Cytoplasm and chloroplasts are not suitable subcellular locations for beta-zein accumulation in transgenic plants

Zeins, the main storage proteins of maize that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum of the endosperm cells, are particularly interesting because they are rich in the essential sulphur amino acids. Overexpression of certain zein genes in plants such as alfalfa would be expected to improve the nutr...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Journal of experimental botany. - 1985. - 56(2005), 414 vom: 13. Apr., Seite 1205-12
1. Verfasser: Bellucci, Michele (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: De Marchis, Francesca, Mannucci, Roberta, Bock, Ralph, Arcioni, Sergio
Format: Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2005
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Journal of experimental botany
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DNA Primers Zein 9010-66-6
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Zeins, the main storage proteins of maize that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum of the endosperm cells, are particularly interesting because they are rich in the essential sulphur amino acids. Overexpression of certain zein genes in plants such as alfalfa would be expected to improve the nutritional characteristics of this crop. Recently, significant accumulation values have been reached, but still far from those considered useful for nutritional purposes. This study investigates whether targeting to compartments other than the endoplasmic reticulum (cytosol and chloroplasts) could result in increasing beta-zein accumulation in transgenic plants. To address beta-zein to the cytosol, the fragment which codes for the signal peptide has been removed. beta-zein has also been targeted to alfalfa and tobacco chloroplasts by a transit peptide signal. Both tobacco, as a model plant species, and alfalfa have been transformed with the assembled constructs. An alternative route to accumulate beta-zein in the chloroplasts is to synthesize beta-zein directly in the plastid lumen. Thus, the beta-zein gene has also been inserted into tobacco plastid DNA. The beta-zein gene in each different type of transformed plant was properly transcribed, as determined by northern blot analysis, but no accumulation of beta-zein was detected, either in the cytoplasm or in the chloroplasts of alfalfa and tobacco transformed plants. Therefore, it is concluded that chloroplasts and the cytosol are not favourable subcellular locations for zein protein accumulation
Beschreibung:Date Completed 05.07.2005
Date Revised 15.11.2006
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1460-2431