Unleashing the potential of narrow leaf lupin as locally grown protein crop

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Europe is in great need of a locally produced protein crop as it imports 70% of its protein requirements. Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius, NLL) represents an excellent candidate. It is native to Europe, able to fix atmospheric nitrogen and produces high-protein grain (up to 40%). However, toxic alkaloids in the grain (quinolizidine alkaloids, QAs) prevent its widespread cultivation. Cultivars with low QA levels in all tissues are available; however, these are susceptible to herbivores, and grain QA content often surpasses safety thresholds. Interestingly, QAs are not produced in the grain, but are transported to the grain from vegetative tissues. Thus, I propose to specifically eliminate QAs from grain using a transport engineering approach without compromising defenses in vegetative tissues. In this UnleashLupin project I will discover and characterise the unknown transport proteins involved in translocating QAs to the grain. For this, I will combine my background in NLL genetics and genomics with the expertise of the Nour‒Eldin laboratory, which is world-leading in the field of plant specialised metabolite transport. Candidate genes will be selected from recently generated resources, and they will be tested for transport activity (e.g. in Xenopus oocytes) and cellular/sub-cellular localization. Techniques for in planta characterization (e.g. virus-induced gene silencing) will be provided by the Geu-Flores laboratory, which is currently investigating QA biosynthesis in NLL. The outcome will significantly advance the emerging field of long-distance transport of plant specialised metabolites. It will also be instrumental in the development of a locally grown high-value, herbivore-resistant NLL crop that accumulates little or no QAs in the grain but retains QAs in vegetative tissues. Such a crop has the potential of curbing the EU’s dependency on imported vegetable protein, thus contributing to sustainability and economic growth.