title: The molecular basis of the high linoleic acid content in Petunia seed oil: analysis of a seed-specific linoleic acid mutant.
abstract: From a random transposon mutagenesis experiment, using Petunia line W138, a seed-specific linoleic acid mutant was isolated. The tagged gene was cloned and identified as a microsomal Delta(12) desaturase. Expression of the gene, however, was constitutive and not, as might have been expected, seed-specific. Moreover, self-fertilized homozygous mutants still contain 40% 18:2 in the seed lipid fraction. This suggests that at least two (seed-specific) Delta(12) desaturase genes are responsible for the high linoleic acid content in Petunia seed oil. Five members of the microsomal Delta(12) desaturase gene family have been identified and isolated. Data are presented on the molecular characterization and tissue-specific expression of these genes, which suggest that, in Petunia, the flux through the prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathways of lipid synthesis might be different from the situation found in Arabidopsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biological Studies, Vrije Universiteit, Biocenter Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. verwoert@bio.vu.nl
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Verwoert
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meller-Harel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verbree
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuitje
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D005810:Multigene Family; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D019657:Solanaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C040448:delta-12 fatty acid desaturase