title: Identification of target genes and processes involved in erucic acid accumulation during seed development in the biodiesel feedstock Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.).
abstract: We studied erucic acid accumulation in the biodiesel feedstock Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) as a first step towards the development of a sustainable strategy for biofuel production in the EU territory. To that end, two inbred Pennycress lines of European origin, "NASC" and "French," were cultivated in a controlled chamber and in experimental field plots, and their growth, seed production and seed oil characteristics analyzed. Differences in some agronomical traits like vernalization (winter-French versus spring-NASC), flowering time (delayed in the French line) and seed production (higher in the French line) were detected. Both lines showed a high amount (35-39%) of erucic acid (22:1Δ13) in their seed oil. Biochemical characterization of the Pennycress seed oil indicated that TAG was the major reservoir of 22:1Δ13. Incorporation of 22:1Δ13to TAG occurred very early during seed maturation, concomitant with a decrease of desaturase activity. This change in the acyl fluxes towards elongation was controlled by different genes at different levels. TaFAE1 gene, encoding the fatty acid elongase, seemed to be controlled at the transcriptional level with high expression at the early stages of seed development. On the contrary, the TaFAD2 gene that encodes the Δ12 fatty acid desaturase or TaDGAT1 that catalyzes TAG biosynthesis were controlled post-transcriptionally. TaWRI1, the master regulator of seed-oil biosynthesis, showed also high expression at the early stages of seed development. Our data identified genes and processes that might improve the biotechnological manipulation of Pennycress seeds for high-quality biodiesel production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Nutrition, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-CSIC, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Claver
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Agroambiental, Gobierno de Aragón, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50071, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Water, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-CSIC, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: M Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Nutrition, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-CSIC, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Picorel
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Nutrition, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-CSIC, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: alfonso@eead.csic.es.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfonso
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D056804:Biofuels; D004883:Erucic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D031227:Thlaspi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D004883:Erucic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; C049811:erucic acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases
keywords: Biofuel; Erucic acid; FAE1 (fatty acid elongase 1); Seed oil; TAG (triacylglycerol); Thlaspi arvense