Role of WRINKLED1 in the transcriptional regulation of glycolytic and fatty acid biosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis.

The WRINKLED1 (WRI1) protein is an important regulator of oil accumulation in maturing Arabidopsis seeds. WRI1 is a member of a plant-specific family of transcription factors (AP2/EREBP) that share either one or two copies of a DNA-binding domain called the AP2 domain. Here, it is shown that WRI1 acts as a transcriptional enhancer of genes involved in carbon metabolism in transgenic seeds overexpressing this transcription factor.

Study of AtSUS2 localization in seeds reveals a strong association with plastids.

Sucrose synthase (SUS) is a key enzyme in sucrose metabolism. This enzyme catalyzes the reversible conversion of sucrose and UDP to UDP-glucose and fructose. In the Arabidopsis SUS gene family (six members), SUS2 is strongly and specifically expressed in Arabidopsis seeds during the maturation phase.

Function of plastidial pyruvate kinases in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Pyruvate kinase (PK) catalyses the irreversible synthesis of pyruvate and ATP, which are both used in multiple biochemical pathways. These compounds are essential for sustained fatty acid production in the plastids of maturing Arabidopsis embryos. Using a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR approach, the three genes encoding putative plastidial PKs (PKps) in Arabidopsis, namely PKp1 (At3g22960), PKp2 (At5g52920) and PKp3 (At1g32440), were shown to be ubiquitously expressed.

Transcriptome profiling uncovers metabolic and regulatory processes occurring during the transition from desiccation-sensitive to desiccation-tolerant stages in Medicago truncatula seeds.

To investigate regulatory processes and protective mechanisms leading to desiccation tolerance (DT) in seeds, 16086-element microarrays were used to monitor changes in the transcriptome of desiccation-sensitive 3-mm-long radicles of Medicago truncatula seeds at different time points during incubation in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution at -1.7 MPa, resulting in a gradual re-establishment of DT. Gene profiling was also performed on embryos before and after the acquisition of DT during maturation.

The AtSUC5 sucrose transporter specifically expressed in the endosperm is involved in early seed development in Arabidopsis.

The sucrose transporter gene AtSUC5 was studied as part of a programme aimed at identifying and studying the genes involved in seed maturation in Arabidopsis. Expression profiling of AtSUC5 using the technique of real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that the gene was specifically and highly induced during seed development between 4 and 9 days after flowering (DAF). Analysis of the activity of the AtSUC5 promoter in planta was consistent with this timing, and suggested that AtSUC5 expression is endosperm specific, spreading from the micropylar to the chalazal pole of the filial tissue.

Multifunctional acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 is essential for very long chain fatty acid elongation and embryo development in Arabidopsis.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) catalyses the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA, forming malonyl-CoA, which is used in the plastid for fatty acid synthesis and in the cytosol in various biosynthetic pathways including fatty acid elongation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ACC1 and ACC2, two genes located in a tandem repeat within a 25-kbp genomic region near the centromere of chromosome 1, encode two multifunctional ACCase isoforms. Both genes, ACC1 and ACC2, appear to be ubiquitously expressed, but little is known about their respective function and importance.

Characterization of a tissue-specific and developmentally regulated beta-1,3-glucanase gene in pea (Pisum sativum).

As part of a search for seed coat-specific expressed genes in Pisum sativum cv. Finale by PCR-based methods, we identified and isolated a cDNA encoding a beta- 1,3-glucanase, designated PsGNS2. The deduced peptide sequence of PsGNS2 is similar to a subfamily of beta-1,3-glucanases, which is characterized by the presence of a long amino acid extension at the C-terminal end compared to the other beta-1,3-glucanases.