Researchers Disable SDP1 Enzyme to Increase Oil Accumulation in Plant Leaves

A new study by Jillian Fan, John Shanklin, and Changcheng Xu at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, published in The Plant Cell, revealed a method for increasing oil in plant leaves. Using the new method, the scientists grew Arabidopsis with leaves that had significantly higher oil content. The key was in the biochemical pathways converting carbon into fatty acids, fatty acids to oil, and breakdown of oil.

Previous attempts at increasing oil in leaves focused on blocking oil breakdown by disabling the enzyme that transports fatty acids to the peroxisome. However, it had negative effects on plant health. The team disabled enzymes to determine their effect in regulating various biochemical conversions. They found that disabling the enzyme SDP1 prevents oil from breaking down into fatty acids, leading to higher oil content.

To learn more about the study, read: http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11668.