06/08/2015
Toward Oilcane: Engineering Hyperaccumulation of TAGs in Sugarcane Stems
Elevating the lipid content in vegetative tissues has emerged as a new strategy for increasing energy density and biofuel yield of crops.
The Science
Divert carbon flux from sucrose into oil in plants to boost biodiesel production. Accumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) in leaf tissues has been successful in model plants and high-biomass crops, but leaf tissues represent only a minor fraction of the biomass of tall C4 grasses. Therefore, accumulation of TAG in stem tissues is highly desirable.
The Impact
TAG accumulation in stem tissue of sugarcane was demonstrated, achieving an average of 4.3% of dry weight in a replicated greenhouse experiment. The TAG content in leaf tissue was also elevated by more than 400-fold compared to nonengineered sugarcane to reach an average of 8.0% of the dry weight, and the amount of total fatty acids (FA) reached 13% of dry weight.
Summary
Transgenic sugarcane co-expressing WRI1, DGAT1-2, and OLE1 and/or suppressing SDP1 and/or TGD1 was generated. Eight transgenic, lipid-accumulating sugarcane lines were compared with nontransgenic sugarcane under controlled greenhouse conditions in a randomized block design with eight replicates.
References
Parajuli, S., B. Kannon, R. Karan, G. Sanahuja, H. Liu, E. Garcia-Ruiz, D. Kumar, V. Singh, H. Zhao, S. Long, J. Shanklin, and F. Altpeter. 2020. “Towards Oilcane: Engineering Hyperaccumulation of Triacylglycerol into Sugarcane Stems,” GCB Bioenergy 12(7), 476–90. DOI:10.1111/gcbb.12684.
Zale, J., J. H. Jung, J. Y. Kim, B. Pathak, R. Karan, H. Liu, X. Chen, H. Wu, J. Candreva, Z. Zhai, J. Shanklin and F. Altpeter. 2016. “Metabolic Engineering of Sugarcane to Accumulate Energy-Dense Triacylglycerols in Vegetative Biomass,” Plant Biotechnology Journal 14(2), 661–669. DOI:10.1111/pbi.12411.