Enrichment of carotenoids in flaxseed by introducing a bacterial phytoene synthase gene

Methods Mol Biol. 2010:643:201-11. doi: 10.1007/978-1-60761-723-5_14.

Abstract

Carotenoids are well-known natural pigments, typically ranging from yellow to red. Carotenoids are industrially utilized as functional materials due to their strong antioxidant properties. Phytoene synthesis is known to be a rate-determining step in the entire carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in plants. We show methods of pathway engineering for the enrichment of carotenoids in flaxseed (linseed; Linum usitatissimum L.), which is an industrially important oleaginous crop. A phytoene synthase gene (crtB) derived from a soil bacterium Pantoea ananatis (formerly called Erwinia uredovora) strain 20D3 was introduced into L. usitatissimum WARD cultivar. The resulting transgenic flax plants formed orange seeds, which contained phytoene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lutein. The total carotenoid amount in the transgenic seeds was 156 microg/g fresh weight at the maximum, corresponding to 18.6-fold increase compared with that of untransformed controls.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / genetics
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / genetics*
  • Carotenoids / analysis
  • Carotenoids / biosynthesis*
  • Carotenoids / isolation & purification
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Flax / genetics*
  • Flax / metabolism*
  • Genetic Engineering / methods*
  • Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase
  • Hypocotyl / genetics
  • Pantoea / enzymology
  • Pantoea / genetics*
  • Pigmentation
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Seeds / genetics
  • Seeds / metabolism
  • Transformation, Genetic

Substances

  • Carotenoids
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase