NC1203: Lipids In Plants: Improving and Developing Sustainability of Crops ("LIPIDS of Crops")

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[09/30/2022] [10/16/2023] [08/30/2024]

Date of Annual Report: 09/30/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 09/17/2022 - 09/18/2022
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2022

Participants

Cahoon, Edgar - University of Nebraska (UNL); Clemente, Thomas - UNL; Hoffmann-Benning, Susanne - Michigan State University; Kosma, Dylan - University of Nevada Reno (UNR); Lee, Young-Jin - Iowa State University; Louis, Joe - University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Minton, Ernie - Kansas State University (KSU); Schrick, Kathrin - KSU; Thelen, Jay - University of Missouri - Columbia; Welti, Ruth - KSU; Dhankher, Om Parkash - University of Massachusetts Amherst; Koo, Abraham - MU; Narayanan, Sruthi - Clemson University; Wang, Xuemin (Sam) - Donald Danforth Center; Yandeau-Nelson, Marna - Iowa State University; Van Doren, Steven - University of Missouri; Bates, Phil - Washington State University; Tamborindeguy, Cecilia - Texas A&M

Brief Summary of Minutes

Brief summary minutes of annual meeting: The 2022 NC-1203 meeting was held as a hybrid Zoom-in person meeting on September 17 at Michigan State University. The meeting was opened by the host Susanne Hoffmann-Benning. A time of introductions was followed by presentations and discussions for each of the individual project aims. Multistate Project Administrative Advisor Ernie Minton joined later and gave comments about the current status of the group and the need for the group to find another Multistate Project Administrative Advisor. Accomplishments for each of the aims are summarized below. This was followed by a discussion of future plans for each of the aims and the timing of the 2023 annual meeting hosted by Tom Clemente at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and establishment of future meeting sites; in 2024 the meeting will be held at the University of Nevada Reno (hosted by Dylan Kosma) and in 2025 in Kansas City (alternatively, at Kansas State University) (hosted by Kathrin Schrick).

Accomplishments

A pdf file containing the entire report and publications will be attached under "publications"

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 10/16/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 08/14/2023 - 08/14/2023
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2022 - 08/14/2023

Participants

Allen, Doug – Donald Danforth Center; Cahoon, Edgar - University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL); Clemente, Thomas - UNL; Durrett, Timothy - Kansas State University (KSU); Hoffmann-Benning, Susanne - Michigan State University; Huang, Chien-Yu – Louisiana State University; Lawrence-Dill, Carolyn, Iowa State University (ISU); Louis, Joe - UNL; Rosten, Rebecca – UNL; Schrick, Kathrin – KSU; Thelen, Jay - University of Missouri (MU), Columbia; Welti, Ruth - KSU; Dhankher, Om Parkash - University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Koo, Abraham - MU; Narayanan, Sruthi - Clemson University; Wang, Xuemin (Sam) - Donald Danforth Center; Yandeau-Nelson, Marna - ISU; Van Doren, Steven - MU; Bates, Phil - Washington State University; Tamborindeguy, Cecilia - Texas A&M

Brief Summary of Minutes

The 2023 NC-1203 meeting was held as a hybrid in person and Zoom meeting on August 14, 2023, at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The meeting was opened by the host Tom Clemente. A time of introductions was followed by presentations by the participants. Multistate Project Administrative Advisor Carolyn Lawrence-Dill joined later to provide a summary of information corresponding to multistate projects and opportunities for additional funding support. Accomplishments for each of the objectives are summarized below. The presentations were followed by a discussion of future plans for each of the aims and the timing of the 2024 annual meeting co-hosted by Joe Louis (President) and Rebecca Roston (Secretary) at the University of Nebraska Lincoln one day ahead of the ISPL meeting in July 2024. Future meeting sites: In 2025 we plan to hold the annual meeting in Kansas City (alternatively, at Kansas State University) (hosted by Kathrin Schrick, who will serve as Vice President in 2024), and in 2026 the meeting will be held at the University of Nevada, Reno (hosted by Dylan Kosma, who will serve as Vice President in 2025). As part of the itinerary of the next year’s 2024 annual meeting, a new Secretary will be elected for 2025.

