title: BraLTP1, a lipid transfer protein gene involved in epicuticular wax deposition, cell proliferation and flower development in Brassica napus.
abstract: Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) constitute large multigene families that possess complex physiological functions, many of which remain unclear. This study isolated and characterized the function of a lipid transfer protein gene, BraLTP1 from Brassica rapa, in the important oilseed crops Brassica napus. BraLTP1 encodes a predicted secretory protein, in the little known VI Class of nsLTP families. Overexpression of BnaLTP1 in B. napus caused abnormal green coloration and reduced wax deposition on leaves and detailed wax analysis revealed 17-80% reduction in various major wax components, which resulted in significant water-loss relative to wild type. BnaLTP1 overexpressing leaves exhibited morphological disfiguration and abaxially curled leaf edges, and leaf cross-sections revealed cell overproliferation that was correlated to increased cytokinin levels (tZ, tZR, iP, and iPR) in leaves and high expression of the cytokinin biosynthsis gene IPT3. BnaLTP1-overexpressing plants also displayed morphological disfiguration of flowers, with early-onset and elongated carpel development and outwardly curled stamen. This was consistent with altered expression of a a number of ABC model genes related to flower development. Together, these results suggest that BraLTP1 is a new nsLTP gene involved in wax production or deposition, with additional direct or indirect effects on cell division and flower development.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Agronomy College, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Donghui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yinglong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yunjing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oil Crop Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029688:Brassica napus / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014885:Waxes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D014885:Waxes; C030363:lipid transfer protein