Success in promoting plant growth for biodiesel
High-speed motor protein developed by gene fusion promotes growth and
seed yield of Camelina sativa

Date:
August 7, 2020
Source:
Japan Science and Technology Agency
Summary:
Scientists succeeded in promoting plant growth and increasing
seed yield by heterologous expression of protein from Arabidopsis
(artificially modified high-speed motor protein) in Camelina sativa,
which is expected as a useful plant for biodiesel. The study is
expected to apply to other plant resources for biodiesel, such as
corn, rice, and sugar cane.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In JST Strategic Basic Research Programs, a group of Zhongrui Duan
(Researcher, Waseda University) and Motoki Tominaga (Associate
professor, Waseda University) et al. succeeded in promoting plant
growth and increasing seed yield by heterologous expression of protein
from Arabidopsis (artificially modified high-speed motor protein(1) )
in Camelina sativa, which is expected as a useful plant for biodiesel.


========================================================================== Cytoplasmic streaming is seen in any plant cells from algae to higher
plants as a phenomenon of active cytoplasmic movement with organelles,
such as the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. It is known that cytoplasmic streaming is generated by the sliding of motor protein
myosin XI(2), which is binding to organelles, along the cytoskeleton constituting actin filaments. Previously, the research group has achieved
the growth promotion and increasing size of the model plant Arabidopsis
by the development of high-speed-type myosin. This technology has been
expected to apply to other plant species than Arabidopsis.

In this study, the research group showed that the increase of seed
yield and the growth promotion of stems and leaves in Camelina could be achieved by heterologous expression of high-speed-type myosin XI gene
derived from Arabidopsis in Camelina.

Considering the increase of seed yield in Camelina enabled by the
expression of high-speed-type myosin XI, it is expected to increase the productivity of biodiesel per area unit. In the future, it is aimed to
increase the productivity and quality of camelina oil by co-expressing the genes related to fat synthesis and modification of fatty acid composition
with high-speed-type myosin XI. Moreover, as the group showed that the promotion of plant growth by the high-speed-type myosin XI is also
effective in other plant species than the model plant Arabidopsis,
application development, such as the reduction of CO2 and biomass, is
also expected by increasing the production of plant resources, such as
corn, rice, sugar cane, and jatropha.

(1) Motor protein The protein which converts chemical energy via ATP
hydrolysis into physical movement. Myosin moving on actin filaments and
kinesin or dynein moving on the microtubules is representative examples.

(2) Myosin A type of motor protein. There are approximately 80 classes of myosin discovered in animals and plants. In plants, there are two classes
of plant- specific myosin: myosin VIII (class 8) and myosin XI (class
11). Cytoplasmic streaming is known to occur by the movement of myosin XI.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Japan_Science_and_Technology_Agency. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhongrui Duan, Kohji Ito, Motoki Tominaga. Heterologous
transformation of
Camelina sativa with high-speed chimeric myosin XI-2 promotes plant
growth and leads to increased seed yield. Plant Biotechnology,
2020; DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.20.0225b ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200807093737.htm

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