Accomplishments

A pdf file containing the entire report and publications will be attached under "publications"

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 08/30/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/14/2024 - 07/19/2024
Period the Report Covers: 08/15/2023 - 07/19/2024

Participants

Allen, Doug - USDA/Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Cahoon, Edgar - University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL); Clemente, Thomas - UNL; Durrett, Timothy - Kansas State University (KSU); Hoffmann-Benning, Susanne - Michigan State University; Huang, Chien-Yu - Louisiana State University; Louis, Joe - UNL; Roston, Rebecca - UNL; Schrick, Kathrin - KSU; Thelen, Jay - University of Missouri (MU), Columbia; Welti, Ruth - KSU; Dhankher, Om Parkash Dhankher - University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Koo, Abraham - MU; Narayanan, Sruthi - Clemson University; Wang, Xuemin (Sam) - Donald Danforth Center; Yandeau-Nelson, Marna - Iowa State University (ISU); Van Doren, Steven - MU; Bates, Phil - Washington State University; Tamborindeguy, Cecilia - Texas A&M;, Scott Peck - MU; Young-Jin Lee - ISU; Adam Yokom - MU;

Brief Summary of Minutes

The 2024 NC-1203 meeting was held as a hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting on July 16, 2024, at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, to take advantage of the International Symposium on Plant Lipids occurring at the same location. Presentations by the participants occurred throughout the society meeting. We have plans to request a new academic advisor from Kansas State, and proposed addition of several future members. Future meeting sites: In 2025 we plan to hold the annual meeting in Kansas City (alternatively, at Kansas State University) hosted by Kathrin Schrick, in 2026 the meeting will be held at the University of Nevada, Reno (hosted by Dylan Kosma), and in 2027 the meeting will be held in conjunction with the 2027 Gordon Research Conference on Plant Lipids, likely in California, with more than half of attendees planning to attend. Philip Bates will host the 2027 business meeting. Hosting beyond 2026 will depend on renewal of the project. Timothy Durrett volunteered to organize writing of the renewal with Ruth Welti, Susanne Hoffmann-Benning, and Rebecca Roston volunteering to assist.

