Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Laticifer-specific cis-prenyltransferase silencing affects the rubber, triterpene, and inulin content of taraxacum brevicorniculatum

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Post, J., van Deenen, N., Fricke, J., Kowalski, N., Wurbs, D., Schaller, H., Eisenreich, W., Huber, C., Twyman, Richard M., Prufer, D. and Gronover, C. S. (2012) Laticifer-specific cis-prenyltransferase silencing affects the rubber, triterpene, and inulin content of taraxacum brevicorniculatum. Plant Physiology, Vol.158 (No.3). pp. 1406-1417. doi:10.1104/pp.111.187880

Research output not available from this repository, contact author.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.111.187880

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Certain Taraxacum species, such as Taraxacum koksaghyz and Taraxacum brevicorniculatum, produce large amounts of high-quality natural rubber in their latex, the milky cytoplasm of specialized cells known as laticifers. This high-molecular mass biopolymer consists mainly of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) and is deposited in rubber particles by particle-bound enzymes that carry out the stereospecific condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate units. The polymer configuration suggests that the chain-elongating enzyme (rubber transferase; EC 2.5.1.20) is a cis-prenyltransferase (CPT). Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of transgenic T. brevicorniculatum plants in which the expression of three recently isolated CPTs known to be associated with rubber particles (TbCPT1 to -3) was heavily depleted by laticifer-specific RNA interference (RNAi). Analysis of the CPT-RNAi plants by nuclear magnetic resonance, size-exclusion chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated a significant reduction in rubber biosynthesis and a corresponding 50% increase in the levels of triterpenes and the main storage carbohydrate, inulin. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the laticifers in CPT-RNAi plants contained fewer and smaller rubber particles than wild-type laticifers. We also observed lower activity of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, the key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, reflecting homeostatic control of the isopentenyl diphosphate pool. To our knowledge, this is the first in planta demonstration of latex-specific CPT activity in rubber biosynthesis. © 2012 American Society of Plant Biologists.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) > Biological Sciences ( -2010)
Journal or Publication Title: Plant Physiology
Publisher: American Society of Plant Biologists
ISSN: 0032-0889
Official Date: March 2012
Dates:
DateEvent
March 2012Published
Volume: Vol.158
Number: No.3
Page Range: pp. 1406-1417
DOI: 10.1104/pp.111.187880
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item
twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us