An enzyme in chloroplasts found to be required for oil synthesis in seeds

August 22, 2024

This finding has the potential to advance 'bio-manufacturing' through metabolic engineering techniques

A research team from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science has identified an enzyme essential for oil synthesis in plant seeds.

Fatty acids, the precursor for oil synthesis, are produced in chloroplasts where photosynthesis takes place. On the other hand, the actual oil synthesis occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, much remains unclear about how fatty acids from chloroplasts are supplied to the process of oil synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum. The research team used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and discovered that the enzyme LPAT1, previously thought to be necessary for chloroplast membrane synthesis and photosynthetic function in leaves, is required for oil synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum of seeds.

This finding suggests the presence of a previously unknown metabolic pathway in oil synthesis, as well as suggests that modifications of such metabolic pathways could contribute to the development of technologies for more efficient production of biofuels and other products.

Original article

Journal of Experimental Botany doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae304

N. A. M. Barroga, V. C. Nguyen, Y. Nakamura,

"The role of LYSOPHOSPHATIDIC ACID ACYLTRANSFERASE 1 (LPAT1) in reproductive growth of Arabidopsis thaliana".

Contact

Yuki Nakamura; Team Leader
Van C. Nguyen; Visiting Researcher
Plant Lipid Research Team Team