Accomplishments

Activities and accomplishments related to each of the project’s three objectives are described below. The report also summarizes the collaborative research efforts of LIPIDS of Crops members including the establishment of new collaborations as well as the outcomes of existing collaborations in the form of publications and grant awards. <h1>Objective 1: Improve and extend methods for lipid characterization and measurement</h1> The Welti and Durrett groups (Kansas) collaborated to create a novel semi-targeted mass spectral approach for lipid analysis, capable of yielding over 100,000 mass spectral intensities representing both known and unknown lipids. This method was applied to camelina plants, with the resulting data correlated with transcriptomic analyses by Trupti Joshi's group (Missouri). This interdisciplinary effort not only produced valuable insights into lipid metabolism during seed development but also set the stage for future collaborative projects aimed at refining lipid data annotation techniques. In addition to advancing lipid analysis methods, Welti’s group (Kansas) has been instrumental in establishing a global Plant Lipid Interest Group under the International Lipidomics Society. This collaboration involves plant lipidomics labs from Germany, the UK, France, the US, and other countries. The group's first major initiative, a ring trial comparing lipid analyses across different labs, exemplifies the collaborative spirit fostered by this grant. The ongoing work aims to standardize lipidomics practices and make common reference materials available to the global plant lipidomics community, ensuring consistency and reliability in lipid research. The Lee group (Iowa) has also made significant contributions, developing mass spectrometry imaging with isotope labeling to study lipid biosynthesis in various plant species, including duckweed, Arabidopsis, and maize. Their spatiotemporal analysis of lipid labeling patterns has provided new insights into membrane lipid restructuring and biosynthesis, with findings published in multiple papers. These advancements are a direct result of collaborative efforts supported within NC-1203, highlighting its role in pushing the boundaries of lipid characterization and measurement. <h1>Objective 2: Identify lipid-related mechanisms to increase agricultural resilience</h1> Several labs have focused on the role of lipids in plant signaling and metabolism. The Hoffmann-Benning lab (Michigan) developed an innovative optogenetics method to study phloem lipids and lipid-binding proteins, enabling the monitoring of these proteins' movement within plants. This work is being complemented by the Schrick lab (Kansas), which has been investigating lipid-binding transcription factors and their role in gene expression regulation. Through collaboration with the Roeder group (New York) at Cornell, the Schrick lab is exploring how lipids interact with transcription factors to influence plant development. These studies collectively enhance our understanding of lipid-mediated signaling and its impact on plant growth. Another area of focus has been the relationship between lipid composition and plant resilience to environmental stress. The Allen (USDA) and Bates labs (Washington), in collaboration with the Gehan lab (Missouri) at the Danforth Center, studied how lipid-engineered tobacco plants respond to temperature changes, revealing that increased lipid levels in guard cells can affect stomatal function and leaf temperature regulation. Similarly, the Roston lab (Nebraska), in collaboration with the Welti (Kansas) and Durrett labs (Kansas), has been investigating the role of lipids in cold tolerance, profiling plant responses to low temperatures. These studies highlight the importance of lipid stability and composition in enhancing crop resilience to various environmental challenges. The metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of lipids in crops have also been a key focus, with the Bates lab (Washington) working with USDA scientists to discover a novel metabolic pathway, "triacylglycerol remodeling," in the Brassicaceae species. This pathway influences oil composition in oilseed crops, and their findings are poised to impact agricultural practices. Similarly, the Yandeau-Nelson and Nikolau teams (Iowa) have employed synthetic biology approaches to study cuticle synthesis in maize, focusing on how gene mutations affect cuticular wax composition and its protective functions. Their work, in collaboration with Joe Louis (Nebraska), is expected to extend to biotic stress resistance, further enhancing crop resilience. The role of lipids in plant-pathogen interactions has been explored by the Tamborindeguy lab (Texas), which has identified bacterial lipoproteins that manipulate plant defenses, setting the stage for better disease management strategies. This theme is echoed in the work of the Huang lab (Louisiana), which has been studying the lipid droplets in soybean and fungal pathogens, identifying inhibitors that suppress fungal growth. Both labs are contributing to the development of lipid-based approaches for managing plant diseases. Finally, the Welti lab (Kansas), in collaboration with Durrett (Kansas), Schrick (Kansas), and Trupti Joshi (Missouri), is advancing our understanding of lipid metabolism by characterizing genes involved in cuticle biosynthesis and sequencing the transcriptome of Chinese elm. Their research is uncovering new insights into lipid functions in plants, with potential applications in crop improvement. <h1>Objective 3: Develop crops with improved yield and/or functionality</h1> Multiple collaborations originating in the NC1203 have significantly advanced research on improving crop yield and functionality through lipid production. For instance, the Durrett lab's work (Kansas) on cloning and characterizing novel seed-specific promoters from camelina, alongside their collaboration with the Allen group (USDA), resulted in the generation of soybean lines with improved amino acid compositions, contributing to a better understanding of gene expression's impact on metabolic pathways. Similarly, the Bates lab leveraged triacylglycerol remodeling mechanisms to engineer camelina for enhanced fatty acid compositions, and their findings are now being tested for broader applications. The Thelen lab (Missouri), in collaboration with the Koo (Missouri), Bates (Washington), and Allen (USDA) labs, used global profiling methods to study the metabolic effects of enhancing acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in Brassicaceae. This collaborative