Vegetative Production of Oil Targeted for High Biomass Crops

Engineering oil production in the vegetative parts of biomass crops could provide a sustainable and economic alternative to diesel and other fossil fuels.  Our intent is to re-channel fixed carbon in leafy biomass into triacylglycerol oils. Our study involved boosting the expression of genes involved in energy production, of enzyme co-factor genes, and of acyltransferase genes that complete the biosynthetic pathway to triacylglycerides. Pilot work performed in Arabidopsis indicated a combination of specific genes (all cloned from oat) that together resulted in increased oil levels in biomass. We are currently attempting to further enhance oil levels by combining our lines with other Arabidopsis lines expressing factors affecting the storage of oil, such as beta-oxidation mutants. If successful in Arabidopsis, the engineered pathway will be transferred into forage sorghum.