Expression of Castor LPAT2 Enhances Ricinoleic Acid Content at the sn-2 Position of Triacylglycerols in Lesquerella Seed
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Lesquerella is a potential industrial oilseed crop that makes hydroxy fatty acid (HFA). Unlike castor its seeds are not poisonous but accumulate lesquerolic acid mostly at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of triacylglycerol (TAG), whereas castor contains ricinoleic acid (18:1OH) at all three positions. To investigate whether lesquerella can be engineered to accumulate HFAs in the sn-2 position, multiple transgenic lines were made that express castor lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 2 (RcLPAT2) in the seed. RcLPAT2 increased 18:1OH at the sn-2 position of TAGs from 2% to 14%-17%, which resulted in an increase of tri-HFA-TAGs from 5% to 13%-14%. Our result is the first example of using a LPAT to increase ricinoleic acid at the sn-2 position of seed TAG. This work provides insights to the mechanism of HFA-containing TAG assembly in lesquerella and directs future research to optimize this plant for HFA production.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms17040507
Authors: Grace Chen, Harrie Van Erp, Jose Martin-Moreno, Kumiko Johnson, Eva Morales, John Browse, Peter Eastmond, Jiann-Tsyh Lin
Language: English
Subfield: Biochemistry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,499
OpenAlex ID: W2317700565