Differential induction of polar and non-polar metabolism during wound-induced suberization in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers.

Wound-induced suberin deposition involves the temporal and spatial coordination of phenolic and fatty acid metabolism. Phenolic metabolism leads to both soluble metabolites that accumulate as defense compounds as well as hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives that form the basis of the poly(phenolic) domain found in suberized tissue. Fatty acid metabolism involves the biosynthesis of very-long-chain fatty acids, 1-alkanols, ω-hydroxy fatty acids and α,ω-dioic acids that form a poly(aliphatic) domain, commonly referred to as suberin. Using the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone (FD), we reduced wound-induced de novo biosynthesis of ABA in potato tubers, and measured the impact on the expression of genes involved in phenolic metabolism (StPAL1, StC4H, StCCR, StTHT), aliphatic metabolism (StCYP86A33, StCYP86B12, StFAR3, StKCS6), metabolism linking phenolics and aliphatics (StFHT) or acyl chains and glycerol (StGPAT5, StGPAT6), and in the delivery of aliphatic monomers to the site of suberization (StABCG1). In FD-treated tissue, both aliphatic gene expression and accumulation of aliphatic suberin monomers were delayed. Exogenous ABA restored normal aliphatic suberin deposition in FD-treated tissue, and enhanced aliphatic gene expression and poly(aliphatic) domain deposition when applied alone. By contrast, phenolic metabolism genes were not affected by FD treatment, while FD + ABA and ABA treatments slightly enhanced the accumulation of polar metabolites. These data support a role for ABA in the differential induction of phenolic and aliphatic metabolism during wound-induced suberization in potato.

Fatty acid ω-hydroxylases from Solanum tuberosum.

KEY MESSAGE: Potato StCYP86A33 complements the Arabidopsis AtCYP86A1 mutant, horst - 1. Suberin is a cell-wall polymer that comprises both phenolic and aliphatic components found in specialized plant cells. Aliphatic suberin is characterized by bi-functional fatty acids, typically ω-hydroxy fatty acids and α,ω-dioic acids, which are linked via glycerol to form a three-dimensional polymer network. In potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), over 65 % of aliphatics are either ω-hydroxy fatty acids or α,ω-dioic acids. Since the biosynthesis of α,ω-dioic acids proceeds sequentially through ω-hydroxy fatty acids, the formation of ω-hydroxy fatty acids represents a significant metabolic commitment during suberin deposition. Four different plant cytochrome P450 subfamilies catalyze ω-hydroxylation, namely, 86A, 86B, 94A, and 704B; though to date, only a few members have been functionally characterized. In potato, CYP86A33 has been identified and implicated in suberin biosynthesis through reverse genetics (RNAi); however, attempts to express the CYP86A33 protein and characterize its catalytic function have been unsuccessful. Herein, we describe eight fatty acid ω-hydroxylase genes (three CYP86As, one CYP86B, three CYP94As, and a CYP704B) from potato and demonstrate their tissue expression. We also complement the Arabidopsis cyp86A1 mutant horst-1 using StCYP86A33 under the control of the Arabidopsis AtCYP86A1 promoter. Furthermore, we provide preliminary analysis of the StCYP86A33 promoter using a hairy root transformation system to monitor pStCYP86A33::GUS expression constructs. These data confirm the functional role of StCYP86A33 as a fatty acid ω-hydroxylase, and demonstrate the utility of hairy roots in the study of root-specific genes.