{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Modified fructan accumulation through overexpression of wheat fructan biosynthesis pathway fusion genes Ta1SST:Ta6SFT.
{Author}: Chen T;Hayes M;Liu Z;Isenegger D;Mason J;Spangenberg G;
{Journal}: BMC Plant Biol
{Volume}: 24
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 2024 Apr 30
{Factor}: 5.26
{DOI}: 10.1186/s12870-024-05049-w
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Fructans are water-soluble carbohydrates that accumulate in wheat and are thought to contribute to a pool of stored carbon reserves used in grain filling and tolerance to abiotic stress.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>In this study, transgenic wheat plants were engineered to overexpress a fusion of two fructan biosynthesis pathway genes, wheat sucrose: sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (Ta1SST) and wheat sucrose: fructan 6-fructosyltransferase (Ta6SFT), regulated by a wheat ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit (TaRbcS) gene promoter. We have shown that T4 generation transgene-homozygous single-copy events accumulated more fructan polymers in leaf, stem and grain when compared in the same tissues from transgene null lines. Under water-deficit (WD) conditions, transgenic wheat plants showed an increased accumulation of fructan polymers with a high degree of polymerisation (DP) when compared to non-transgenic plants. In wheat grain of a transgenic event, increased deposition of particular fructan polymers such as, DP4 was observed.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>This study demonstrated that the tissue-regulated expression of a gene fusion between Ta1SST and Ta6SFT resulted in modified fructan accumulation in transgenic wheat plants and was influenced by water-deficit stress conditions.