Targeting a Peppermint (E)-β-Farnesene Synthase into the Rice Chloroplast Enhanced the Ability of the Transgenic Rice Emitting (E)-β-Farnesene

In order to improve the yield of (E)-β-Farnesene (EβF) in the transgenic rice for aphid control, we used the promoter of small subunit of Rubisco (PrbcS) from rice couple with its own chloroplast transit peptide (ctp) to target a peppermint (E)-β-Farnesene synthase (EβFS) into the rice chloroplast. The expression of EβF synthase in the PrbcS:ctp:EβFS transgenic rice was increased by 6.5-16.6 folds compared with the P35S::EβFS transgenic rice. Meanwhile, the EβF released by the rice seedlings reached to µg/day level for the first time. Under the greenhouse condition, the maximum EβF released by the T3 transgenic plants at tillering stage was up to 12.7 µg/day/plant. Therefore, this study not only confirmed that targeting EβF synthase into the rice chloroplast could effectively enhance the ability of the transgenic rice to produce EβF, but also provided new materials for rice aphid resistance research.