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Accumulation dynamics of seed tocopherols in sunflower lines with modified tocopherol levels

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Abstract

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds have a tocopherol profile dominated by alpha-tocopherol. The objective of this research was to study the dynamics of tocopherol accumulation in sunflower lines with altered total tocopherol content or tocopherol profile. Developing seeds were sampled at regular intervals in two lines with reduced and increased total tocopherol content, respectively, and six lines with modified tocopherol profiles. The line with reduced tocopherol content showed a tocopherol accumulation rate reduced by half, whereas the line with increased tocopherol content showed a tocopherol accumulation rate twofold higher than the control. In the three cases, alpha-tocopherol followed a sigmoid accumulation pattern. Modified tocopherol profiles were expressed at early stages of tocopherol accumulation. In most lines with modified profiles, tocopherol accumulation pattern differed from the alpha-tocopherol lines, with maximum tocopherol content at 18 or 21 days after flowering (DAF) that was reduced to reach a plateau from 33 or 36 DAF onward. Such a reduction was caused by continued dry matter accumulation after tocopherol accumulation ceased or slowed down. In lines with increased levels of beta-tocopherol or both gamma- and delta-tocopherol, the synthesis of beta- and delta-tocopherol started and stopped earlier than the synthesis of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, respectively.

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Abbreviations

DAF:

Days after flowering

DMPBQ:

2,3-Dimethyl-6-phytyl-1,4-benzoquinone

Gamma-TMT:

Gamma-tocopherol methyltransferase

HPPD:

p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase

HPT:

Homogentisic acid phytyl transferase

MPBQ:

2-Methyl-6-phytyl-1,4-benzoquinone

MPBQ/MSBQ-MT:

2-Methyl-6-phytyl-1,4-benzoquinone/2-methyl-6-solanyl-1,4-benzoquinone methyltransferase

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Acknowledgments

L. Del Moral was the recipient of a grant from the FPI Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU FEDER funds (Research Project AGL2007-62834) and Dow Agrosciences LLC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (CSIC), Alameda del Obispo s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain

    Lidia del Moral, José M. Fernández-Martínez, Begoña Pérez-Vich & Leonardo Velasco

Authors
  1. Lidia del Moral
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  2. José M. Fernández-Martínez
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  3. Begoña Pérez-Vich
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  4. Leonardo Velasco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leonardo Velasco.

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Communicated by M. Horbowicz.

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del Moral, L., Fernández-Martínez, J.M., Pérez-Vich, B. et al. Accumulation dynamics of seed tocopherols in sunflower lines with modified tocopherol levels. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 3157–3165 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1349-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1349-z

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