effort uncovered unexpected insights into fatty acid turnover and catabolic pathways, which could inform future strategies for improving oil content in crops. In another notable partnership, the Cahoon lab (Nebraska) teamed up with the Hongfei Lin lab at Washington State University to develop biodesigned camelina oils for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. Their work optimized oilseed feedstock for SAF production, achieving high alkane yields that closely mimic Jet A composition, contributing to the SAF Grand Challenge. Further, the Dhankher lab's (Massachusetts) work on engineering camelina for increased oil yield and fatty acid composition, through transcriptomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic approaches, identified key genes responsible for these traits. Their findings have led to significant increases in seed yield and oil content in engineered camelina lines, providing a strong foundation for future crop improvement efforts. The Yokom (Missouri), Van Doren (Missouri), and Thelen (Missouri) labs collaborated to study the structural aspects of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in pennycress and other species, focusing on the protein-protein interactions that drive lipid production. Their work has advanced our understanding of the regulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis, offering new targets for crop engineering. The Koo lab's (Missouri) collaboration with the Welti (Kansas) and Allen (USDA) labs resulted in significant progress in metabolic engineering to increase biomass oil content, with findings under review for publication. Similarly, the Clemente (Nebraska) lab's research on the genetic basis of soybean seed protein accumulation led to the identification of gene edits that impact seed protein content and maturity, with ongoing studies aimed at further elucidating these genetic pathways. In summary, NC-1203 facilitated critical partnerships that advanced the scientific understanding of lipid metabolism and crop yield improvement and laid the groundwork for future research and development efforts, underscoring the impact on the plant lipid field. <h1>2024 Milestones</h1> <ul> <li>Development of in vivo isotope labeling for mass spectrometry imaging of plant metabolites.</li> <li>Analysis of post-translational regulation of  lipid-binding transcription factors during growth and development</li> <li>Quantification of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents of soybean seed with altered protein amino acid quality.</li> <li>Analysis of oil, protein and amino acid content revealed similar oil content between transgenic lines engineered to suppress enzymes associated with cys and met turnover and wild-type control plants, elevated total protein levels (including increased protein-bound cys and met) in transgenic lines, as well as increased free cys and met.</li> <li>Wound-healing and lipidomic measurements of engineered potato and camelina lines completed.</li> <li>Field trials of DHA-producing soybean lines were conducted. </li> <li>Metabolomics of first-iteration of improved camelina astaxanthin lines completed.</li> <li>Field trials conducted on second generation of astaxanthin-producing camelina.</li> <li>Phenotypic and genotypic measurements of second-generation of sorghum vegetative oil lines completed.</li> <li>Single-nuclei sequencing on developing glabra2 (gl2) mutant versus wild-type seed to determine cell- and tissue-specific gene expression differences correlated with higher seed oil production.</li> <li>Analysis of the chromatin-remodeling mechanism that lipid-binding HD-Zip IV transcription factors utilize in controlling gene expression.</li> <li>Proximity labeling of a lipid sensing HD-Zip IV transcription factor followed by MS-based proteomics to determine the protein complex involved in regulation of gene expression.</li> <li>Characterization of the mechanism underlying subcellular localization of transcription factors in response to lipid changes. A predicted nuclear localization signal (NLS) was found to be necessary and sufficient for nuclear localization of two HD-Zip IV transcription factors. While the NLS overlaps with the DNA binding domain, mutant analysis shows that the two functions can be separated. Protein-protein interaction studies and mutant analysis indicate that an alpha importin is required for nuclear import. This work was completed and the paper has been published (Ahmad et al. 2024). <h1>Grants awarded</h1> PI: Doug Allen. Co-PI(s): Veena Veena, Timothy. Durrett. Agency: United Soybean Board. Title: Engineering Increased Protein and Oil in Soybeans for Improved Seed Value. Dates 10/1/2023 – 9/30/2024. Total cost: $ 207,183. PI: Edgar Cahoon; Co-PI: Tom E. Clemente, Nebraska Soybean Board. Title: Biotechnological Development of Optimized Soybean Germplasm for Aquaculture Feedstock. Dates 10/1/2023-9/30/2024. Total cost: $75,000 PI: Edgar Cahoon; Co-PIs: Ruth Welti, Kent Chapman, Marisol Berti, Sanju Sanjaya. USDA-NIFA. Title: 26th International Symposium on Plant Lipids and 1st International Camelina Conference. 3/1/2024-3/28/2025. Total cost: $31,000. PI: Edgar Cahoon; Co-PIs: Ruth Welti, Kent Chapman, Sanju Sanjaya. NSF. Title: 26th International Symposium on Plant Lipids. 3/1/2024-3/28/2025. Total cost: $21,900. PI: Edgar Cahoon; Co-PIs: Ruth Welti, Kent Chapman, Sanju Sanjaya. DOE. Title: 26th International Symposium on Plant Lipids. 3/1/2024-3/28/2025. Total cost: $10,000. PI: Edgar Cahoon; Co-PI: Erich Grotewold. DOE. Title:1st International Camelina Conference. 8/15/2024-8/14/2025. Total cost: $8,000 PI Rebecca Roston. Co-PIs Toshi Obata, James Schnable, Frank Harmon. NSF-PGRP “RESEARCH-PGR: Cycling to low-temperature tolerance” 05/2024 - 04/2027 Total cost: $1,800,000 PI: Steven Van Doren, co-Is: Jay Thelen, Philip Bates. Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and Joint Genome Institute FICUS program. “Structural mechanisms of enzyme regulation to open the tap of plant oil synthesis” 10/2024 – 9/30/2026. In-kind value in 2024: $80,000 PI: Steven Van Doren. University of Missouri Research Council. “Enzyme Controlling Synthesis of Oils and Biofuel in Crops: Validation of Structural Models” 11/2023 - 12/2024 Total cost: $14,993 PI: Steven Van Doren. co-I Adam Yokom. MU CAFNR Joy of Discovery program. “A Braking Mechanism at Initiation of Oil Synthesis by a New Winter Cover Crop” 4/2024 - 3/2026 Total cost: $19,998 <h1>Patents</h1>  Kim H, Park K, Cahoon EB (2023) Methods and compositions for making ketocarotenoids. Application Date 10/09/2023   </li> </ul>

