Researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have
developed a novel plant-based platform to boost the production of KODA,
a plant oxylipin produced in extremely low amounts, which helps plants
cope withenvionmental stressors.

9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid, or KODA, belongs to
the class of plant oxylipins. Oxylipins help plants recover from
stresses like physical injuries and infections. Many plants naturally
synthesize KODA, however, the amount is usually low in most, with the
free-floating duckweed/Lemna paucicostata/an exception.

Tokyo Tech researchers improved KODA production in plants using
transgenic techniques. They introduced keygenesinvolved in enhanced KODA
production in duckweed in two separate plant speciesâ??/Nicotiana
benthamiana/, related to the tobacco plant, and/Arabidopsis thaliana/.

Two key genes from the duckweed species that improved KODA
productionâ??9-lipoxygenase (or 9-LOX), and allene oxide synthase (or AOS)
led to the improved yield of KODA in both plants. However, there was
interspecies variation in terms of the localization of KODA in the two
species. In/N. benthamiana/, transient expression of 9-LOX and AOS led
to increased expression of KODA in the leaves. In Arabidopsis, to
achieve sustained KODA biosynthesis, the proteins coded by the two genes
had to be localized to the subcellular structures plastids, endoplasmic
reticulum, or lipid droplets.

Developing a platform for production of the oxylipin KODA in plants |
Journal of Experimental Botany | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
[academic.oup.com]