Seed-specific suppression of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in Camelina sativa increases seed size and weight

BACKGROUND: Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is a promising oilseed crop that may provide sustainable feedstock for biofuel production. One of the major drawbacks of Camelina is its smaller seeds compared to other major oil crops such as canola, which limit oil yield and may also pose challenges in successful seedling establishment, especially in dryland cultivation. Previous studies indicate that seed development may be under metabolic control. In oilseeds, starch only accumulates temporarily during seed development but is almost absent in mature seeds. In this study, we explored the effect of altering seed carbohydrate metabolism on Camelina seed size through down-regulating ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a major enzyme in starch biosynthesis. RESULTS: An RNAi construct comprising sequences of the Camelina small subunit of an AGPase (CsAPS) was expressed in Camelina cultivar Suneson under a seed-specific promoter. The RNAi suppression reduced AGPase activities which concurred with moderately decreased starch accumulation during seed development. Transcripts of genes examined that are involved in storage products were not affected, but contents of sugars and water were increased in developing seeds. The transgenic seeds were larger than wild-type plants due to increased cell sizes in seed coat and embryos, and mature seeds contained similar oil but more protein contents. The larger seeds showed advantages on seedling emergence from deep soils. CONCLUSIONS: Changing starch and sugar metabolism during seed development may increase the size and mass of seeds without affecting their final oil content in Camelina. Increased seed size may improve seedling establishment in the field and increase seed yield. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13068-018-1334-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.