Os02g0716500

The rice Os02g0716500 was reported as OsFAD2 in 2010 by researchers from China.

Annotated Information

Function

• The rice OsFAD2 encodes a delta-12 fatty acid desaturase, the key enzyme for the conversion of oleic acid (18:1) into linoleic acid (18:2)
• The deduced amino acid sequence of OsFAD2 displayed three histidine boxes characteristic of all membrane-bound desaturases, and possessed a C-terminal signal for endoplasmic reticulum retention.
• OsFAD2 is involved in fatty acid desaturation and maintenance of the membrane lipids balance in cells, and could improve the tolerance of yeast and rice to low temperature stress.

Phenotypic analysis

• When OsFAD2 was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cells could convert oleic acid to linoleic acid, which wild-type yeast cells cannot do, suggesting that the isolated gene encoded a functional FAD2 enzyme.
• Heterologous expression of OsFAD2 enhanced the yeast cells’ cold tolerance capacity compared to wild-type yeast.
• OsFAD2 was also shown to be a highly active desaturase when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In addition, when the OsFAD2 gene was transferred into an Arabidopsis thaliana fad2-1 mutant, it effectively restored wild-type fatty acid composition and growth characteristics.
• Stress tolerance and light regulatory elements were identified in the predicted promoter of the OsFAD2 gene.
• Exogenously supplied hormone affected the level of FAD2 mRNA accumulation, accompanied by a change of content of di-unsaturated fatty acid species in rice leaves.
• Furthermore, OsFAD2 enhanced tolerance to low temperature when overexpressed in rice at the vegetative stage. More importantly, the 35S::OsFAD2 plants showed significantly enhanced cold tolerance at the reproductive stage, increasing grain yield by 46% over controls in the greenhouse under cold conditions.

Expression

• Expression analysis by real-time PCR showed that the gene is expressed in all tissues of rice tested, including root, seed, stem, and leaf.

Evolution

• Phylogenetic analysis showed that OsFAD2 is grouped within plant housekeeping FAD2 sequences.

Subcellular localization

• In situ hybridization showed that OsFAD2 mRNA accumulated in leaf mesophyll cells and in root epidermis cells when exposed to 15°C for 4 days in dark conditions.

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Labs working on this gene

• State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People’s Republic of China