Membrane function in lipid mutants of Arabidopsis. Second year progress report, (June 15, 1992--June 14, 1994)

摘要

The fad2 mutants are deficient in activity of the endoplasmic reticulum oleate desaturase that is the main enzyme responsible for polyunsaturated lipid synthesis in developing seeds of oil crops. A comparison of wild type and fad2 seeds developing on heterozygous (Fad2/-) plants was used as a model for genetically engineered high oleate oilseeds of species such as soybean and canola. When fad2 seeds developed at normal temperatures (22(degree)C), they showed high viability comparable to wild type seeds. When a portion of seed development took place at 6(degree)C, germination of the wild type siblings remained high but germination of fad2 segregants declined considerably. This was true even when exposure to low temperature was limited to the final stages of seed filing and maturation. Compared to wild type, fully viable fad2 seeds produced at 22(degree)C had reduced lipid contents and were slower to germinate at 10(degree)C and 6(degree)C. These results indicate that for some oilseed species at least, molecular genetic manipulation of oleate levels in the oil may result in plant lines with unacceptable performance in the field.