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Overexpression of SiDGAT1, a gene encoding acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase from Sesamum indicum L. increases oil content in transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean

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Abstract

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1; EC 2.3.1.20) is the key enzyme governing the terminal step of triacylglycerol synthesis in plant seeds. The aims here were to isolate and characterize a full-length cDNA encoding DGAT1 from the sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivar ‘Wanzhi1’ (oil content 55 ± 2 %; SiDGAT1); and to over-express that gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). The 1,629-bp open reading frame of the SiDGAT1 cDNA encoded a protein of 543 amino acids, which showed high similarity to other plant DGAT1s. The transcript of the SiDGAT1 gene was differentially abundant among organs in sesame. The highest transcript abundance was found in the developing seeds. The expression of the SiDGAT1 cDNA driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S-promoter was able to restore to near normal oil content and the fatty acid composition phenotypes of the Arabidopsis mutant AS11 (an AtDGAT1). Over-expression of SiDGAT1 in several lines of Arabidopsis thaliana ‘Col 0’ resulted in increases in oil content; and in seed weight. The ratio of eicosenoic acid (C20:1) was increased, whereas that of oleic acid (C18:1) was decreased in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The SiDGAT1 was also used to transform soybean. Compared to controls, the mean increase in oil content was 1.75 and 1.39 % respectively in T2 and T3 transgenic soybean lines. Further, SiDGAT1 transcript abundance was correlated with increased seed size and 100-seed weight, but did not alter the fatty acid composition of the seed oil.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted in the Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Soybean Research & Development Center, CARS and the key Laboratory of Northeastern Soybean Biology and Breeding/Genetics of Chinese Agriculture Ministry, financially supported by National High Technology Project (Contract No. 2006AA10Z1F1), National Core Soybean Genetic Engineering Project (Contract No. 2013ZX08004-003, 2011ZX08004-003, 2008ZX08004-002, 2009ZX08004-002B, 2009ZX08009-089B), Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (60932008, 30971810), Science Foundation of Northeast Agricultural university, and Provincial/National education Ministry for the teams of soybean molecular design.

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  1. Soybean Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education (Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture), Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China

    Zhikun Wang, Wenjia Huang, Jianmin Chang, Arun Sebastian, Yongguang Li, Haiyan Li, Xiaoxia Wu, Binbin Zhang, Fanli Meng & Wenbin Li

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  1. Zhikun Wang
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  3. Jianmin Chang
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Correspondence to Wenbin Li.

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Zhikun Wang, Wenjia Huang, Jianmin Chang and Arun Sebastian have contributed equally to the work.

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Wang, Z., Huang, W., Chang, J. et al. Overexpression of SiDGAT1, a gene encoding acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase from Sesamum indicum L. increases oil content in transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 119, 399–410 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0543-z

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