Location: Plant Genetics Research
Project Number: 5070-21000-045-002-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 14, 2019
End Date: May 13, 2024
Objective:
1) Characterize acyl-acyl carrier protein A(acyl-ACP) levels during the stages of seed-filling in soybeans.
2) Develop high resolution mass spectrometry methods to assess lipid labeling in seeds using isotopic tracers.
3) Characterize the metabolic node of pyruvate use for fatty acid and amino acid production with isotopes and mass spectrometry.
Approach:
We will assay the level of acyl-ACPs and acyl-CoAs in developing soybeans and other plant tissues to assess the production and turnover over lipids under different conditions. Isotopic tracers that track the dynamics of metabolism will be used and incorporation measured by methods developed with mass spectrometry. High resolution mass spectrometry will also be developed to assess levels and labeling in lipids that are the end product for acyl chains. Metabolic pathways that establish the level of lipids in plant tissues are complicated and efforts to engineer crops for altered carbon partitioning would benefit from quantitative isotopic studies of flux which we are pursuing through the Project Plan goals. These studies will also examine the precursor for acyl chain production, pyruvate.
