Photosynthetica 2010, 48(1):59-66 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-010-0009-4

Antisense expression of tomato chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase gene (LeFAD7) enhances the tomato high-temperature tolerance through reductions of trienoic fatty acids and alterations of physiological parameters

X. Liu1,2, J. H. Yang1, B. Li2, X. M. Yang2, Q. W. Meng2,*
1 Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
2 College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China

We studied how the reductions of trienoic fatty acids (TAs) and increases of dienoic fatty acids (DAs) enhanced high-temperature tolerance in antisense expression of tomato chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase gene (LeFAD7) transgenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. In transgenic plants, the content of linolenic acid (18:3) was markedly decreased, while linoleic acid (18:2) was increased correspondingly and the similar changes were observed under high-temperature stress as well. Under high-temperature stress, transgenic plants can maintain a relatively higher level of net photosynthetic rate (P N) and chlorophyll (Chl) content than that of wild type (WT) plants. A decreased Chl/Carotenoids (xanthophylls and carotenes, Car) ratio and Chl a/b ratio were observed in transgenic plants. Transgenic plants exhibited visible decrease in the relative electrolyte conductivity, higher activities of antioxidative enzymes and lower reactive oxygen species correspondingly than WT. In addition, high-temperature stress for 24 h caused more extensive changes of chloroplast ultrastructure in WT than in transgenic plants. We therefore suggested that the enhancement of high-temperature tolerance in antisense expression of LeFAD7 transgenic plants might be raised from the reduction of TAs and increase of DAs subsequently leading to series of physiological alterations.

Keywords: high-temperature tolerance; chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase; Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; trienoic fatty acids

Received: July 16, 2009; Accepted: December 15, 2009; Published: March 1, 2010Show citation

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Liu, X., Yang, J.H., Li, B., Yang, X.M., & Meng, Q.W. (2010). Antisense expression of tomato chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase gene (LeFAD7) enhances the tomato high-temperature tolerance through reductions of trienoic fatty acids and alterations of physiological parameters. Photosynthetica, 48(1), 59-66. doi: 10.1007/s11099-010-0009-4.
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