Key glycolytic branch influences mesocarp oil content in oil palm

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 9626 - 9
• Main Authors: Ruzlan, Nurliyana, Low, Yoke Sum Jaime, Win, Wilonita, Azizah Musa, Noor, Ong, Ai-Ling, Chew, Fook-Tim, Appleton, David, Mohd Yusof, Hirzun, Kulaveerasingam, Harikrishna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29-08-2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 45; 45/22; 45/23; 45/43; 45/77; 631/61/191; 631/61/51; Alleles; Arecaceae - enzymology; Arecaceae - genetics; Arecaceae - metabolism; Association analysis; Dihydroxyacetone; Dihydroxyacetone phosphate; Fructose; Fructose-1,6-diphosphate; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase - genetics; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase - metabolism; Gene frequency; Genetic Association Studies; Genotype; Glyceraldehyde; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating) - genetics; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating) - metabolism; Glycerol; Glycerol-3-phosphate; Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase - genetics; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Glycolysis; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Oil; Plant Oils - metabolism; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Population genetics; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - enzymology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Triose-Phosphate Isomerase - genetics; Triose-Phosphate Isomerase - metabolism; Vegetable oils; Yeast; Yeasts
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10195-3

The fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase catalyzed glycolysis branch that forms dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate was identified as a key driver of increased oil synthesis in oil palm and was validated in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Reduction in triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) activity in a yeast knockdown mutant resulted in 19% increase in lipid content, while yeast strains overexpressing oil palm fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (
EgFBA
) and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (
EgG3PDH
) showed increased lipid content by 16% and 21%, respectively. Genetic association analysis on oil palm SNPs of
EgTPI
SD_SNP_000035801 and
EgGAPDH
SD_SNP_000041011 showed that palms harboring homozygous GG in
EgTPI and
heterozygous AG in
EgGAPDH
exhibited higher mesocarp oil content based on dry weight. In addition, AG genotype of the SNP of
EgG3PDH
SD_SNP_000008411 was associated with higher mean mesocarp oil content, whereas GG genotype of the
EgFBA
SNP SD_SNP_000007765 was favourable. Additive effects were observed with a combination of favourable alleles in TPI and FBA in Nigerian x AVROS population (family F7) with highest allele frequency GG.GG being associated with a mean increase of 3.77% (p value = 2.3E
−16
) oil content over the Family 1. An analogous effect was observed in yeast, where overexpressed
EgFBA
in TPI
-
resulted in a 30% oil increment. These results provide insights into flux balances in glycolysis leading to higher yield in mesocarp oil-producing fruit.