Arabidopsis glabra2 mutant seeds deficient in mucilage biosynthesis produce more oil.

Seed oil, one of the major seed storage compounds in plants, is of great economic importance for human consumption, as an industrial raw material and as a source of biofuels. Thus, improving the seed oil yield in crops is an important objective. The GLABRA2 (GL2) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a transcription factor that is required for the proper differentiation of several epidermal cell types. GL2 has also been shown to regulate seed oil levels, as a loss-of-function mutation in the GL2 gene results in plants with a higher seed oil content than wild-type. We have extended this observation by showing that loss-of-function mutations in several positive regulators of GL2 also result in a high seed oil phenotype. The GL2 gene is expressed in both the seed coat and embryo, but the embryo is the main site of seed oil accumulation. Surprisingly, our results indicate that it is loss of GL2 activity in the seed coat, not the embryo, that contributes to the high seed oil phenotype. One target of GL2 in the seed coat is the gene MUCILAGE MODIFIED 4 (MUM4), which encodes a rhamnose synthase that is required for seed mucilage biosynthesis. We found that mum4 mutant seeds, like those of gl2 mutants, have an increased seed oil content in comparison with wild-type. Therefore, GL2 regulates seed oil production at least partly through its influence on MUM4 expression in the seed coat. We propose that gl2 mutant seeds produce more oil due to increased carbon allocation to the embryo in the absence of seed coat mucilage biosynthesis.

Insertional mutant analysis reveals that long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (LACS1), but not LACS8, functionally overlaps with LACS9 in Arabidopsis seed oil biosynthesis.

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are major storage materials that accumulate in developing seeds and serve as carbon and energy reserves for germination and growth of the seedling. One of the critical reactions in TAG biosynthesis is activation of fatty acyl chains to fatty acyl CoAs, catalyzed by long-chain acyl CoA synthetases (LACSs). Of the nine LACSs identified in Arabidopsis, only LACS9 is known to reside in the plastid, the site of de novo fatty acid synthesis, and is considered the major LACS isoform involved in plastidial fatty acid export for TAG formation. Because the lacs9 null mutant did not show any detectable phenotype, it was hypothesized that at least one additional LACS enzyme must be active in the plastid. Expression analyses to identify potential plastid-localized LACSs involved in TAG biosynthesis revealed that, in addition to LACS9, isoforms LACS1, LACS2, LACS4 and LACS8 are transcribed in the seed. LACS8 showed the highest expression level in the embryo and a high sequence similarity with LACS9, and was therefore characterized further and shown to be associated with the ER, not the plastid. Furthermore, disruption of LACS8 in the lacs8 mutant and lacs8 lacs9 double mutant, and over-expression of LACS8, did not affect the seed fatty acid content. In contrast, 11 and 12% decreases in fatty acid content were detected in lacs1 lacs9 and lacs1 lacs8 lacs9 seeds, respectively, indicating that LACS1 and LACS9 have overlapping functions in TAG biosynthesis. This result is surprising because, unlike LACS9, LACS1 is localized in the ER and has been shown to be involved in cuticular lipid synthesis.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a KCS gene from Cardamine graeca and its heterologous expression in Brassica oilseeds to engineer high nervonic acid oils for potential medical and industrial use.

Nervonic acid 24:1 Delta15 (cis-tetracos-15-enoic acid) is a very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid and exists in nature as an elongation product of oleic acid. There is an increasing interest in production of high nervonic acid oils for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial applications. Using a polymerase chain reaction approach, we have isolated a gene from Cardamine graeca L., which encodes a 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS), the first component of the elongation complex involved in synthesis of nervonic acid. Expression of the Cardamine KCS in yeast resulted in biosynthesis of nervonic acid, which is not normally present in yeast cells. We transformed Arabidopsis and Brassica carinata with the Cardamine KCS under the control of the seed-specific promoter, napin. The T(3) generations of transgenic Arabidopsis and B. carinata plants expressing the Cardamine KCS showed that seed-specific expression resulted in relatively large comparative increases in nervonic acid proportions in Arabidopsis seed oil, and 15-fold increase in nervonic acid proportions in B. carinata seed oil. The highest nervonic acid level in transgenic B. carinata lines reached 44%, with only 6% of residual erucic acid. In contrast, similar transgenic expression of the Cardamine KCS in high erucic B. napus resulted in 30% nervonic acid but with 20% residual erucic acid. Experiments using the Lunaria KCS gene gave results similar to the latter. In both cases, the erucic acid content is too high for human or animal consumption. Thus, the Cardamine KCS: B. carinata high nervonic/highly reduced erucic transgenic seed oils will be the most suitable for testing in pharmaceutical/nutraceutical applications to improve human and animal health.

