Abstract
In order to increase tocopherol content, genes encoding Arabidopsis homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT) and γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) were constitutively over-expressed in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. logifolia), alone or in combination. Over-expression of hpt could increase total tocopherol content, while over-expression of γ-tmt could shift tocopherol composition in favor of α-tocopherol. Transgenic lettuce lines expressing both hpt and γ-tmt produced significantly higher amount of tocopherol and elevated α-/γ-tocopherol ratio compared with non-transgenic control and transgenic lines harboring a single gene (hpt or γ-tmt). The best line produced eight times more tocopherol than the non-transgenic control and more than twice than hpt single-gene transgenic line.
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Abbreviations
- HGA:
-
homogentisic acid
- HPPD:
-
4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid dioxygenase
- HPT:
-
homogentisate phytyltransferase
- MPBQ MT:
-
2-methyl-6-phytylplastoquinol methyltransferase
- PDP:
-
phytyldiphosphate
- TC:
-
tocopherol cyclase
- γ-TMT:
-
γ-tocopherol methyltransferase
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This research is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2007CB108805).
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Li, Y., Wang, G., Hou, R. et al. Engineering tocopherol biosynthetic pathway in lettuce. Biol Plant 55, 453–460 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0110-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0110-y