title: Molecular cloning and heterologous expression analysis ofJrVTE1gene from walnut (Juglans regia).
abstract: Tocopherol cyclase (VTE1) plays a key role in promoting the production of γ-tocopherol and improving total tocopherol content in photosynthetic organisms. Walnut is an important source of tocopherols in the human diet, and γ-tocopherol is the major tocopherol compound in walnut kernels. In this study, a full-length cDNA of theVTE1gene was isolated from walnut using RT-PCR and RACE, and designated asJrVTE1. The full-length cDNA of theJrVTE1gene contained a 1353-bp open-reading frame encoding a 451-amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 49.5 kDa. The deduced JrVTE1 protein had a considerable homology with other plant VTE1s and belonged to the tocopherol cyclase family. Functional characterization ofJrVTE1by heterologous expression was carried out inE. coliBL21 (DE3) and microshoot lines of the fruit trees jujube (Zizyphus jujubavar.spinosa) and pear (Pyrus communis) cultivar 'Old Home'.JrVTE1inE.coliexpressed as a 50 kDa protein, as expected. One or two copies of the transferredJrVTE1gene were detected in the genomes of representative transgenic lines (from the initial transgenic plants) of jujube and pear by gel blots analysis. Over-expression ofJrVTE1in jujube and pear resulted in an accumulation of tocopherol and a shift in tocopherol composition in leaf, root and stem tissues. In the transgenic jujube, the total tocopherol content increased by 29.8 μg/g in the stems of line J3, 43.7 and 22.5 μg/g in the roots and leaves of line J1, respectively, whereas in the transgenic pear it increased by 47.3 μg/g in the leaf of line P3, and 16.7 and 10.4 μg/g in roots and stems of line P9, respectively. In the examined tissues of transgenic plants, the highest accumulation rate was the γ-tocopherol. These results indicate thatJrVTE1is one of the rate-limiting enzymes for tocopherol production and could be used to improve the tocopherol content of tree crops through genetic engineering.
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong Province People's Republic of China ; Shandong Taishan Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Taian, 271018 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cancan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong Province People's Republic of China ; Shandong Taishan Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Taian, 271018 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chuanrong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA.
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.affiliation: Shandong Institute of Pomology, Taian, 271018 Shandong Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qingrong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong Province People's Republic of China ; Shandong Taishan Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Taian, 271018 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Keqiang
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1812-037X
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: Genetic transformation; JrVTE1; Juglans regia; Pyrus communis; Tocopherols; Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa