Page 250 - PC2019 Program & Proceedings

PLANT CANADA 2019

P73. Expansion and diversification of the CCA1-LHY-RVE transcription factor family in monocots
*
Gélinas Bélanger, J. ; J. Sangiovanni; J. Singh; O. Wilkins
McGill University

The circadian clock is an endogenous timekeeping mechanism that coordinates plant growth and
environmental responses with the fixed period of the Earth’s rotation. Coordination of plant physiology
with light-dark and warm-cool cycles of the terrestrial diel period confer on the plant improved growth
and fitness. The circadian clock comprises multiple, interlocking feedback loops regulated by a diverse
panel of transcription factors. The most extensive studies of the components and mechanisms of the
circadian clock in plants have been performed in Arabidopsis thaliana and in other dicotyledonous
species. Much less is known about the structure and function of the circadian clock in monocots. In this
study, we characterize the expansion and diversification of the CCA1-LHY-RVE family of transcription
factors in the genomes of 10 monocotyledonous species. This family was selected because members of
the CCA1-LHY-RVE family in A. thaliana have demonstrated roles in the functioning of the clock. Here,
we retrieved and curated a comprehensive set of monocot-genome-encoded CCA1-LHY-RVE proteins on
which we performed a multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. From these analyses, we
identified high levels of sequence identity between proteins encoded by distantly related monocots. We
also identified clear phylogenetic structures within this family that support a model of diverse
transcription factor functions that have been conserved across evolution.

Jérôme Gélinas Bélanger (jerome.gelinasbelanger@mail.mcgill.ca)

TOPIC 6: Bioproduct Production in Plants (Posters P74-P80)

P74. Seed yield and oil and protein contents of main oilseed crops on the Canadian prairie
3
3
1
2
Hossain, Z. ; E. Johnson ; R. Blackshaw ; Y. Gan
1 Swift Current Research and Development Centre
2 University of Saskatchewan
3 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Plant-based protein is preferable for human consumption, while vegetable oil is becoming increasingly
popular for industrial uses. It is of importance to evaluate the oil and protein production potential of
Brassicaceae oilseeds for use as feedstock. Here, we determined oil and protein contents and their
relationship with seed yield in oriental mustard (Brassica juncea L.), canola (Brassica napus L.),
camelina (Camelina sativa L.), Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun), and yellow mustard
(Sinapis alba L.) across diverse environments. Data across nine site-years (Lethbridge, Scott, and Swift
Current, in 2014 to 2016) showed that seed oil and protein contents had an inverse relationship with a
wide variation. On average, canola had highest oil (48%) but lowest protein (22%) contents, while S. alba
had lowest oil (29%) but highest protein (34%) contents. Oil yield (concentration by seed mass) was
-1
-1
highest in canola (1358 kg ha ). Protein yield was highest in canola and S. alba (617 and 597 kg ha ,
-1
respectively) and lowest in camelina (456 kg ha ). Oil yield was generally higher in site-years with higher
precipitation coupled with lower temperature during grain filling, whereas protein yield did not have a
consistent response to growing conditions. Considering oil and protein yields across site-years, B. napus
is the most productive feedstock, while B. juncea and carinata could be an alternative source, on the
Canadian prairies.

Yantai Gan (yantai.gan@canada.ca)

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