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Control of carbon partitioning to storage products in developing oilseeds

Reference	BBS/E/J/00000426
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Stephen Rawsthorne
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	941,278
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	12/11/2009
Duration	151 months

Abstract

Seed storage products are a major source of human and animal nutrition, and also have great potential for industrial utilisation. Three principal storage products are found in mature seeds, namely oil, starch and protein. Although for oil and starch the biochemical pathways of their de novo synthesis are becoming increasingly understood little is know of the control of partitioning of carbon to oil, starch or protein during seed development. It is this control of partitioning which ultimately determines whether a seed accumulates starch or oil and how much of these carbon rich reserves versus storage proteins are deposited. This project focuses on Brassica crop species and the model oilseed Arabidopsis which accumulate oil and protein. We are investigating at the biochemical level which metabolic pathways are involved in providing carbon skeletons for fatty acid (and hence oil synthesis) and starch synthesis and how the fluxes through these pathways are regulated and change during seed development. The interactions between both subcellular compartments and biochemical pathways and the roles that they play in the control of these processes is also being investigated. The supply of carbon from the parent to the developing embryo and the role of endosperm metabolism is also being addressed.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Industrial Biotechnology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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