Genetically Engineered Plants Produce More Vegetable Oil

Scientists in Singapore have published their research on genetically altering the plant protein WRINKLED1 (WRI1) to produce more vegetable oil. The Nanyang Technological University in Singapore conducted the analysis, experimenting with the plant Arabidopsis, a member of the mustard family. The experimental results showed that by modifying the WRI1 protein Arabidopsis could produce 15-18% more oil in its seeds. The breakthrough for the research team came when they were able to complete a high-resolution image of the structure of WRI1. The completed structure revealed how the protein binds to DNA and this tells the plant how much oil to make in seeds. To do this the scientists modified the crystal structure of the WRI1 to increase the amount of binding to DNA that takes place. "The stronger the binding the more oil the plant will concentrate in its seeds" was the idea of the study said Asst Prof Ma, a plant molecular biologist in the study. Currently, the team has filed for a patent for their gene modification technique and is looking for partners to commercialize the new technique. 

I found this research to be very interesting. We have discussed a lot about the genetics of domestic crops in class so far, and I think that this is the next big step forward to ensuring crops can provide enough food for the population. I think that genetically modifying crops will become more and more prevalent in the future 
as studies like these continue to make advances in altering the genetic makeup of crops to make them produce more, grow bigger, be more tolerant to pests or droughts, and have other traits of interest. The applications of this field are practically limitless and it will be interesting to see where else this and other studies will take it. 

Heat Stunts Growth in Plants

According to the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, researchers have found that when plants experience stress, there is a pause during the cell cycle. The pause in cell division occurs in both plant and animals cells-mostly to repair DNA. Scientists disrupted the DNA in Arabidopsis cells by infecting the cells with bleomycin. (Bleomycin is a compound used to halt the growth of human cancer cells). It was discovered that Arabidopsis had mutations in their ANAC044 and ANAC085 cells, which acted like bleomycin was never introduced to the cell.

Arabidopsis from eLife

The researcher, Professor Masaaki Umeda stated that he wanted to see how ANAC044 and ANAC085 acted in response to other external stresses. While observing plants under high temperatures, researchers found that there was only a pause in the cell cycle. This means that plants have developed a system for when a plant is under stress, such as experiencing high temperatures; the plant directs its energy to survive, rather than grow. Professor Umeda stated that this research illuminates a new mechanism to optimize organ growth under stressful conditions. While I think that would be an amazing application of these findings, increasing plant longevity and plant productivity are also important.

A Possible Change For Agriculture

A new discovery in the growth of plants by Dr. Nick Pullen at John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom has given light on plant growth and possibly changed the way agricultural product may be obtained. The idea of optimal plant growth has always been to make sure the plant receives all necessities from water, nutrients, and sunlight to photosynthesize. Dr. Pullen has discovered that a plants genes may actually be the controlling factor of its net growth rate or lack there of. The main way genetics play a role in the plant growth is the regulation of their genetics and the rate of cell division occurring with the plants structure. A research project was conducted by altering growth repressors in the plant Arabidopsis. To measure photosynthesis rates and respiration they looked at the difference in metabolic rates of plant strains that were altered compared to ones that were not and looked at the rates of growth. This gave Dr Pullen a way to compare how certain genes in plants allowed their growth rates to be more productive than other types.

Mechanism Involved in Plant "Flowering" Gene

Thale Cress (Arabidopsis) in bloom. Credit: Copyright Regnault/ TUM

A team of researchers at the University of Munich have successfully identified the mechanism of a gene FLM in Arabidopsis, which acts as a blooming inhibitor. The FLM gene is necessary to keep plants from flowering too early in the season, thereby protecting the buds from the weather changes. By performing comparative sequence analysis of over a thousand of these plants, the team was able to determine that the gene binds directly to DNA in order to delay blooming if necessary.  It was also determined that the DNA modified by the FLM would then regulate the amount of the inhibitor released.

More research done on the topic by the Department of Biochemistry of Wisconsin revealed a second gene, known as SVP, which inhibits the over-expression of the flowering inhibitor FLM. This is necessary to guarantee the FLM gene is not expressed in too great a frequency, lest the plants never bloom. This research is vital to understand the affects environmental changes can have on flowering plants such as grain and corn in the years to come.

Arabidopsis Modified to Express Drosophila Melanogaster Gene

Over the years the use of TNT has left the soil of lands contaminated. TNT is used for many things, but one of the things that uses it the must is war.  There are still stretches of land contaminated from World War II. Scientist has found a way to modify Arabidopsis, which is a plant in the same family as the cabbage, to remove the TNT from the soil. Scientist modified Arabidopsis to express glutathione transferase (DmGSTE6) which is a gene found in Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly. When the gene was inserted into the plant scientist noticed that the glutathione gene plant compared to that of a wild-type plant had two major differences. The first thing that was different was that the modified plant was more resistant to TNT and second, it was able to remove the TNT from the soil compared to the natural wild type plant which was not able to.

