Transcriptional Regulation of Oil Biosynthesis genes in Arabidopsis Seed tissue Induced by Avocado WRINKLED2
Location
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2024 11:30 AM
Poster Number
147
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Aruna Kilaru
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Biological Sciences
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Presentation Category
Science, Technology and Engineering
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Triacylglycerol (TAG), a primary storage lipid found in plants' seed and non-seed tissues, is the primary component of vegetable oils. The transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1) directly or indirectly controls its synthesis. AtWRI2 is not functional. In avocado (Persea americana) mesocarp, which constitutes 60-70% oil by dry weight, three paralogs of the WRI1 are highly expressed. We previously demonstrated that PaWRI1 and PaWRI2 can interact with AW-box present in the promoters of target genes and transactivate them. Recognizing the importance of enhancing seed oil content to meet the global demand for vegetable oil, we hypothesize that PaWRI1 and PaWRI2 can induce oil accumulation in seed tissue through trans-activating the genes associated with fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis. We propose performing functional complementation of Arabidopsis mutant seeds, wri1-1 (CS69538) and wri2 (SALK_111105C) with PaWRI1 and PaWRI2. The strategy involves introducing the cDNA sequence of PaWRI2 and PaWRI1, cloned under a seed-specific promoter (Napin), into Arabidopsis using a floral dip method. Transformed T0 seeds will be selected, grown in selective kanamycin media, and further cultivated for T1, and T2 generations to harvest homozygous transformants. Further, Seeds will be collected at maturation stages from T3 plants to analyze total lipid, FA, and TAG using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). A comparison will be made between the T3 plants and the control group. Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) will be done using mRNA extracted from the seeds to measure the relative expression of oil biosynthesis-related genes. The outcome of this study will provide insights into the possible functional role of PaWRI2 in seed tissue, which is otherwise considered non-functional in other oilseed crops, and how it can be harnessed to increase oil production in other oil-rich plants.
Transcriptional Regulation of Oil Biosynthesis genes in Arabidopsis Seed tissue Induced by Avocado WRINKLED2
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Triacylglycerol (TAG), a primary storage lipid found in plants' seed and non-seed tissues, is the primary component of vegetable oils. The transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1) directly or indirectly controls its synthesis. AtWRI2 is not functional. In avocado (Persea americana) mesocarp, which constitutes 60-70% oil by dry weight, three paralogs of the WRI1 are highly expressed. We previously demonstrated that PaWRI1 and PaWRI2 can interact with AW-box present in the promoters of target genes and transactivate them. Recognizing the importance of enhancing seed oil content to meet the global demand for vegetable oil, we hypothesize that PaWRI1 and PaWRI2 can induce oil accumulation in seed tissue through trans-activating the genes associated with fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis. We propose performing functional complementation of Arabidopsis mutant seeds, wri1-1 (CS69538) and wri2 (SALK_111105C) with PaWRI1 and PaWRI2. The strategy involves introducing the cDNA sequence of PaWRI2 and PaWRI1, cloned under a seed-specific promoter (Napin), into Arabidopsis using a floral dip method. Transformed T0 seeds will be selected, grown in selective kanamycin media, and further cultivated for T1, and T2 generations to harvest homozygous transformants. Further, Seeds will be collected at maturation stages from T3 plants to analyze total lipid, FA, and TAG using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). A comparison will be made between the T3 plants and the control group. Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) will be done using mRNA extracted from the seeds to measure the relative expression of oil biosynthesis-related genes. The outcome of this study will provide insights into the possible functional role of PaWRI2 in seed tissue, which is otherwise considered non-functional in other oilseed crops, and how it can be harnessed to increase oil production in other oil-rich plants.