Oxidosqualene Cyclase Knock-Down in Latex of Taraxacum koksaghyz Reduces Triterpenes in Roots and Separated Natural Rubber.

ABSTRACT: In addition to natural rubber (NR), several triterpenes are synthesized in laticifers of the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz). Detailed analysis of NR and resin contents revealed different concentrations of various pentacyclic triterpenes such as α-, β-amyrin and taraxasterol, which strongly affect the mechanical properties of the resulting rubber material. Therefore, the reduction of triterpene content would certainly improve the industrial applications of dandelion NR. We developed T. koksaghyz plants with reduced triterpene contents by tissue-specific downregulation of major laticifer-specific oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) by RNA interference, resulting in an almost 67% reduction in the triterpene content of NR. Plants of the T1 generation showed no obvious phenotypic changes and

SUBMITTER: van Deenen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6696514 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature