Decoding KODA production to augment stress resistance in plants

Date:
February 15, 2022
Source:
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Summary:
KODA, an agrochemical produced in extremely low amounts, which helps
plants cope with environmental stressors, has been the subject of
extensive research. To bolster KODA production, researchers have
developed a novel plant-based platform. Using biotechnology tools,
they successfully expressed external genes that facilitate KODA
production in test plant species, and further improved KODA yield
through incubation over time.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== KODA, an agrochemical produced in extremely low amounts, which helps
plants cope with environmental stressors, has been the subject of
extensive research.

To bolster KODA production, researchers from Tokyo Tech developed a
novel plant-based platform. Using biotechnology tools, they successfully expressed external genes that facilitate KODA production in test plant
species, and further improved KODA yield through incubation over time.


========================================================================== 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid, or KODA, is an
agrochemical belonging to the class of plant oxylipins. Oxylipins are
oxidized fatty acids, mostly derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids
like linolenic, linoleic, and roughanic acids or their esters. Oxylipins, including KODA, help plants recover from stresses like physical injury, infections etc. Many plants naturally synthesize KODA; however, the
amount is usually low in most, an exception being the free-floating
duckweed species, Lemna paucicostata.

How could this genetic advantage of duckweed be imbued in other
plants? The answer, it seems, lies in advanced biotechnology. Researchers
from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a system
for improving KODA production in plants using transgenic techniques. They introduced key genes involved in enhanced KODA production in duckweed
in two separate plant species -- Nicotiana benthamiana, related to the
tobacco plant, and Arabidopsis thaliana, the Thale cress.

The two key genes from the duckweed species that improved KODA production
-- 9- lipoxygenase (or 9-LOX), and allene oxide synthase (or AOS),
when ectopically expressed in the study species, led to improved yield
of KODA in both plants.

However, there was interspecies variation in terms of the localization of
KODA in the two species. In Nicotiana benthamiana, transient expression of 9-LOX and AOS led to increased expression of KODA in the leaves. However,
in Arabidopsis thaliana, to achieve sustained KODA biosynthesis, the
proteins coded by the two genes had to be localized to the subcellular structures plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, or lipid droplets. These
findings have been published as a research article in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

Notably, in both the test plant models, the researchers were able to
achieve better KODA production by incubating the leaf crude extracts
over time.

Explaining their technique further, Dr. Mie Shimojima, the corresponding
author of the study, says, "By incubating the transgenic leaf crude
extracts, we ensured the breakdown of certain lipids that release
a-linolenic acid, which is the precursor of KODA. This led to an abundance
of KODA over time." An improved physiological level of KODA could be
a blessing for crop growers trying to maintain respectable yields in
the face of increasing environmental vagaries. As Dr. Shimojima notes,
"We have not only found the key to improving KODA production in plants
but have also opened doors for future research on other oxylipins in
different plant species." In fact, the researchers strongly believe
that their system could be adapted to mass produce diverse oxylipins
for incorporation in fertilizers and pesticides.

Further studies are required for clarifying the effects of in
planta-produced KODA on the physiology of plants. However, it may safely
be said for the moment that the novel plant-based platform for improved
KODA production, involving subcellular localization of key enzyme genes
and incubation of the subsequent crude product, is a welcome development
for the world of plant biotechnology.

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


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yuta Ihara, Takayuki Wakamatsu, Mineyuki Yokoyama, Daisuke Maezawa,
Hiroyuki Ohta, Mie Shimojima. Developing a platform for production
of the oxylipin KODA in plants. Journal of Experimental Botany,
2021; DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab557 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220215134630.htm
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