Biotech Updates

Overexpression of AtWRI1 and Hemoglobin Genes Increase Seed Oil Content in Field Cress

December 21, 2016

Field cress (Lepidium campestre) has the potential to be an oilseed crop and can also be a catch crop. However, its agronomic traits need to be improved, such as increasing its low oil content. With the goal of increasing seed oil content in field cress, the team of Emelie Ivarson, from University of Agricultural Sciences, introduced WRINKLED1 (AtWRI1) into field cress. The team also tried hemoglobin genes from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtHb2) or Beta vulgaris (BvHb2) in hopes of increasing its oil content.

Transgenic field cress overexpressing AtWRI1 had a 29.9% increase in oil content. Meanwhile, 20.2% and 25.9% increase in oil content were observed in the transgenic lines overexpressing AtHb2 and BvHb2, respectively. Furthermore, the composition of the seed oil from transgenic lines did not significantly differ from the composition of the wild types.

For more information, read the full article in Frontiers in Plant Science.