METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF SOYBEAN SEED OIL ALSO RESULTS IN METABOLICALLY ENGINEERED MEMBRANES

Authors: CAHOON, EDGAR; DIETRICH, CHARLES; SCHMIDT, MONICA; HERMAN, ELIOT

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2004
Publication Date: 8/10/2004
Citation: Cahoon, E.B., Dietrich, C.R., Schmidt, M.A., Herman, E.M. 2004. Metabolic engineering of soybean seed oil also results in metabolically engineered membranes. In: Proceedings of the Soy 2004 Conference held August 8-11 at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. p. 31. Adding acceptance and publication dates plus citation.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fatty acids are components of both membranes and storage oils of soybean seeds. Attempts to produce high levels of saturated fatty acids and novel fatty acids in soybean seeds have typically met with limited success through conventional as well as transgenic approaches. As will be described in this talk, these fatty acids often accumulate in both membrane phospholipids and the storage triacylglycerols. The presence of these fatty acids in membranes can result in no adverse agronomic effects, as is the case with gamma-linolenic acid, or result in deleterious effects on seed development and germination, as is the case with conjugated fatty acids. Electron micrographs from soybean seeds producing a conjugated fatty acid will be presented to show the effect of the accumulation of this fatty acid class on membrane ultrastructure. In addition, seeds from a number of species that produce large amounts of novel fatty acids have evolved mechanisms for sequestering these fatty acids in triacylglycerol, while limiting their accumulation in membranes. An understanding of the biochemical and genetic bases for this phenomenon will be discussed as a possible strategy for producing high levels of saturated and novel fatty acids in soybean seeds without comprising the viability of the seed.