Abstract
The stability of the high-oleic characteristic of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transformants obtained by silencing of microsomal Ω-6 desaturase (FAD2) was investigated when grown at low temperature. Results showed that oleic acid content in total leaf lipids, individual leaf lipids and total seed lipids of transformants decreased drastically at low temperature, with a corresponding increase of polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. The decrease of oleate was caused by neither the restoration of FAD2 transcripts nor the disappearance of small interference RNA. A significant increase of hexadecadienoic acid and hexadecatrienoic acid was observed in MGDG (monogalactosyldiacylglycerol) of transformants grown at lower temperature. Hexadecadienoic and hexadecatrienoic acids, typical fatty acids in MGDG, are produced through the activity of Ω-6 desaturase in plastids (FAD6). The significant increase of Hexadecadienoic and hexadecatrienoic acids suggested the involvement of FAD6 and/or other desaturases in the lipid desaturation of transgenic plants under lower temperature, leading to a significant decrease of oleate in plant cells. These results suggested that the activities of plastidic desaturases must be, at least partially, responsible for the instability of the high-oleic characteristic of FAD2-silenced plants.
Published Version
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