Tailoring Acrylated Soybean Oil-Containing Terpolymers through Emulsion Polymerization

This work focuses on the synthesis of terpolymers using methyl methacrylate (MMA) and vinyl pivalate (VPi), along with the incorporation of methacrylate acid (MA) and acrylated fatty acids (AFA) derived from commercial soybean oil. Emulsion polymerizations were carried out using different monomeric species, along with different initiator concentrations ranging from 0.5 g∙L−1 to 2.2 g∙L−1. The thermal properties of the terpolymers were improved when acrylated fatty acid was incorporated into the polymer chains, expressing glass transition temperatures (Tg) ranging from 70 °C to 90 °C and degradation temperatures in the interval between 350 °C and 450 °C for acrylated fatty acid concentrations ranging from 5 wt% to 10 wt%. Furthermore, a change was noted in the molar mass distributions as a result of acrylated fatty oil present in the polymers. The materials with 5 and 10 wt% of acrylated fatty oil presented mass-average molar masses of 225 kg∙mol−1 and 181 kg∙mol−1, respectively. As the results in this work suggest, the molar masses of the formed polymers are significantly altered by the presence of modified fatty acids.

A pathogen-responsive gene cluster for the production of highly modified fatty acids in tomato

In response to biotic stress, plants reshape their complement of lipids to produce suites of highly modified fatty acids that bear unusual chemical functionality. Despite their chemical complexity, proposed roles in pathogen defense and presence in crop plants, little is known about the biosynthesis of these decorated fatty acids. Falcarindiol is a prototypical member of a suite of acetylenic lipids from carrot, tomato, and celery that inhibits growth of several fungal strains and human cancer cell lines. Here we report a set of clustered genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) that are required for the production of falcarindiol in leaves in response to treatment with an adapted fungal pathogen, Cladosporium fulvum. Our approach is based on correlation of untargeted transcriptomic and metabolomic data sets in order to rapidly identify a candidate biosynthetic pathway. By reconstituting the initial biosynthetic steps in a heterologous host (Nicotiana benthamiana) and generating stable transgenic pathway mutants in tomato, we demonstrate a direct role for three genes in the cluster in falcarindiol biosynthesis. This work reveals a mechanism by which plants sculpt their lipid pool in response to pathogens, and provides critical insight into the biochemistry of alkynyl lipid production.One Sentence SummaryA biosynthetic gene cluster for the production of falcarindiol, a highly modified antifungal oxylipin found in edible plants.

Genetic engineering and production of modified fatty acids by the non-conventional oleaginous yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus ATCC 20509

Establishing genetic engineering tools for sustainable production of tailor made fatty acids in the non-conventional, oleaginous yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus.