Source: WESTERN REGIONAL RES CENTER submitted to NRP
CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL TRIACYLGLYCEROL REMODELING PATHWAY FOR ACCUMULATION OF INDUSTRIALLY VALUABLE FATTY ACIDS IN PHYSARIA FENDLERI
Sponsoring Institution
Agricultural Research Service/USDA
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
USDA INHOUSE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0439186
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2020
Project End Date
May 31, 2025
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
WESTERN REGIONAL RES CENTER
(N/A)
ALBANY,CA 94710
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
(N/A)
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
40%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2031850100050%
2061899100025%
2032240100010%
2062249100015%
Knowledge Area
206 - Basic Plant Biology; 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
2240 - Guayule; 2249 - Rubber, gum, and resin plants, general/other; 1850 - Lesquerella; 1899 - Oilseed and oil crops, general/other;

Field Of Science
1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics;
Goals / Objectives
Long-term goals are to elucidate the genetic components that control the accumulation of novel seed oil fatty acid compositions that can be used for enhanced breeding or engineering of oilseed crops as feedstocks for the oleochemical industry. Specific goals are to: (1) characterize the genes responsible for the novel pathway of triacylglycerols (TAG) remodeling in lesquerella; and (2) evaluate the use of TAG remodeling as a tool for engineering the accumulation of novel fatty acid compositions in an oilseed crop. Specific Objectives are: (1) Biochemical characterization of TAG remodeling candidate genes. (2) Identify in planta roles of TAG remodeling candidate genes. (3) Bioengineer TAG remodeling into an oilseed crop.
Project Methods
Approach for Objective 1: Recent lesquerella developing seed transcriptomics has provided a list of candidate genes for TAG remodeling. We will further investigate and narrow down the candidate genes by determining protein-protein interacting pairs of lipase(s) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) enzymes, and by characterizing the fatty acid selectivity of the enzymes. Approach for Objective 2: RNAi knockdowns of candidate genes in lesquerella will be used to ascertain their role in hydroxy fatty acid accumulation, and TAG remodeling. Approach for Objective 23: Heterologous expression of select lesquerella genes in Camelina will identify the components required to reconstitute TAG remodeling for the production of novel seed oil fatty acid compositions.