Functional analysis of a beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase gene, MpFAE2, by gene silencing in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.
We have isolated a beta-ketoacyl CoA synthase (KCS) gene, MpFAE2, from a liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha, and identified its substrate specificity using the technique of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing and overexpression. KCS catalyzes an essential reaction in the fatty acid elongation process, i.e., condensation of malonyl-CoA with acyl-CoA. By introducing a construct with a hairpin structure containing a partial MpFAE2 gene, the level of the MpFAE2 gene expression was suppressed constitutively. The transgenic plants showed a specific accumulation of fatty acid 18:0. In contrast, in transgenic M. polymorpha plants overexpressing the MpFAE2 gene, fatty acid 22:0 is accumulated. These results indicate that the MpFAE2 gene product catalyzes the elongation steps of 18:0 to 20:0 and possibly also of 20:0 to 22:0.
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Masataka
M
Kajikawa
Shohei
S
Yamaoka
Katsuyuki T
KT
Yamato
Hiroyuki
H
Kanamaru
Eiji
E
Sakuradani
Sakayu
S
Shimizu
Hideya
H
Fukuzawa
Kanji
K
Ohyama
D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D020868:Gene Silencing; D035926:Hepatophyta / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008316:Malonyl Coenzyme A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D034622:RNA Interference; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D005227:Fatty Acids; D008316:Malonyl Coenzyme A; D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A; D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase