Regulation of seed storage oil production

Carbohydrates synthesized during photosynthesis in leaves of higher plants are transported to the sink organs such as seeds where this carbon is stored in the form of starch, protein or oil. The allocation of carbon to these different forms of storage reserves is species specific and determines to a large extent the value and uses of crops. Therefore, understanding factors that control carbon partitioning in the seed is a major goal leading to many future biotechnological applications.

seedWe are using a model oilseed Arabidopsis thaliana to gain insights into the control of seed oil accumulation. As the pathways of oil biosynthesis in seeds are becoming better understood it is clear that total seed oil content can be altered by the manipulation of transcription factors that control plant oil biosynthesis, or manipulation of specific enzymes involved in this process. Oil biosynthetic enzymes can be broadly divided into two categories: those controlling fatty acid biosynthesis (source), and those involved in storage triacylglycerol (TAG) assembly (sink). We are employing forward and reverse genetic and genomic approaches in Arabidopsis to identify key regulators and enzymes determining the seed oil content and their relative contributions to the overall levels of oil accumulation. (attached)

carbon flux in embryo.small