Recruiting a new substrate for triacylglycerol synthesis in plants: the monoacylglycerol acyltransferase pathway.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Monoacylglycerol acyltransferases (MGATs) are predominantly associated with lipid absorption and resynthesis in the animal intestine where they catalyse the first step in the monoacylglycerol (MAG) pathway by acylating MAG to form diacylglycerol (DAG). Typical plant triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis routes such as the Kennedy pathway do not include an MGAT step. Rather, DAG and TAG are synthesised de novo from glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P) by a series of three subsequent acylation reactions although a complex interplay with membrane lipids exists.

Methodology/principal findings

We demonstrate that heterologous expression of a mouse MGAT acyltransferase in Nicotiana benthamiana significantly increases TAG accumulation in vegetative tissues despite the low levels of

SUBMITTER: Petrie JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3327653 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature