Expression of Acetyl Coa Carboxylase Gene from Cleome Viscosa L. and Its Seed Oil

Abstract

Asian spider flower (Cleome viscosa L.) is annual herbaceous weed plant. Its seed oil has similar properties to the seed oil from Jatropha curcas L. which is the biodiesel plant. This research focused on the expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase gene in 4 stages of seeds (1-4 weeks after fruit set (WAF)) by Reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) is the essential enzyme for the first step in the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty and glycerol. The heteromeric ACCase consists of 4 subunits. accA, accB and accC gene were located in nuclear, while the accD gene was in chloroplast. The result showed that the expression of accA gene showed the most highly expressed in 3 WAF, while the expression of accC and accD showed the most highly expression in 2-3 WAF. These results indicated that co-expression of accA, accC and accD were highest in 3 WAF and down regulated in 4 WAF. In contrast, accB gene showed the high expression level in 4 weeks after fruit set. The total oil was obtained by petroleum ether soxhlet extraction. The high oil content was 3-4 WAF. These findings suggested that comparatively high expression of the Accase gene related to the persistence of oil accumulation during the late stage of seed oil formation for C. viscosa L.