Abstract
Dolichols (Dols), ubiquitous components of living organisms, are
indispensable for cell survival. In plants, as well as other eukaryotes,
Dols are crucial for posttranslational protein glycosylation, aberration
of which leads to fatal metabolic disorders in humans and male sterility
in plants. Until now, the mechanisms underlying Dol accumulation remain
elusive. In this report, we have analyzed the natural variation of the
accumulation of Dols and six other isoprenoids between more than 120
Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Subsequently, by combining QTL
and GWAS approaches, we have identified several candidate genes involved
in the accumulation of Dols, polyprenols, plastoquinone, and
phytosterols. The role of two genes implicated in the accumulation of
major Dols in Arabidopsis – the AT2G17570 gene encoding a long searched
for cis-prenyltransferase (CPT3) and the AT1G52460 gene encoding an
alpha-beta hydrolase (ABH) – is experimentally confirmed. These data
will help to generate Dol-enriched plants which might serve as a remedy
for Dol-deficiency in humans.
, 
