Abstract
Fructans are polymers of fructose that are present as storage carbohydrates in various plants. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) contains a high amount of inulin. Two enzymes are involved in inulin biosynthesis. The sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST) enzyme mainly catalyzes the synthesis of 1-kestose from sucrose. In the next step, fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT) catalyzes the synthesis of inulin from 1-kestose. In this study, the Ht1-SST and Ht1-FFT genes were isolated from Jerusalem artichoke and expressed in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), either separately or together, via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic potato tubers overexpressing Ht1-SST accumulated 1-kestose to a high level (up to 3.36 mg/g), while tubers overexpressing both Ht1-SST and Ht1-FFT accumulated up to 3.14 mg/g short-chain inulin-type fructans, with the degree of polymerization (DP) ranging from 3 to 5, excluding high DP inulins. Transgenic potato plants accumulated fructo-oligosaccharides to a high level, following the fructan biosynthetic pathway of Jerusalem artichoke, and therefore present a high potential for the mass production of inulin through established potato breeding and cultivation methods.
Highlights
Fructans are sucrose-derived water-soluble fructose polymers that commonly function as storage carbohydrates in more than 40,000 higher plant species including approximately 15% of flowering species, many belonging to the Poaceae, Liliaceae, and Asteraceae families [1]
The Ht1-SST and Ht1-FFT genes were introduced in potato plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation [27]
The SnF transgenic potato plants expressing both Ht1-SST and Ht1-FFT were obtained by the introduction of Ht1-FFT in the transgenic line S5, chosen for its high level of Ht1-SST mRNA, followed by PCR-based selection of the Ht1-FFT gene (Fig. 2b)
Summary
Fructans are sucrose-derived water-soluble fructose polymers that commonly function as storage carbohydrates in more than 40,000 higher plant species including approximately 15% of flowering species, many belonging to the Poaceae, Liliaceae, and Asteraceae families [1]. We successfully induce overexpression of the Ht1-SST and Ht1-FFT genes in potato and confirm the production of inulin-type fructans in transgenic potato plants. Expression of SST and/or FFT genes of transgenic plants at the RNA level was confirmed using RT-PCR and
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