title: The TAG1 locus of Arabidopsis encodes for a diacylglycerol acyltransferase.
abstract: Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT, EC 2.3.1.20) is a membrane enzyme that drives the final step in the formation of oils using diacylglycerol (DAG) and acyl-CoA to yield triacylglycerol (TAG). We identified a putative plant DGAT gene (TRIACYLGLYCEROL1: TAG1) and demonstrated its function by the cloning of two mutated alleles, designated AS11 (tag1-1) and ABX45 (tag1-2). One allele, AS11, has been previously characterised at the biochemical level. Mutant seeds contained less oil with a modified fatty acid profile and have reduced germination rates compared to wild-type controls. The TAG1 cDNA encodes for a 520-aa protein that possesses multiple putative transmembrane domains and shows 70 % similarity to a human DGAT cDNA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biologie des semences, INRA-INAPG, route de Saint-Cyr, 78026 Versailles cedex, France.
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Routaboul
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bechtold
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caboche
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lepiniec