Expression of yeast acyl-CoA-∆9 desaturase leads to accumulation of unusual monounsaturated fatty acids in soybean seeds

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 951 - 959
• Main Authors: Xue, Jin-Ai, Mao, Xue, Yang, Zhi-Rong, Wu, Yong-Mei, Jia, Xiao-Yun, Zhang, Li, Yue, Ai-Qin, Wang, Ji-Ping, Li, Run-Zhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.06.2013; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural biotechnology; Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Bioengineering; Biomedical and Life Sciences; biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Enzymes; fatty acid composition; Fatty Acid Desaturases - genetics; Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - metabolism; Glycine max; Glycine max - genetics; Glycine max - metabolism; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Original Research Paper; palmitic acid; palmitoleic acid; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plastids - genetics; Plastids - metabolism; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; seeds; Seeds - genetics; Seeds - metabolism; Soybeans; Yeast; yeasts; Seed oil; L.; vaccenic acid; Fatty acid desaturase; Palmitoleic acid; Acyl-CoA-∆9 desaturase; Soybean
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-013-1149-y

An acyl-CoA-Δ9 desaturase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was expressed by subcellular-targeting in soybean (Glycine max) seeds with the goal of increasing palmitoleic acid (16:1Δ9), a high-valued fatty acid (FA), and simultaneously decreasing saturated FA in oil. The expression resulted in the conversion of palmitic acid (16:0) to 16:1Δ9 in soybean seeds. 16:1Δ9 and its elongation product cis-vaccenic acid (18:1Δ11) were increased to 17 % of the total fatty acids by plastid-targeted expression of the enzyme. Other lipid changes include the decrease of polyunsaturated FA and saturated FA, suggesting that a mechanism exists downstream in oil biosynthesis to compensate the FA alternation. This is the first time a cytosolic acyl-CoA-∆9 desaturase is functionally expressed in plastid and stronger activity was achieved than its cytosolic expression. The present study provides a new strategy for converting 16:0 to 16:1Δ9 by engineering acyl-CoA-Δ9 desaturase in commercialized oilseeds.