title: Ectopic Expression of WRINKLED1 Affects Fatty Acid Homeostasis in Brachypodium distachyon Vegetative Tissues.
abstract: Triacylglycerol (TAG) is a storage lipid used for food purposes and as a renewable feedstock for biodiesel production. WRINKLED1 (WRI1) is a transcription factor that governs fatty acid (FA) synthesis and, indirectly, TAG accumulation in oil-storing plant tissues, and its ectopic expression has led to TAG accumulation in vegetative tissues of different dicotyledonous plants. The ectopic expression of BdWRI1 in the grass Brachypodium distachyon induced the transcription of predicted genes involved in glycolysis and FA biosynthesis, and TAG content was increased up to 32.5-fold in 8-week-old leaf blades. However, the ectopic expression of BdWRI1 also caused cell death in leaves, which has not been observed previously in dicotyledonous plants such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Lipid analysis indicated that the free FA content was 2-fold elevated in BdWRI1-expressing leaf blades of B. distachyon. The transcription of predicted genes involved in β-oxidation was induced. In addition, linoleic FA treatment caused cell death in B. distachyon leaf blades, an effect that was reversed by the addition of the FA biosynthesis inhibitor cerulenin. Taken together, ectopic expression of BdWRI1 in B. distachyon enhances FA biosynthesis and TAG accumulation in leaves, as expected, but also leads to increased free FA content, which has cytotoxic effects leading to cell death. Thus, while WRI appears to ubiquitously affect FA biosynthesis and TAG accumulation in diverse plants, its ectopic expression can lead to undesired side effects depending on the context of the specific lipid metabolism of the respective plant species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Munz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cass
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zienkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Que
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sedbrook
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., C.B.), Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Y.Y., J.M., C.C., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., S., J.S., C.B.), and Department of Plant Biology (W.M.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790 (J.M., C.C., J.S.); andMichigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (Y.Y., A.Z., Q.K., W.M., C.B.) benning@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8585-3667
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benning
mesh_terms: D058431:Brachypodium / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000066630:Ectopic Gene Expression; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006706:Homeostasis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D010938:Plant Oils; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014280:Triglycerides