GmTMT2a Gene from Soybean Increases α-tocopherol Levels in Corn and Arabidopsis
November 13, 2013| |
Tocochromanol (vitamin E) is vital in human and animal nutrition. However, it is only produced by photosynthetic organisms. γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT), a key enzyme in the tocopherol production in plants, has the role of transforming γ, δ-tocopherols into α-, β-tocopherols. Thus, Lan Zhang from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and colleagues investigated 15 soybean cultivars and isolated GmTMT2 gene from five varieties based on tocopherol content. GmTMT2a was expressed in E. coli and the purified protein effectively converted γ-tocopherol into α-tocopherol. Overexpression of GmTMT2a enhanced α-tocopherol content 4–6-fold in transgenic Arabidopsis, and α-tocopherol content increased 3–4.5-fold in transgenic maize seed, which correlated with the accumulation of GmTMT2a. Transgenic maize with high levels of α-tocopherol may be beneficial for animal health and growth.
Read the abstract at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-013-9713-8.
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