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Modification of erucic acid content in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) by up-regulation and down-regulation of the Brassica juncea FAT TY ACID ELONGATION1 (BjFAE1) gene

  • Physiology and Biochemistry
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Abstract

In Brassicas, the Fatty Acid Elongation1 (FAE1) gene product, a 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, is the first in a 4-enzyme complex involved in the synthesis of erucic acid from oleic acid. The FAE1 homologue from Brassica juncea cv. Pusa Bold was cloned in a binary vector both in sense and antisense orientations under the control of the CaMV35S promoter. The recombinant binary vectors were used to transform B. juncea cv. RLM 198 via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The presence of the transgene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization. Northern and western analyses showed the expression of the gene and protein, respectively, in the transgenic plants. Analyses of the fatty acid profile of the seed oil from homozygous T4 generation seeds revealed that over-expression of the FAE1 gene caused a 36% increase in the percent of erucic acid (37–49% compared to 36% in untransformed control). The down-regulation of FAE1 caused an 86% decrease in the percent of erucic acid to as low as 5% in the seed oil of transgenic plants. Thus, it is clearly possible to alter erucic acid content of mustard by altering the expression level of the FAE 1 gene.

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Abbreviations

FAE1 :

Fatty acid elongation 1

BAP:

Benzyl amino purine

IAA:

Indoleacetic acid

CaMV:

Cauliflower mosaic virus

nptII:

Neomycin phosphotransferase II gene

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

VLCFA:

Very long chain fatty acids

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Author notes

  1. S. Kanrar

    Present address: 2150 Bachelor Hall, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

  2. P. B. Kirti

    Present address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500 046, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    S. Kanrar, J. Venkateswari, P. B. Kirti & V. L. Chopra

  2. Division of Agricultural Chemicals, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    P. Dureja

Authors
  1. S. Kanrar
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  2. J. Venkateswari
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  3. P. Dureja
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  4. P. B. Kirti
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  5. V. L. Chopra
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Kanrar.

Additional information

Communicated by D. A. Somers

S. Kanrar and J. Venkateswari equally contributed to this work.

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Kanrar, S., Venkateswari, J., Dureja, P. et al. Modification of erucic acid content in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) by up-regulation and down-regulation of the Brassica juncea FAT TY ACID ELONGATION1 (BjFAE1) gene. Plant Cell Rep 25, 148–155 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-005-0068-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-005-0068-3

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