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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393386
Title: Genome-wide characterization of DGATs and their expression diversity analysis in response to abiotic stresses in Brassica napus

Author
item YIN, XIANGZHEN - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item GUO, XUPENG - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item HU, LIZONG - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item LI, S - University Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item CHEN, Y - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item WANG, J - Yunnan Academy Of Agriculture Sciences
item Wang, Richard
item FAN, CHENGMING - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item HU, ZANMIN - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2022
Publication Date: 4/25/2022
Citation: Yin, X., Guo, X., Hu, L., Li, S., Chen, Y., Wang, J., Wang, R., Fan, C., Hu, Z. 2022. Genome-wide characterization of DGATs and their expression diversity analysis in response to abiotic stresses in Brassica napus. Plants. 11(9). Article 1156. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091156.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091156

Interpretive Summary: Biosynthesis of cellular components in all living organisms is driven by a series of enzymes involved in a particular pathway. All enzymes are products of expressed genes composed of promotor, exons, and introns. Variations in DNA sequences in genes for the same family of enzymes result in differential temporal-spatial expression and response to various environmental conditions. In our study, we selected the enzyme diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs) of Brassica napus, an allotetraploid species with AACC genome constitution, to investigate conserved and variable DNA sequences, exon/intron gene structures, chromosomal location, genome collinearity, and phylogenetic origins. The three groups of DGAT enzymes were derived from three different ancestor species, thus, sharing little similarity in gene structure and expressed differently during plant development and in response to different abiotic stresses. Analysis of fatty acid contents in roots, stems and leaves under abiotic stresses revealed that P starvation can promote the accumulation of fatty acids.

Technical Abstract: Triacylglycerol (TAG) is the most important storage lipid for oil plant seeds. Diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs) are a key group of rate-limiting enzymes in the pathway of TAG biosynthesis. In plants, there are three types of DGATs, namely, DGAT1, DGAT2 and DGAT3. Brassica napus, an allotetraploid plant, is one of the most important oil plants in the world. Previous studies of Brassica napus DGATs (BnaDGATs) have mainly focused on BnaDGAT1s. In this study, four DGAT1s, four DGAT2s and two DGAT3s were identified and cloned from B. napus ZS11. The analyses of sequence identity, chromosomal location and collinearity, phylogenetic tree, exon/intron gene structures, conserved domains and motifs, and transmembrane domain (TMD) revealed that BnaDGAT1, BnaDGAT2 and BnaDGAT3 were derived from three different ancestors and shared little similarity in gene and protein structures. Overexpressing BnaDGATs showed only four BnaDGAT1s can restore TAG synthesis in yeast H1246 and promote the accumulation of fatty acids in yeast H1246 and INVSc1, suggesting that the three BnaDGAT subfamilies had greater differentiation in function. Transcriptional analysis showed that the expression levels of BnaDGAT1s, BnaDGAT2s and BnaDGAT3s were different during plant development and under different stresses. The analysis of the putative promoters of BnaDGATs showed that there are many potential cis-elements involved in response to light, methyl jasmonate, gibberellin, drought, salicylic acid, defense and stresses. In addition, analysis of fatty acid contents in roots, stems and leaves under abiotic stresses revealed that P starvation can promote the accumulation of fatty acids. This study provides an extensive evaluation of BnaDGATs and a useful foundation for dissecting the functions of BnaDGATs in developmental, biochemical and physiological processes.