Abstract
Phospholipid N-methyltransferase (PLMT) plays an important role in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho). The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular properties of GmPLMT and the expression of soybean GmPLMT and its effects on the production of lipid metabolites. Results showed that GmPLMT composed of mainly α-helix was a hydrophobic and transmembrane protein. In soybean leaves, GmPLMT was highly expressed during seedling and flowering stages. In transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, the highest and lowest expression levels of GmPLMT were detected at flowering and maturity stages, respectively. The total phospholipid contents in soybean grains were decreased from 7.2% (35 days after flowering) to 4.8% (55 days after flowering) and then increased to 7.0% (75 days after flowering). The contents of PtdCho showed a similar pattern to that of total phospholipids. In transgenic A. thaliana seeds, the contents of total phospholipids and PtdCho were significantly increased. Significantly positive correlations were revealed between expression of GmPLMT and contents of both PtdCho and crude fats, and between the contents of PtdCho and both linoleic acid and linolenic acid, suggesting that increased expression of GmPLMT improved the production of lipid metabolites. This study provided solid experimental evidence for further improvement of soybean quality based on GmPLMT in the molecular breeding of soybeans.
Highlights
Soybean is an important crop for both food and oil, providing a large amount of high-quality nutrients such as proteins and phospholipids
These results suggested that the was a type of hydrophobic protein, These results suggested that the GmPLMT was a type of hydrophobic protein, which was which waswith consistent with thevalue predicted value of GRAVY
Results in the current study revealed the significantly positive correlation between the expression of GmPLMT and the contents of PtdCho and two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, indicating that the contents of PtdCho were regulated by gene GmPLMT in soybean grains, while gene GmPLMT may increase the phospholipid content by promoting the production of PtdCho
Summary
Soybean is an important crop for both food and oil, providing a large amount of high-quality nutrients such as proteins and phospholipids. Soybean grains are rich in fats and proteins, and the contents of fatty acids in the grains account for more than 90% of the total oil. The phospholipids are the fundamental materials of life and are important structural components of cell membranes in tissues of both humans and other animals [1,2]. As the indispensable substances for maintaining normal metabolism and the healthy human body, phospholipids are mainly obtained from soybeans. Soybean phospholipids can regulate the activities of enzymes related to membrane functions, and control the information and substances inside and outside the cell membrane
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