Increase in nervonic acid content in transformed yeast and transgenic plants by introduction of a Lunaria annua L. 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) gene.

Nervonic acid is a Very Long-Chain Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (VLCMFA), 24:1 Delta15 (cis-tetracos-15-enoic acid) found in the seed oils of Lunaria annua, borage, hemp, Acer (Purpleblow maple) and Tropaeolum speciosum (Flame flower). However, of these, only the "money plant" (Lunaria annua L.) has been studied and grown sparingly for future development as a niche crop and the outlook has been disappointing. Therefore, our goal was to isolate and characterize strategic new genes for high nervonic acid production in Brassica oilseed crops. To this end, we have isolated a VLCMFA-utilizing 3-Keto-Acyl-CoA Synthase (KCS; fatty acid elongase; EC 2.3.1.86) gene from Lunaria annua and functionally expressed it in yeast, with the recombinant KCS protein able to catalyze the synthesis of several VLCMFAs, including nervonic acid. Seed-specific expression of the Lunaria KCS in Arabidopsis resulted in a 30-fold increase in nervonic acid proportions in seed oils, compared to the very low quantities found in the wild-type. Similar transgenic experiments using B. carinata as the host resulted in a 7-10 fold increase in seed oil nervonic acid proportions. KCS enzyme activity assays indicated that upon using (14)C-22:1-CoA as substrate, the KCS activity from developing seeds of transgenic B. carinata was 20-30-fold higher than the low erucoyl-elongation activity exhibited by wild type control plants. There was a very good correlation between the Lun KCS transcript intensity and the resultant 22:1-CoA KCS activity in developing seed. The highest nervonic acid level in transgenic B. carinata expressing the Lunaria KCS reached 30%, compared to 2.8% in wild type plant. In addition, the erucic acid proportions in these transgenic lines were considerably lower than that found in native Lunaria oil. These results show the functional utility of the Lunaria KCS in engineering new sources of high nervonate/reduced erucic oils in the Brassicaceae.

Purification and proteomic characterization of plastids from Brassica napus developing embryos.

Plastids are functionally and structurally diverse organelles responsible for numerous biosynthetic reactions within the plant cell. Plastids from embryos have a range of properties depending upon the plant source but compared to other plastid types are poorly understood and therefore, we term them embryoplasts. Isolating intact plastids from developing embryos is challenging due to large starch granules within the stroma and the prevalence of nonplastid, storage organelles (oil bodies and protein storage vacuoles) which compromise plastid integrity and purity, respectively. To characterize rapeseed embryoplasts it was necessary to develop an improved isolation procedure. A new method is presented for the isolation of intact plastids from developing embryos of Brassica napus seeds. Intactness and purity of embryoplast preparations was determined using phase-contrast and transmission electron microscopy, immunoblotting, and multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) MS/MS. Eighty nonredundant proteins were identified by MudPIT analysis of embryoplast preparations. Approximately 53% of these proteins were components of photosystem, light harvesting, cytochrome b/f, and ATP synthase complexes, suggesting ATP and NADPH production are important functions for this plastid type.

Protein and lipid composition analysis of oil bodies from two Brassica napus cultivars.

Oil bodies were purified from mature seed of two Brassica napus crop cultivars, Reston and Westar. Purified oil body proteins were subjected to both 2-DE followed by LC-MS/MS and multidimensional protein identification technology. Besides previously known oil body proteins oleosin, putative embryo specific protein ATS1, (similar to caleosin), and 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like protein (steroleosin), several new proteins were identified in this study. One of the identified proteins, a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase, is similar to a triacylglycerol-associated factor from narrow-leafed lupin while the other, a protein annotated as a myrosinase associated protein, shows high similarity to the lipase/hydrolase family of enzymes with GDSL-motifs. These similarities suggest these two proteins could be involved in oil body degradation. Detailed analysis of the two other oil body components, polar lipids (lipid monolayer) and neutral lipids (triacylglycerol matrix) was also performed. Major differences were observed in the fatty acid composition of polar lipid fractions between the two B. napus cultivars. Neutral lipid composition confirmed erucic acid and oleic acid accumulation in Reston and Westar seed oil, respectively.

Increased levels of erucic acid in Brassica carinata by co-suppression and antisense repression of the endogenous FAD2 gene.

