Imaging and modelling of seed metabolism in oilseed rape

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Ljudmilla Borisjuk
• Subject Area: Plant Physiology
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 223207907

• Final Report Year: 2016

Final Report Abstract

ln this project we tested our hypothesis that there are metabolically distinct regions in the embryo, which are governed by distinct metabolic networks and pathway activities, respectively. We uncovered this metabolic compartmentation by application of non-invasive nuclear magnelic resonance (NMR), metabolite analysis and modelling approaches. Three-dirmensional models of seed at different developmental stages were generated demonstrating the relation between storage processes, oil deposition and seed structure. We were able to generate an appropriate experimental dataset to apply flux balance analysis; its application to the developrng embryos explains the local differences ibn metabolic activity. The outcome of the project also involves the development of integrative tools for the non-invasive analysis of plant seeds, capable to assist and facilitate research on crop improvement. We are expecting great impact of our work on the general understanding of seed biology and on spreading new ideas for application of NMR and noninvasive modelling approaches in plant biology.

Publications

• (2013). Seed architecture shapes embryo metabolism in oilseed rape. Plant Cell 25: 1625-1640
  Borisjuk, Ljudmilla; Neuberger, Thomas; Schwender, Jörg; Heinzel, Nicolas; Sunderhaus, Stephanie; Fuchs, Johannes; Hay, Jordan O.; Tschiersch, Henning; Braun, Hans-Peter; Denolf, Peter; Lambert, Bart; Jakob, Peter M. & Rolletschek, Hardy
  
• (2013). Void space inside the developing seed of Brassica napus and the modelling of its function. New Phytologist 199: 936-947
  Verboven, Pieter; Herremans, Els; Borisjuk, Ljudmilla; Helfen, Lukas; Ho, Quang Tri; Tschiersch, Henning; Fuchs, Johannes; Nicolaï, Bart M. & Rolletschek, Hardy
  
• (2014). B. napus seed endosperm – metabolism and signaling in a dead end tissue. Journal of Proteomics 108: 382-426
  Lorenz, Christin; Rolletschek, Hardy; Sunderhaus, Stephanie & Braun, Hans-Peter
  
• (2014). Integration of a constraint-based metabolic model of Brassica napus developing seeds with 13C-Metabolic Flux Analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science 5: 724
  Hay, Jordan O.; Shi, Hai; Heinzel, Nicolas; Hebbelmann, Inga; Rolletschek, Hardy & Schwender, Jorg
  
• (2014). Transcript abundance on its own cannot be used to infer fluxes in central metabolism. Frontiers in Plant Science 5:668
  Schwender, Jörg; König, Christina; Klapperstück, Matthias; Heinzel, Nicolas; Munz, Eberhard; Hebbelmann, Inga; Hay, Jordan O.; Denolf, Peter; De Bodt, Stefanie; Redestig, Henning; Caestecker, Evelyne; Jakob, Peter M.; Borisjuk, Ljudmilla & Rolletschek, Hardy
  
• (2015). Quantitative multilevel analysis of central metabolism in developing oilseeds of Brassica napus during in vitro culture. Plant Physiology 168: 828-848
  Schwender, Jörg; Hebbelmann, Inga; Heinzel, Nicolas; Hildebrandt, Tatjana; Rogers, Alistair; Naik, Dhiraj; Klapperstück, Matthias; Braun, Hans-Peter; Schreiber, Falk; Denolf, Peter; Borisjuk, Ljudmilla & Rolletschek, Hardy