Molecules and Cells

Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (한국분자세포생물학회)
권호 표지

Expression of γ-Tocopherol Methyltransferase Transgene Improves Tocopherol Composition in Lettuce (Latuca sativa L.)

  • Cho, Eun Ae (Division of Biological Resources Sciences, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Lee, Chong Ae (Division of Agricultural Biotechnology, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Kim, Young Soo (Division of Agricultural Biotechnology, Chonbuk National University, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Baek, So Hyeon (National Honam Agricultural Experiment Station) ;
  • de los Reyes, Benildo G. (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maine) ;
  • Yun, Song Joong (Division of Biological Resources Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University)
  • Received : 2004.05.30
  • Accepted : 2004.09.16
  • Published : 2005.02.28
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Abstract

A cDNA encoding ${\gamma}-tocopherol$ methyltransferase (${\gamma}-TMT$) from Arabidopsis thaliana was overexpressed in lettuce (Latuca sativa L.) to improve the tocopherol composition. Seven lines of lettuce ($T_0$) containing the ${\gamma}-TMT$ transgene were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The inheritance and expression of the transgene were confirmed by DNA and RNA gel blot analyses as well as quantification of tocopherols and ${\gamma}-TMT$ activities. The ratio of ${\alpha}-/{\gamma}-tocopherol$ content (TR) varied from 0.6 to 1.2 in non-transformed plants, while the $T_0$ plants had ratios of 0.8 to 320. The ratio ranged from 0.4 to 544 in 41 $T_1$ progenies of the $T_0$ transgenic line gTM3, and the phenotypic segregation indicated monogenic inheritance of the transgene (i.e., 3:1 = dominant:wild-type classes). There was a tight relationship between the TR phenotype and ${\gamma}-TMT$ activity, and enzyme activities were affected by the copy number and transcript levels of the transgene. The TR phenotype was stably expressed in $T_2$ progenies of $T_1$ plants. The results from this study indicated that a stable inheritance and expression of Arabidopsis ${\gamma}-TMT$ transgene in lettuce results in a higher enzyme activity and the conversion of the ${\gamma}-tocopherol$ pool to ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ in transgenic lettuce.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : Chonbuk National University

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