Erucic acid and its derivatives represent important industrial feedstock compounds, and there is an increasing demand for the production of high erucate oils in this regard. Our goal therefore, is to develop high erucic acid (HEA) Brassicaceae lines with increased proportions of erucic acid and very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). We proposed that oleate availability may be a rate-limiting factor in the biosynthesis of erucic acid. We have tried to address this question by manipulating the expression of the endogenous FAD2 gene in B. carinata using co-supression and antisense approaches. Both methods resulted in transgenic lines exhibiting decreased proportions of polyunsaturated C18 fatty acids (18:2+18:3) and concomitant and significantly increased proportions of 18:1, 22:1 and total VLCFAs. Co-suppressed FAD2 B. carinata lines exhibited 3-18% decreases in 18:2, 22-49% decreases in 18:3 and significantly increased proportions of 18:1 (36-99%), 22:1 (12-27%) and VLCFAs (6-15%). Transgenic B. carinata lines developed using an antisense FAD2 approach exhibited decreased proportions of 18:2 and 18:3 (9-39% and 33-48%, respectively) and significantly increased proportions of 18:1 (54-130%), 22:1 (5-19%) and VLCFAs (6-21%). The possibility of using these approaches to produce prototype transgenic germplasm of the Brassicaceae accumulating seed oils with improved proportions of erucic and other VLCFAs is discussed.

Seed-specific heterologous expression of a nasturtium FAE gene in Arabidopsis results in a dramatic increase in the proportion of erucic acid.

The fatty acid elongase [often designated FAE or beta-(or 3-) ketoacyl-CoA synthase] is a condensing enzyme and is the first component of the elongation complex involved in synthesis of erucic acid (22:1) in seeds of garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Using a degenerate primers approach, a cDNA of a putative embryo FAE was obtained showing high homology to known plant elongases. This cDNA contains a 1,512-bp open reading frame that encodes a protein of 504 amino acids. A genomic clone of the nasturtium FAE was isolated and sequence analyses indicated the absence of introns. Northern hybridization showed the expression of this nasturtium FAE gene to be restricted to the embryo. Southern hybridization revealed the nasturtium beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase to be encoded by a small multigene family. To establish the function of the elongase homolog, the cDNA was introduced into two different heterologous chromosomal backgrounds (Arabidopsis and tobacco [Nicotiana tabacum]) under the control of a seed-specific (napin) promoter and the tandem 35S promoter, respectively. Seed-specific expression resulted in up to an 8-fold increase in erucic acid proportions in Arabidopsis seed oil, while constitutive expression in transgenic tobacco tissue resulted in increased proportions of very long chain saturated fatty acids. These results indicate that the nasturtium FAE gene encodes a condensing enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of very long chain fatty acids, utilizing monounsaturated and saturated acyl substrates. Given its strong and unique preference for elongating 20:1-CoA, the utility of the FAE gene product for directing or engineering increased synthesis of erucic acid is discussed.

Gaining insight into the role of serine 282 in B. napus FAE1 condensing enzyme.

To gain some insight whether there is an absolute requirement for the serine 282 to yield a functional fatty acid elongase 1 condensing enzyme we have introduced point mutations in the FAE1 coding sequence which led to the substitution of serine 282 with several aliphatic or aromatic amino acids. The mutated FAE1 polypeptides were expressed in yeast. Gas chromatography analyses of the fatty acid methyl esters from yeast lysates and fatty acid elongase activity assays demonstrated that there is not an absolute requirement for serine at position 282 to yield a functional FAE1 condensing enzyme.

Restoring enzyme activity in nonfunctional low erucic acid Brassica napus fatty acid elongase 1 by a single amino acid substitution.

Genomic fatty acid elongation 1 (FAE1) clones from high erucic acid (HEA) Brassica napus, Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea, and low erucic acid (LEA) B. napus cv. Westar, were amplified by PCR and expressed in yeast cells under the control of the strong galactose-inducible promoter. As expected, yeast cells expressing the FAE1 genes from HEA Brassica spp. synthesized very long chain monounsaturated fatty acids that are not normally found in yeast, while fatty acid profiles of yeast cells expressing the FAE1 gene from LEA B. napus were identical to control yeast samples. In agreement with published findings regarding different HEA and LEA B. napus cultivars, comparison of FAE1 protein sequences from HEA and LEA Brassicaceae revealed one crucial amino acid difference: the serine residue at position 282 of the HEA FAE1 sequences is substituted by phenylalanine in LEA B. napus cv. Westar. Using site directed mutagenesis, the phenylalanine 282 residue was substituted with a serine residue in the FAE1 polypeptide from B. napus cv. Westar, the mutated gene was expressed in yeast and GC analysis revealed the presence of very long chain monounsaturated fatty acids (VLCMFAs), indicating that the elongase activity was restored in the LEA FAE1 enzyme by the single amino acid substitution. Thus, for the first time, the low erucic acid trait in canola B. napus can be attributed to a single amino acid substitution which prevents the biosynthesis of the eicosenoic and erucic acids.