title: Molecular characterization of the fatty alcohol oxidation pathway for wax-ester mobilization in germinated jojoba seeds.
abstract: Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is the only plant species known to use liquid wax esters (WEs) as a primary seed storage reserve. Upon germination, WE hydrolysis releases very-long-chain fatty alcohols, which must be oxidized to fatty acids by the sequential action of a fatty alcohol oxidase (FAO) and a fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FADH) before they can be β-oxidized. Here, we describe the cloning and characterization of genes for each of these two activities. Jojoba FAO and FADH are 52% and 68% identical to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) FAO3 and ALDH3H1, respectively. The genes are expressed most strongly in the cotyledons of jojoba seedlings following germination, but transcripts can also be detected in vegetative tissues. Proteomic analysis indicated that the FAO and FADH proteins can be detected on wax bodies, but they localized to the endoplasmic reticulum when they were expressed as amino-terminal green fluorescent protein fusions in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves. Recombinant jojoba FAO and FADH proteins are active on very-long-chain fatty alcohol and fatty aldehyde substrates, respectively, and have biochemical properties consistent with those previously reported in jojoba cotyledons. Coexpression of jojoba FAO and FADH in Arabidopsis enhanced the in vivo rate of fatty alcohol oxidation more than 4-fold. Taken together, our data suggest that jojoba FAO and FADH constitute the very-long-chain fatty alcohol oxidation pathway that is likely to be necessary for efficient WE mobilization following seed germination.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, Warwickshire CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alex S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rajangam
authors.forename: Satinder K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gidda
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Craddock
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Eastmond
mesh_terms: D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018548:Cotyledon / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004952:Esters / Q000378:metabolism; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D014885:Waxes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014885:Waxes; C034743:jojoba wax; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C019643:alcohol oxidase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; C038828:long-chain-aldehyde dehydrogenase