Publications

<h1>Publications</h1> Abdullah, H.M., Pang, N.,  Chilcoat, B., Shachar-Hill, Y., Schnell, D.J., and Dhankher, O.P.. Overexpression of the Phosphatidylcholine: Diacylglycerol Cholinephosphotransferase (PDCT) Gene Increases Carbon Flux Towards Triacylglycerol (TAG) Synthesis in Camelina sativa Seeds. Plant Physiology & Biochemistry, 208: 108470 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108470 Alexander, L.E., Winkelman, D., Stenback, K.E., Lane, M., Campbell, K.R., Trost, E., Flyckt, K., Schelling, M.A., Rizhsky, L., Yandeau-Nelson, M.D., Nikolau, B.J. 2024. The impact of GLOSSY2 and GLOSSY2-LIKE BAHD-proteins in affecting the product profile of the maize fatty acid elongase. Front Plant Sci. 15: 1403779. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1403779 Ahmad, B., Lerma-Reyes, R., Mukherjee, T., Nguyen, H.V., Weber, A.L., Cummings, E.E., Schulze, W.X., Comer, J.R., Schrick, K. 2024. Nuclear localization of HD-Zip transcription factor GLABRA2 is driven by Importin alpha. J. Exp. Bot. erae326. doi:10.1093/jxb/erae326. Azeez A, Bates PD (2024) Self-incompatibility based functional genomics for rapid phenotypic characterization of seed metabolism genes. Plant Biotechnology Journal. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14383">https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14383</a>  Chen, K., Bhunia, R.K., Wendt, M.M., Campidilli, G., McNinch, C., Hassan, A., Li, L., Nikolau, B.J., Yandeau-Nelson, M.D. 2024a. Cuticle development and the underlying transcriptome-metabolome associations during early seedling establishment. J Exp Bot.  erae311. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae311. Chen, K., Alexander, L.E., Mahgoub, U., Okazaki, Y., Higashi, Y., Perera, A.M., Showman, L.J., Loneman, D., Dennison, T.S., Lopez, M., Claussen, R., Peddicord, L., Saito, K., Lauter, N., Dorman, K.S., Nikolau, B.J., Yandeau-Nelson, M.D. 2024b. Dynamic relationships among pathways producing hydrocarbons and fatty acids of maize silk cuticular waxes. Plant Physiol. 195(3): 2234-2255. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae150 Chen M, Wang S, Zhang Y, Fang D, Thelen JJ. (2023) Plastid Phosphatidylglycerol Homeostasis Influences Polar Lipid Synthesis in Arabidopsis. Metabolites. 13:318. Esterhuizen, L., Ampimah, N., Yandeau-Nelson, M.D., Nikolau, B.J., Sparks, E.E., Saha, R. AraRoot-A comprehensive genome-scale metabolic model for the Arabidopsis root system. Preprint in bioRxiv; doi: 10.1101/2024.07.28.605515 Hoffmann-Benning, S. and Simon-Plas, F. (2024). Editorial: Lipid signaling in plant physiology. Plant Science 334.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112088"> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112088</a> Holtsclaw RE, Mahmud S, Koo AJ. (2024) Identification and characterization of GLYCEROLIPASE A1 for wound-triggered JA biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Plant Mol Biol. 114:4 doi: 10.1007/s11103-023-01408-7. Johnson BS, Allen DK, Bates PD (2024) Triacylglycerol stability limits futile cycles and inhibition of carbon capture in oil-accumulating leaves. Plant Physiology. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae121  Kenchanmane Raju SK, Zhang Y, Mahboub S, Ngu DW, Qiu Y, Harmon FG, Schnable JC, Roston RL. Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2024 May 29:erae247. Kim, P., S. Mahboob, H.T. Nguyen, S. Eastman*, O. Meyer*, M. Sousek, R.E. Gaussoin, J.L. Brungardt, T.A. Jackson-Ziems, R. Roston, J.A. Alfano, T.E. Clemente, and M.Guo 2024. Characterization of soybean events with enhanced expression of the microtubule-associated protein 65-1 (MAP65-1). Mol. Plant-Microbe Int. 37:62-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-09-23-0134-R Kimberlin AN, Mahmud S, Holtsclaw RE, Walker A, Conrad K, Morley SA, Welti R, Allen DK, and Koo AJ. Increasing oil production in leaves by engineering plastidial phospholipase A1. Under review. Kulke, M., Kurtz, E., Boren, D., Olson, D. M., Koenig, A. M., Hoffmann-Benning, S., & Vermaas, J. V. (2024). PLAT Domain Protein 1 (PLAT1/PLAFP) Binds to the Arabidopsis thaliana Plasma Membrane and Inserts a Lipid. Plant science 338. