title: Fatty acid biosynthesis redirected to medium chains in transgenic oilseed plants.
abstract: Medium-chain fatty acids (FAs), found in storage lipids of certain plants, are an important renewable resource. Seeds of undomesticated California bay accumulate laurate (12:0), and a 12:0-acyl-carrier protein thioesterase (BTE) has been purified from this tissue. Sequencing of BTE enabled the cloning of a complementary DNA coding for a plastid-targeted preprotein. Expression of the complementary DNA in the seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in BTE activity, and medium chains accumulated at the expense of long-chain (greater than or equal to 16) FAs. Laurate became the most abundant FA species and was deposited in the storage triacylglycerols. These results demonstrate a mechanism for medium-chain FA synthesis in plants.
authors.affiliation: Calgene, Inc., Davis, CA 95616.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Voelker
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Worrell
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bleibaum
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Radke
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051051:Acyl-Carrier Protein S-Acetyltransferase; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D007850:Lauric Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010957:Plasmids; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D007850:Lauric Acids; C030358:lauric acid; D004247:DNA; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D051051:Acyl-Carrier Protein S-Acetyltransferase