases and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, as well as prediction of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. This mini review focuses on the sources, production, and biological functions of NA and provides prospective trends in the investigation of NA.
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Characterization of 3-ketoacyl-coA synthase in a nervonic acid producing oleaginous microalgae Mychonastes afer. ALGAL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2018.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Fan Y, Meng HM, Hu GR, Li FL. Biosynthesis of nervonic acid and perspectives for its production by microalgae and other microorganisms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:3027-3035. [PMID: 29478140 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8859-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nervonic acid (NA) is a major very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid found in the white matter of mammalian brains, which plays a critical role in the treatment of psychotic disorders and neurological development. In the nature, NA has been synthesized by a handful plants, fungi, and microalgae. Although the metabolism of fatty acid has been studied for decades, the biosynthesis of NA has yet to be illustrated. Generally, the biosynthesis of NA is considered starting from oleic acid through fatty acid elongation, in which malonyl-CoA and long-chain acyl-CoA are firstly condensed by a rate-limiting enzyme 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS). Heterologous expression of kcs gene from high NA producing species in plants and yeast has led to synthesis of NA. Nevertheless, it has also been reported that desaturases in a few plants can catalyze very long-chain saturated fatty acid into NA. This review highlights recent advances in the biosynthesis, the sources, and the biotechnological aspects of NA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui-Min Meng
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang-Rong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China.
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Huai D, Zhang Y, Zhang C, Cahoon EB, Zhou Y. Combinatorial Effects of Fatty Acid Elongase Enzymes on Nervonic Acid Production in Camelina sativa. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131755. [PMID: 26121034 PMCID: PMC4485900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) with chain lengths of 20 carbons and longer provide feedstocks for various applications; therefore, improvement of VLCFA contents in seeds has become an important goal for oilseed enhancement. VLCFA biosynthesis is controlled by a multi-enzyme protein complex referred to as fatty acid elongase, which is composed of β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS), β-ketoacyl-CoA reductase (KCR), β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratase (HCD) and enoyl reductase (ECR). KCS has been identified as the rate-limiting enzyme, but little is known about the involvement of other three enzymes in VLCFA production. Here, the combinatorial effects of fatty acid elongase enzymes on VLCFA production were assessed by evaluating the changes in nervonic acid content. A KCS gene from Lunaria annua (LaKCS) and the other three elongase genes from Arabidopsis thaliana were used for the assessment. Five seed-specific expressing constructs, including LaKCS alone, LaKCS with AtKCR, LaKCS with AtHCD, LaKCS with AtECR, and LaKCS with AtKCR and AtHCD, were transformed into Camelina sativa. The nervonic acid content in seed oil increased from null in wild type camelina to 6-12% in LaKCS-expressing lines. However, compared with that from the LaKCS-expressing lines, nervonic acid content in mature seeds from the co-expressing lines with one or two extra elongase genes did not show further increases. Nervonic acid content from LaKCS, AtKCR and AtHCD co-expressing line was significantly higher than that in LaKCS-expressing line during early seed development stage, while the ultimate nervonic acid content was not significantly altered. The results from this study thus provide useful information for future engineering of oilseed crops for higher VLCFA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxin Huai
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Edgar B. Cahoon
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
- * E-mail: (YZ); (EBC)
| | - Yongming Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail: (YZ); (EBC)
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