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111900">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111900</a> Lee, Y.J., Hapuarachchige, P., Larson, E., Le, N.goc; Forsman, Trevor, 2024, Visualizing 13C-labeled Metabolites in Maize Root Tips with Mass Spectrometry Imaging, J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 35, 7. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.4c00042">https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.4c00042</a> Li-Beisson Y, Roston R. Plant and Algal Lipids: In All Their States and On All Scales. Plant and Cell Physiology. 2024 May, pcae061. Muthan B, Wang J, Welti R, Kosma DK, Yu L, Deo B, Khatiwada S, Vulavala VKR, Childs KL, Xu C, Durrett TP, Sanjaya SA. Mechanisms of Spirodela polyrhiza tolerance to FGD wastewater-induced heavy-metal stress: Lipidomics, transcriptomics, and functional validation. J Hazard Mater. 2024 May 5;469:133951. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133951.  Na, S., Lee, Y.J., 2024, Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Arabidopsis thaliana with in vivo D2O Labeling, Front. Plant Sci. 15:1379299, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1379299">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1379299</a>. Neumann N, Harman M, Kuhlman A, Durrett TP. 2024. Arabidopsis diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 mutants require fatty acid desaturation for normal seed development. Plant J. 119: 916-926.  doi: 10.1111/tpj.16805 Neumann N, Fei T, Wang T, Durrett TP. 2023. Defining the physical properties of blends of acetyl-triacylglycerols derived from transgenic oil seeds. J Am Oil Chem Soc. 101(2): 197–204. doi: 10.1002/aocs.12746 Nguyen D, Groth N, Mondloch K, Cahoon EB, Jones K, Busta L (2024) Project ChemicalBlooms: Collaborating with citizen scientists to survey the chemical diversity and phylogenetic distribution of plant epicuticular wax blooms. 8 (5), e588 https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.588 Osinuga A, Solís AG, Cahoon RE, Al-Siyabi A, Cahoon EB, Saha R (2024) Deciphering Sphingolipid Biosynthesis Dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures: Quantitative Analysis Amidst Data Variability. iScience DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110675">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110675</a> Parchuri P, Bhandari S, Azeez A, Chen G, Johnson K, Shockey J, Smertenko A, Bates PD (2024) Identification of triacylglycerol remodeling mechanism to synthesize unusual fatty acid containing oils. Nature Communications 15 (1):3547. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-47995-x  Qin, P.,Chen, P.,Zhou, Y.,Zhang, W.,Zhang, Y.,Xu, J.,Gan, L.,Liu, Y.,Romer, J.,Dormann, P.,Cahoon, E. B. & Zhang, C. (2024) Vitamin E biofortification: enhancement of seed tocopherol concentrations by altered chlorophyll metabolism, Front Plant Sci. 15, 1344095 [10.3389/fpls.2024.1344095]. Quach, T., Nguyen, H., Meyer, O., S.J. Sato, Clemente, T.E., and Guo, M. 2023. Introduction of genome editing reagents and genotyping of derived edited alleles in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Plant Genome Engineering: Methods & Protocols <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3131-7_17">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3131-7_17</a> Quach, T.N., Sato, S.J., Behrens, M.R., Black, P.N., DiRusso, C.C., Cerutti, H.D. and Clemente, T.E.. 2023. A facile Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for the model unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In Vitro Cellular & Mol Biol.-Plant 59:671-683. Schrick, K., Ahmad, B., Nguyen, H.V. 2023. HD-Zip IV transcription factors: Drivers of epidermal cell fate integrate metabolic signals. