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Abstract Detail


Lipids

Durrett, Timothy [1], Milcamps, Anne [2], Tumaney, Ajay [2], Ohlrogge, John [2], Pollard, Mike [2].

Characterization of Acetyl-Glyceride Production in the Seeds of Euonymus alatus..

Seed oil from the Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus, is 95% composed of a unique triacylglycerol with an acetate group at the sn-3 position of the glycerol backbone instead of a long-chain fatty acid. These acetyl-glycerides have potential applications as biodiesel and lubricant oil feedstocks, as well as reduced calorie food oils. As Euonymus is not a suitable plant to develop as an oilseed crop, the enzyme(s) necessary for acetyl-glyceride production must be transferred by a genetic engineering strategy. Previous work has demonstrated that developing Euonymus seeds contain both an acetyl-CoA and a long-chain acyl-CoA diacylglycerol transferase activity. A type 1 diacylglycerol transferase (DGAT1) was subsequently isolated from Euonymus seeds. Microsomes isolated from yeast transformed with EaDGAT1 possess both acetyltransferase activity and long-chain acyltransferase activity compared to untransformed controls. In contrast, yeast microsomes expressing Arabidopsis DGAT1 possess only long-chain acyltransferase activity, suggesting that the acetyltransferase activity is specific to EaDGAT1. However, despite this ability to synthesize acetyl-glycerides in vitro, yeast expressing EaDGAT1 only accumulates very low levels of this unique triacyglycerol. Similarly, the expression of EaDGAT1 in Arabidopsis yields only small amounts of acetyl-glycerides in T3 seed. We conclude that there is another acetyltransferase encoding gene required, and/or that there are additional factors required for the accumulation of high levels of acetyl-glycerides in vivo. Current research is focused on the discovery of these additional factors. Recently, a type 2 diacylglycerol transferase (DGAT2) has been cloned from Euonymus and is presently being characterized.


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1 - Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 366 Plant Biology Building, Wilson Road, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
2 - Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology

Keywords:
Euonymus alatus
Acetylglycerides
Triacylglycerols
Biodiesel.

Presentation Type: Plant Biology Abstract
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P21007
Abstract ID:819


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