Effect of the citrus lycopene β-cyclase transgene on carotenoid metabolism in transgenic tomato fruits

PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32221. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032221. Epub 2012 Feb 24.

Abstract

Lycopene β-cyclase (LYCB) is the key enzyme for the synthesis of β-carotene, a valuable component of the human diet. In this study, tomato constitutively express Lycb-1 was engineered. The β-carotene level of transformant increased 4.1 fold, and the total carotenoid content increased by 30% in the fruits. In the transgenic line, the downstream α-branch metabolic fluxes were repressed during the three developmental stages while α-carotene content increased in the ripe stage. Microarray analysis in the ripe stage revealed that the constitutive expression of Lycb-1 affected a number of pathways including the synthesis of fatty acids, flavonoids and phenylpropanoids, the degradation of limonene and pinene, starch and sucrose metabolism and photosynthesis. This study provided insight into the regulatory effect of Lycb-1 gene on plant carotenoid metabolism and fruit transcriptome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bicyclic Monoterpenes
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / chemistry
  • Carbohydrates / chemistry
  • Carotenoids / chemistry
  • Cyclohexenes / chemistry
  • Genetic Engineering / methods
  • Intramolecular Lyases / genetics*
  • Intramolecular Lyases / metabolism*
  • Limonene
  • Models, Genetic
  • Monoterpenes / chemistry
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Photosynthesis
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Solanum lycopersicum / genetics*
  • Sucrose / chemistry
  • Terpenes / chemistry
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • Bicyclic Monoterpenes
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds
  • Carbohydrates
  • Cyclohexenes
  • Monoterpenes
  • Terpenes
  • Carotenoids
  • beta-pinene
  • Sucrose
  • Limonene
  • Intramolecular Lyases
  • lycopene cyclase-isomerase