Poster: Protein modification

Abs # 806: Development of functional transgenic tomato with hypotriglyceridemic action.

Presenter:	Yu, Chih-Wen , cwyu@mail.dyu.edu.tw
Authors	Yu, Chih-Wen  (A)   Ku, Shih-Hsien  (C)   Shieh, Yu-Kai  (B)   Jin, Jung-Kang  (C)   Cheng, Jen-Chun  (A)   Yang, Ching-Fu  (A)   Hsu, Wen-Hwei  (D)   Hung, Shu-Hsien  (B)   Lin, Chin-Ho  (C)
Affiliations:	(A): Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Da Yeh University, Changhua, Taiwan (B): Department of Bioindustrial Biotechnology, Da Yeh University, Changhua, Taiwan (C): Life Science Department, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (D): Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

The primary goal of this study is to develop a transgenic tomato with hypotriglyceridemic action. In epidemiological research, serum triglyceride has emerged as a major factor in inducing coronary heart disease. Decreasing serum triglyceride level would be an important advance in preventing cardiovascular disease and obesity. Diets rich in the peptide sequence Leu-Val-Val-Tyr-Pro-Try are known to effectively lower triglyceride levels in blood. In the current study, using overlapping PCR, a modified ammonium transporter 1 (Amt1) gene of tomato that contains 3 copies of the hypotriglyceridemic peptide without altering the original protein configuration was synthesized. The reconstructed gene was cloned and transferred into tomato plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The hypotriglyceridemic functions of the transgenic tomato were analyzed and described. (This work was supported by the Grants from Council of Agriculture, Taiwan. COA92-4.2.1-Z2-15)