Ectopic overexpression of a type-II DGAT (CeDGAT2-2) derived from oil-rich tuber of Cyperus esculentus enhances accumulation of oil and oleic acid in tobacco leaves

Abstract

The present data indicate that CeDGAT2-2 has a high enzyme activity to catalyze formation of TAG and a strong specificity for oleic acid-containing substrates, providing new insights into understanding oil biosynthesis mechanism in plant vegetative tissues. Overexpression of CeDGAT2-2 alone can significantly increase oleic acid-enriched oil accumulation in tobacco leaves without negative impact on other agronomy traits, showing CeDGAT2-2 as the desirable target gene in metabolic engineering to enrich oil and value-added lipids in high-biomass plants for commercial production of biofuel oils.