Expression of the FAE1 gene and FAE1 promoter activity in developing seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana

Rossak, M. and Smith, M. and Kunst, L. (2001) Expression of the FAE1 gene and FAE1 promoter activity in developing seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Molecular Biology, 46 (6). pp. 717-725.

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Abstract

Plant fatty acid elongase which catalyzesvery-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis is a membrane-bound multienzyme complex. It is composed of four enzymes, a 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (condensing enzyme), a 3-ketoacyl-CoA reductase, a 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrase, and an enoyl-CoA reductase required for completion of each step of 2-carbon elongation of fatty acids. To improve our understanding of the overall regulation of the fatty acid elongase, we investigated the spatial and temporal expression of its key component, the FAE1-condensing enzyme, and examined the activity of the promoter of the FAE1 gene in Arabidopsis. In situ hybridization results revealed that FAE1 transcripts were found exclusively in the embryo. RNA blot analysis and histochemical analysis of GUS activity in pFAE1::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis lines demonstrated that the FAE1 gene was already transcribed in the early torpedo stage embryos 4–5 days after flowering, with transcription reaching its peak 9–11 days after flowering. VLCFA deposition closely paralleled FAE1 transcript accumulation. FAE1 promoter was highly active and embryo-specific. Because its timing coincides with the period of major storage lipid accumulation, and because its in vivo activity in Arabidopsis is superior to the napin promoter, FAE1 promoter may be ideal for genetic engineering of seed oil composition.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	We thank Dr Sunita Chowrira and Tanya Hooker for critical reading of the manuscript.We are also grateful to Tanya Hooker for her help with the figures. This work was supported by a grant from the Natural Sci- ences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to L.K. and a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) postdoctoral fellowship to M.R.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Arabidopsis, FAE1 expression, fatty acid elongase, 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, seed oil deposition, seed-specific promoter
Author Affiliation:	University of British Columbia(Canada)
Subjects:	Crop Improvement > Seed Technology Plant Physiology and Biochemistry > Biochemistry
Divisions:	Other Crops
Depositing User:	Mr Siva Shankar
Date Deposited:	06 Jan 2012 10:18
Last Modified:	06 Jan 2012 10:19
Official URL:	http://www.springerlink.com/content/0167-4412/
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/2932

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