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Overexpression of jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase increases tuber yield and size in transgenic potato

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Abstract

Jasmonates control diverse plant developmental processes, such as seed germination, flower, fruit and seed development, senescence and tuberization in potato. To understand the role of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in potato tuberization, the Arabidopsis JMT gene encoding jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase was constitutively overexpressed in transgenic potato plants. Increases in tuber yield and size as well as in vitro tuberization frequency were observed in transgenic plants. These were correlated with JMT mRNA level––the higher expression level, the higher the tuber yield and size. The levels of jasmonic acid (JA), MeJA and tuberonic acid (TA) were also higher than those in control plants. Transgenic plants also exhibited higher expression of jasmonate-responsive genes such as those for allene oxide cyclase (AOC) and proteinase inhibitor II (PINII). These results indicate that JMT overexpression induces jasmonate biosynthesis genes and thus JA and TA pools in transgenic potatoes. This results in enhanced tuber yield and size in transgenic potato plants.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks are extended to Professor T. Yoshihara for providing standard tuberonic acid. This work was supported by grants from the Crop Functional Genomics Center (CG2160 to YDC and CG2142 to J-JC) of MOEST and the Korea Research Foundation (KRF-2006-005-J04701 to Y.D.C.). Graduate Research Assistantships to HBS, HYL, JSS and CJ from the Brain Korea 21 project of the MOEST are also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-921, Korea

    Hwang Bae Sohn, Han Yong Lee, Ju Seok Seo, Choonkyun Jung, Jeong-Han Kim, Yin Won Lee, Jong-Joo Cheong & Yang Do Choi

  2. Plant Cell Biotechnology Lab, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon, 305-806, Korea

    Jae Heung Jeon

  3. School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-921, Korea

    Jong Seob Lee

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  1. Hwang Bae Sohn
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  2. Han Yong Lee
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  3. Ju Seok Seo
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  4. Choonkyun Jung
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  5. Jae Heung Jeon
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  6. Jeong-Han Kim
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  7. Yin Won Lee
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  8. Jong Seob Lee
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  9. Jong-Joo Cheong
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  10. Yang Do Choi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yang Do Choi.

Additional information

H. B. Sohn and H. Y. Lee contributed equally to this work.

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Sohn, H.B., Lee, H.Y., Seo, J.S. et al. Overexpression of jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase increases tuber yield and size in transgenic potato. Plant Biotechnol Rep 5, 27–34 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-010-0153-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-010-0153-0

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