Applications and prospects of genome editing in plant fatty acid and triacylglycerol biosynthesis

Mid-Eum Park; Hyun Uk Kim

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.969844

Applications and prospects of genome editing in plant fatty acid and triacylglycerol biosynthesis

Front Plant Sci. 2022 Aug 31:13:969844. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.969844. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Mid-Eum Park¹, Hyun Uk Kim^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea.
² Department of Bioindustry and Bioresource Engineering, Plant Engineering Research Institute, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea.

Abstract

Triacylglycerol (TAG), which is a neutral lipid, has a structure in which three molecules of fatty acid (FA) are ester-bonded to one molecule of glycerol. TAG is important energy source for seed germination and seedling development in plants. Depending on the FA composition of the TAG, it is used as an edible oil or industrial material for cosmetics, soap, and lubricant. As the demand for plant oil is rising worldwide, either the type of FA must be changed or the total oil content of various plants must be increased. In this review, we discuss the regulation of FA metabolism by Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9, a recent genome-editing technology applicable to various plants. The development of plants with higher levels of oleic acid or lower levels of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in seeds are discussed. In addition, the current status of research on acyltransferases, phospholipases, TAG lipases, and TAG synthesis in vegetative tissues is described. Finally, strategies for the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in lipid metabolism studies are mentioned.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; FAD2; FAE1; FATB; KASI; TAG; acyltransferase; lipase.

Publication types

Review