An enzyme regulating triacylglycerol composition is encoded by the ROD1 gene of Arabidopsis

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0908848106
• Publication Date: 2009-10-16T01:24:50Z
• Authors: Chaofu Lu; Zhanguo Xin; Zhonghai Ren; Martine Miquel; John Browse
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; Arabidopsis Proteins; Fatty Acids; Molecular Sequence Data; Phosphotransferases; Arabidopsis; Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups); Genes, Plant; 03 medical and health sciences; Sequence Analysis, Protein; Isotope Labeling; Mutation; Seeds; Phosphatidylcholines; Amino Acid Sequence; Crosses, Genetic; Phylogeny; Triglycerides

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) linoleic acid (18:2) and α-linolenic (18:3) in triacylglycerols (TAG) are major factors affecting the quality of plant oils for human health, as well biofuels other renewable applications. These PUFAs essential animals plants, but also source unhealthy trans fats during processing many foodstuffs. 18:2 18:3 synthesized developing seeds by desaturation oleic (18:1) esterified on membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) endoplasmic reticulum. reactions fluxes involved this metabolism incompletely understood, however. Here we show that a previously unrecognized enzyme, phosphatidylcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase (PDCT), encoded Arabidopsis ROD1 gene, is reaction transfer 18:1 into PC reverse TAG synthesis pathway. PDCT enzyme catalyzes phosphocholine headgroup from to diacylglycerol, mutation rod1 reduces accumulation seed 40%. Our discovery important understanding glycerolipid plants organisms, provides tools modify compositions improved nutrition, biofuel, purposes.