Elucidation of the mechanism of esterification of carotenoid accumulated in petals and its role

• Project/Area Number: 25450051
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Horticultural science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Kishimoto Sanae 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 野菜花き研究部門 花き遺伝育種研究領域, 上級研究員 (70355717)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大宮 あけみ 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 野菜花き研究部門 花き遺伝育種研究領域, 主席研究員 (50355715)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,200,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: カロテノイド / エステル化 / 花色 / 花弁 / 花き

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is known that carotenoids in petals are mainly esterified xanthophylls, but the enzyme that catalyze the reaction of xanthophyll to xanthophyll fatty acid ester had been unknown. We identified putative genes which encode the xanthophyll esterase from petals of several species containing characteristic xanthophylls using the partial protein sequence of putative esterase-lipase like enzyme isolated from proteome analysis of fruits of red pepper. Then we introduced the genes into pale yellow-flowered petunia. The transformants which contains the gene from Ipomoea sp. showed accumulation of esterified β-cryptoxanthin and increase in the total amount of carotenoids. It was clarified that the putative genes encode xanthophyll esterase and that the gene play an important role in quality and quantity of carotenoid accumulation in petals.