Analysis and Functional Verification of PoWRI1 Gene Associated with Oil Accumulation Process in Paeonia ostii

The plant transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1), a member of AP2/EREBP, is involved in the regulation of glycolysis and the expression of genes related to the de novo synthesis of fatty acids in plastids. In this study, the key regulator of seed oil synthesis and accumulation transcription factor gene PoWRI1 was identified and cloned, having a complete open reading frame of 1269 bp and encoding 422 amino acids. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PoWRI1 is located at the nucleus. After the expression vector of PoWRI1 was constructed and transformed into wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, it was found that the overexpression of PoWRI1 increased the expression level of downstream target genes such as BCCP2, KAS1, and PKP-β1. As a result, the seeds of transgenic plants became larger, the oil content increased significantly, and the unsaturated fatty acid content increased, which provide a scientific theoretical basis for the subsequent use of genetic engineering methods to improve the fatty acid composition and content of plant seeds.