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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400962
Research Project: Improvement of Biotic Stress Resistance in Durum and Hard Red Spring Wheat Using Genetics and Genomics

Location: Cereal Crops Research

Title: Genetic engineering of lipid biosynthesis contributes to the modification of primary metabolism in oat (Avena sativa)

Author
item ZHOU, ZHOU - McGill University - Canada
item KAUR, RAJVINDER - McGill University - Canada
item DONOSO, THOMAS - McGill University - Canada
item Ohm, Jae-Bom
item KUSHWAHA, ASHUTOSH - McGill University - Canada
item Gupta, Rajeev
item LEFSRUD, MARK - McGill University - Canada
item SINGH, JASWINDER - McGill University - Canada

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/27/2022
Publication Date: 1/15/2023
Citation: Zhou, Z., Kaur, R., Donoso, T., Ohm, J., Kushwaha, A., Gupta, R., Lefsrud, M., Singh, J. 2023. Genetic engineering of lipid biosynthesis contributes to the modification of primary metabolism in oat (Avena sativa). [Abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome Conference. Session Name Genomics of Plant Development.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Oil composition remains an important crop breeding trait to date. Improving oil composition in oat leads to energy densification and enrichment of unsaturated fatty acids, which increases nutritional value of oat. However, little is known about the effects of altering oil composition on the primary biosynthetic pathways at both metabolic and transcriptomic levels. Using the biolistic method for improvement in oat, here we have standardised a new genetic transformation strategy via genetic engineering of lipid biosynthesis in small grain cereals. In this study, two constructs containing three genes involved in lipid biosynthesis pathway (AtWRI1, AtDGAT, and SiOLEOSIN) were transformed into oat cultivar ‘Park’ to enhance the oil composition in oat grain and leaves. A total of 315 calli underwent microprojectile bombardment and yielded a transformation frequency of 6.3%. Four transgenic oat homozygous lines have been isolated through PCR tests, from which three lines demonstrated highl expression of three transgenes in either seeds or leaves. Compared to the wild-type oat, the total seed oil content in transgenic lines has been increased up to 34.0% while the protein content decreased from 22.6% to 17.6%. Our preliminary data indicates that higher oil content in transgenic lines associated with the changes in fatty acid composition. The results presented here suggest that genetic engineering is a feasible strategy in improving the oil composition of oats and could affect the primary metabolism by modification of lipid biosynthesis.