Letter abstract
Nature Genetics 40, 367 - 372 (2008)
Published online: 17 February 2008 | doi:10.1038/ng.85
A phenylalanine in DGAT is a key determinant of oil content and composition in maize
Peizhong Zheng1, William B Allen1, Keith Roesler1, Mark E Williams2, Shirong Zhang1, Jiming Li1, Kimberly Glassman1, Jerry Ranch1, Douglas Nubel1, William Solawetz1, Dinakar Bhattramakki1, Victor Llaca2, Stéphane Deschamps2, Gan-Yuan Zhong1,3, Mitchell C Tarczynski1 & Bo Shen1
Plant oil is an important renewable resource for biodiesel production and for dietary consumption by humans and livestock. Through genetic mapping of the oil trait in plants, studies have reported multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with small effects, but the molecular basis of oil QTLs remains largely unknown1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Here we show that a high-oil QTL (qHO6) affecting maize seed oil and oleic-acid contents encodes an acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1-2), which catalyzes the final step of oil synthesis. We further show that a phenylalanine insertion in DGAT1-2 at position 469 (F469) is responsible for the increased oil and oleic-acid contents. The DGAT1-2 allele with F469 is ancestral, whereas the allele without F469 is a more recent mutant selected by domestication or breeding. Ectopic expression of the high-oil DGAT1-2 allele increases oil and oleic-acid contents by up to 41% and 107%, respectively. This work provides insights into the molecular basis of natural variation of oil and oleic-acid contents in plants and highlights DGAT as a promising target for increasing oil and oleic-acid contents in other crops.
- Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., A DuPont Company, 7300 NW 62nd Avenue, PO Box 1004, Johnston, Iowa 50131, USA.
- DuPont Crop Genetics Research, Experimental Station, PO Box 80353, Wilmington, Delaware 19880, USA.
- Present address: United States Department of Agriculture-the Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Grape Genetics Research Unit, Geneva, New York 14456, USA.
Correspondence to: Bo Shen1 e-mail: Bo.Shen@pioneer.com
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