A large and functionally diverse family of Fad2 genes in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.).

ABSTRACT:

Background

The application and nutritional value of vegetable oil is highly dependent on its fatty acid composition, especially the relative proportion of its two major fatty acids, i.e oleic acid and linoleic acid. Microsomal oleoyl phosphatidylcholine desaturase encoded by FAD2 gene is known to introduce a double bond at the Δ12 position of an oleic acid on phosphatidylcholine and convert it to linoleic acid. The known plant FAD2 enzymes are encoded by small gene families consisting of 1-4 members. In addition to the classic oleate Δ12-desaturation activity, functional variants of FAD2 that are capable of undertaking additional or alternative acyl modifications have also been reported in a limited number of plant species. In this study, our objective was to identify FAD2 genes fr

SUBMITTER: Cao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3554562 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature