Acyl-lipid ∆12-desaturase of the cyanobacterium increases the unsaturation degree in transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Abstract

We propose a new approach to the expression of the gene of interest in plants. The approach is based on the expression hybrid gene in plant. This hybrid gene consists of the sequence of interest, fused with the reporter gene sequence in the reading frame. We constructed hybrid genes desA-licBM3. The DesA gene encodes the acyl-lipid Δ12-desaturase from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, licBM3 encodes a new universal reporter gene based on thermostable lichenase (LicB) of Clostridium thermocellum. This hybrid gene was cloned in the plant expression vector under control of the 35S RNA CaMV promoter and was introduced into Solanum tuberosum. Expression of the desaturase was confirmed by molecular methods. The transgenic plants grew at 22 °C to form two-month plants similar to non-transgenic plants. Lipid analysis revealed that lipid content and the unsaturation level of their fatty acid acyl moieties significantly increased in leaves of transgenic plants as compared to control plants. These results suggest that the expression of desA-licBM3 in the membrane of leaf cells could significantly modify both total acyl lipid content and fatty acid composition. Keywords: fatty acid composition, acyl–lipid Δ12-desaturase, Solanum tuberosum, transgenic plants