Increased Seed Oil by Metabolic Regulation

The biodiesel industry is growing rapidly in the U.S. and is expected to continue growing. However, even if all oilseeds produced in the U.S. were used for biodiesel, the supply would still fall short of the nation¿s need. Moreover, as the biodiesel market increases, food prices are expected to increase due to the efflux of seeds into the expanded biofuel market. Thus, an increase in seed oil content is needed to increase crop productivity per acre, in order to better meet the biodiesel demand. This project will employ a molecular approach to enhance seed oil content by inserting a novel gene in oilseed plants to direct the carbon flow into oil biosynthesis. In Phase I, the technology was tested in the plant model system, Arabidopsis. It was demonstrated that the seed oil content was 7 to 36% higher in the transgenic lines compared to the normal (or wildtype) line. Moreover, yield and seed viability were unaffected in the transgenic lines. In Phase II, the gene construct will be moved into a crop plant, canola, to demonstrate commercialization potential. Analyses will be performed to determine the quantity and quality of the seed oil content in the transgenic canola compared to that found in wildtype canola. Yield and seed viability also will be determined. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Once demonstrated in a crop plant, the technology would be marketed to agribusinesses in the form of licensing agreements. Oilseeds with higher oil content would increase oilseed crop productivity per acre and help establish a thriving biodiesel market. Increased oilseed production would stimulate local and regional economies by increasing farming profit and creating new jobs.