This is just the begin of the project, the scientist hope to be able to insert this gene into other plants or grasses that are more able to grow in more harsh environments. This to me is quite amazing. These same scientist as part of the team that recently discovered away to remove RDX from soil by modifying a grass species to absorb it. If they are able to combine the RDX removal factor and TNT removal factor, all in one plant, that would be a break through.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161207091315.htm

Fruit Fly Gene Used to Detoxify Land

Recently, scientists at the University of York have discovered another use of a gene found in common fruit flies. This gene, found in the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, can be successfully expressed in a plant, and thus used to detoxify land contaminated with TNT. The plant specifically that this gene was tested on was Arabidopsis, a member of the cabbage family. Plants given the ability to express this gene were found to be more resistant to TNT and were better able to remove it from contaminated soil than wild-type plants without the gene.

The gene found in fruit flies, glutathione transferase, DmGSTE6, contains an enzyme that attaches to the TNT molecule itself and has the ability to make it less toxic through modification; making it less toxic to the environment in general, not just the plant. Trinitrotoluene, more commonly referred to as TNT, is an explosive that has been manufactured and used in waste sites, mines and war zones. Any remnant of TNT resists being broken down by microbes and remains in the soil for decades. It then lingers in the roots of plants, and inhibits its growth, as well as its development.

Given the inability of TNT to breakdown, the most important factor of this gene could be that the transformation through the expression in Arabidopsis assists TNT into converting into a product that may be more easily broken down in the environment. There are sites dating back as far as World War II that are still affected by TNT in the area, indicating that something needs to be done and needs to be done quickly. Explosive remnants in the environment are not only a danger to plant and animal life, but a threat to human health as well.

I found this article to be extremely interesting for a multitude of reasons. I always think it is fascinating to see the scientific chain reaction of something that happened so many years ago. I also am curious to see the future of genetic engineering and just how far we will be able to use these techniques. With how far we've already come, I have no doubt that we will be able to improve and modify many problems in the environment.

Genetically Modified Pollution Busting Plants

Pollution Busting Plant

As for my last blog, plants extracting arsenic from soil, I have found a new article with somewhat the same concept, except instead of using Arabidopsis, a member of the mustard family, researchers have begun to use a French Hybrid Aspen tree, Populus leuce. Researchers have used an enzyme called, cytochrome P450 2E1, that is found in humans and animals and have genetically inserted into the genetic instruction of the hybrid aspen tree using bacteria.  The enzyme is known for breaking down contaminates in the liver, but produces radicals that are harmful to humans.    

Once the enzyme was genetically inserted, the effects of this enzyme was astounding, researchers found that the aspen tree’s carrying the gene extracted the contaminant out of the water 53 times faster then the unaltered ones.  Not only was it able to absorb a variety of contaminated but it also increased the tree’s ability to absorb residual chloroform deposits left over in clean drinking water.

Plants Extracting Arsenic from Soil

http://www.livescience.com/4063-plant-extracts-arsenic-polluted-soil.html

I LOVE PLANTS! Plants taste good, look good, smell good, and now they are genetically modifying plants to absorb toxins from the ground! SAY WHAT! Plant Biologists are genetically modifying plants to cleaning up hazardous waste left over by long term pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. 

Nowadays we have serious technology and really smart researchers who are taking advantage of (in a good way) of nature in order to purify soil as well as the air.  A method known as “phytoremediation”, it has been proven by scientist to remove arsenic from the soil. 

Take for example, Arabidopsis, a created member of the mustard family, it has been genetically modified to to be arsenic-resistant and to remove the arsenic found in the soil and it collects the hazardous material in its shoots.  It has been proven that this plant soaks up 16 times more arsenic that normal Arabidopsis.  Though the process might take a while, it is a step forward in the right direction to reduce more harmful chemicals in the environment.      

SPACE PLANTS RETURN TO EARTH

       The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Botany welcomed a truck full of 1000 frozen plants that germinated and were grown in the international space station. The results showed numerous plants actually growing in an weightless environment. It is important to note that these plants are currently deep frozen and will take time to thaw. However, it is said that after they thaw, more than 30,000 genes can be studied by scientists. 

                                                          From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106165145.htm

      Astronaut Reid Wiseman injected various fixative solutions into the plants as a precautionary measure so the plant does not rupture in the new environment. The effects of gravity on plants is the main focus of these germinating plants. Because of the weightlessness of space, the plants grow long and thin, and as a result, do not produce strong material. NASA is also attempting a new idea that is said to benefit all researchers that are interested. NASA will make all data available (regarding the space plants) to any and all researchers that want to analyze it. 

      The genetic control of proteins when the plant is in zero gravity was also studied. this action directly affects RNA production and eventually protein production. The experiment by NASA, called the geneLAB, will study one of four variants of Arabidopsis called ecotypes. There will be so much transcription data that many researchers will be needed to encode the numerous plants. The plants can subsequently provide food and oxygen on long trips in space which could be the difference in life and death. I thoroughly enjoyed this article because it is something out of the ordinary. Botany is finally taking off and providing information on plants from out of space. This could potentially lead to research involving migrating to a different planet for example. The possibilities are endless. 

Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106165145.htm

Reference Article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/121207-plants-grow-space-station-science/