Functional Analysis of a β-Ketoacyl-CoA Synthase Gene, MpFAE2, by Gene Silencing in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.

Masataka KAJIKAWA; Shohei YAMAOKA; Katsuyuki T. YAMATO; Hiroyuki KANAMARU; Eiji SAKURADANI; Sakayu SHIMIZU; Hideya FUKUZAWA; Kanji OHYAMA

doi:10.1271/bbb.67.605

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Regular Papers

Functional Analysis of a β-Ketoacyl-CoA Synthase Gene, MpFAE2, by Gene Silencing in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.

Masataka KAJIKAWA, Shohei YAMAOKA, Katsuyuki T. YAMATO, Hiroyuki KANAMARU, Eiji SAKURADANI, Sakayu SHIMIZU, Hideya FUKUZAWA, Kanji OHYAMA

Author information

Masataka KAJIKAWA
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
Shohei YAMAOKA
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
Katsuyuki T. YAMATO
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
Hiroyuki KANAMARU
Laboratory of Fermentation Physiology and Applied Microbiology, Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Eiji SAKURADANI
Laboratory of Fermentation Physiology and Applied Microbiology, Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Sakayu SHIMIZU
Laboratory of Fermentation Physiology and Applied Microbiology, Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Hideya FUKUZAWA
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
Kanji OHYAMA
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University

Keywords: β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase gene, fatty acid chain elongation, dsRNA-mediated gene silencing, overexpression, Marchantia polymorpha

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2003 Volume 67 Issue 3 Pages 605-612

DOI https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.67.605

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Abstract

We have isolated a β-ketoacyl CoA synthase (KCS) gene, MpFAE2, from a liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha, and identified its substrate specificity using the technique of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing and overexpression. KCS catalyzes an essential reaction in the fatty acid elongation process, i.e., condensation of malonyl-CoA with acyl-CoA. By introducing a construct with a hairpin structure containing a partial MpFAE2 gene, the level of the MpFAE2 gene expression was suppressed constitutively. The transgenic plants showed a specific accumulation of fatty acid 18:0. In contrast, in transgenic M. polymorpha plants overexpressing the MpFAE2 gene, fatty acid 22:0 is accumulated. These results indicate that the MpFAE2 gene product catalyzes the elongation steps of 18:0 to 20:0 and possibly also of 20:0 to 22:0.

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