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 75:e102407. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102417 Shomo ZD, Mahboub S, Vanviratikul H, McCormick M, Tulyananda T, Roston RL, Warakanont J. All members of the Arabidopsis DGAT and PDAT acyltransferase families operate during high and low temperatures. Plant Physiology. 2024 May;195(1):685-97. Shomo ZD, Li F, Smith CN, Edmonds SR, Roston RL. From Sensing to Acclimation: The Role of Membrane Lipid Remodeling in Plant Responses to Low Temperatures. Plant Physiology. 2024 Jul 19:kiae382. Singh, G., Le, H., Ablordeppey, K., Long, S., Minocha, R., and Dhankher, O.P.. Overexpression of gamma-Glutamyl Cyclotransferases 2;1 (CsGGCT2;1) Reduces Arsenic Toxicity and Accumulation in Camelina sativa (L.). Plant Cell Reports, 43:14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-023-03091-w Spivey WW, Rustgi S, Welti R, Roth MR, Burow MD, Bridges WC Jr, Narayanan S. Lipid modulation contributes to heat stress adaptation in peanut. Front Plant Sci. 2023 Dec 18;14:1299371. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1299371. Surber SM, Thien Thao NP, Smith CN, Shomo ZD, Barnes AC, Roston RL. Exploring cotton SFR2’s conundrum in response to cold stress. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 2024 Dec 31;19(1):2362518. Tat, V.T., Lee, Y.J., 2024, Spatiotemporal Study of Galactolipid Biosynthesis in Duckweed with Mass Spectrometry Imaging and in vivo Isotope Labeling, Plant and Cell Physiology, 65(6), 986–998. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcae032">https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcae032</a> Villalobos, J. A.,Cahoon, R. E.,Cahoon, E. B. & Wallace, I. S. (2024) Glucosylceramides impact cellulose deposition and cellulose synthase complex motility in Arabidopsis, Glycobiology. 34 [10.1093/glycob/cwae035]. Wang M, Garneau MG, Poudel AN, Lamm D, Koo AJ, Bates PD, Thelen JJ. (2022) Overexpression of pea α-carboxyltransferase in Arabidopsis and Camelina increases fatty acid synthesis leading to improved seed oil content. Plant J. 110:1035-1046. Wang S, Blume RY, Zhou ZW, Nazarenus TJ, Blume YB, Cahoon EB*, Chen L*, Liang G* (2024) Chromosome-level assembly and analysis of Camelina neglecta – a novel diploid model for camelina biotechnology research. Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 17 (1), 17 (*Co-corresponding authors) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-024-02466-9 Vadde, B.V.L., Russell, N.J., Bagde, S.R., Askey, B., Saint-Antoine, M.M., Brownfield, B.A., Mughal, S., Apprill, L.E., Khosla, A., Clark, F.K., Schwarz, E.M., Alseekh, S., Fernie, A.R., Singh, A., Schrick, K., Fromme, J.C., Skirycz, A., Formosa-Jordan, P., Roeder, A.H.K. 2024. The transcription factor ATML1 maintains giant cell identity by inducing synthesis of its own long-chain fatty acid-containing ligands. 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Impact Statements

The LIPIDS of Crops multi-state research project has an overarching goal to increase the value of crop oilseeds by increasing seed oil content, making unusual and economically important fatty acids, finding new markets for existing or future vegetable oils and oilseed crops (e.g., camelina), and also adding value to the defatted meal particularly for niche crops like camelina. Each of these goals has the potential to impact the economy and move towards renewable energy independence. Additionally, LIPIDS of Crops is working to improve crop resilience to environmental stresses, including those associated with climate change. The NC-1203 group has interacted collaboratively to achieve project milestones during the year as indicated by milestones and 40 publications, 10 grant proposals funded, and 1 patents listed below, as well as standards and protocols that have been shared among participants. Future work will focus on completing the remaining and future milestones.