식물 지방산 생산량의 증진을 위한 생명공학 연구현황

Current biotechnology for the increase of vegetable oil yield in transgenic plants

The most part of vegetable oils is accumulated as storage lipid, triacylglycerol (TAG) in seed and used as energy source when seed is germinated. It is also used as essential fatty acids and energy source for human and animal. Recently, vegetable oils have been more and more an important resource because of the increasing demand of vegetable oils for cooking and industrial uses for bio-diesel and industrial feedstock. In order to increase vegetable oils using biotechnology, over-expressing or repressing the regulatory genes involved in the flow of carbon into lipid biosynthesis is critical during seed development. In this review, we described candidate genes may influence oil amount and investigate their potential for oil increase. Genes involved in the regulation from biosynthesis of fatty acids to the accumulation oils in seed can be classified as follows: First, genes play a role for synthesis precursor molecules for TAG. Second, genes participate in fatty acid biosynthesis and TAG assembly. Lastly, genes encodes transcription factors involved in seed maturation and accumulation of seed oil. Because factors/genes determining oil quantity in seed is complex as mentioned, recently regulation of transcription factors is being considered more favorable approach than manipulate multiple genes for increasing oil in transgenic plants. However, it should be figured out the problem that bad agricultural traits induced by the overexpression of transcription factor gene.