PLDα1-knockdown soybean seeds display higher unsaturated glycerolipid contents and seed vigor in high temperature and humidity environments

BackgroundSoybean oil constitutes an important source of vegetable oil and biofuel. However, high temperature and humidity adversely impacts soybean seed development, yield, and quality during plant development and after harvest. Genetic improvement of soybean tolerance to stress environments is highly desirable.ResultsTransgenic soybean lines with knockdown of phospholipase D1 (PLD1KD) were generated to study PLD1s effects on lipid metabolism and seed vigor under high temperature and humidity conditions. Under such stress, as compared with normal growth conditions, PLD1KD lines showed an attenuated stress-induced deterioration during soybean seed development, which was associated with elevated expression of reactive oxygen species-scavenging genes when compared with wild-type control. The developing seeds of PLD1KD had higher levels of unsaturation in triacylglycerol (TAG) and major membrane phospholipids, but lower levels of phosphatidic acid and lysophospholipids compared with control cultivar. Lipid metabolite and gene expression profiling indicates that the increased unsaturation on phosphatidylcholine (PC) and enhanced conversion between PC and diacylglycerol (DAG) by PC:DAG acyltransferase underlie a basis for increased TAG unsaturation in PLD1KD seeds. Meanwhile, the turnover of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) into lysoPC and lysoPE was suppressed in PLD1KD seeds under high temperature and humidity conditions. PLD1KD developing seeds suffered lighter oxidative stresses than did wild-type developing seeds in the stressful environments. PLD1KD seeds contain higher oil contents and maintained higher germination rates than the wild-type seeds.ConclusionsThe study provides insights into the roles of PLD1 in developing soybean seeds under high temperature and humidity stress. PLD1KD decreases pre-harvest deterioration and enhances acyl editing in phospholipids and TAGs. The results indicate a way towards improving production of quality soybean seeds as foods and biofuels under increasing environmental stress.