Plant fatty acyl reductases: enzymes generating fatty alcohols for protective layers with potential for industrial applications.
Primary fatty alcohols are found throughout the biological world, either in free form or in a combined state. They are common components of plant surface lipids (i.e. cutin, suberin, sporopollenin, and associated waxes) and their absence can significantly perturb these essential barriers. Fatty alcohols and/or derived compounds are also likely to have direct functions in plant biotic and abiotic interactions. An evolutionarily related set of alcohol-forming fatty acyl reductases (FARs) is present in all kingdoms of life. Plant microsomal and plastid-associated FAR enzymes have been characterized, acting on acyl-coenzymeA (acyl-CoA) or acyl-acyl carrier protein (acyl-ACP) substrates, respectively. FARs have distinct substrate specificities both with regard to chain length and chain saturation. Fatty alcohols and wax esters, which are a combination of fatty alcohol and fatty acid, have a variety of commercial applications. The expression of FARs with desired specificities in transgenic microbes or oilseed crops would provide a novel means of obtaining these valuable compounds. In the present review, we report on recent progress in characterizing plant FAR enzymes and in understanding the biological roles of primary fatty alcohols, as well as describe the biotechnological production and industrial uses of fatty alcohols.
Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada. Electronic address: Owen_Rowland@carleton.ca.
Owen
O
Rowland
Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, UMR 5200, F-33000, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, UMR 5200, F-33000, Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: frederic.domergue@u-bordeaux2.fr.
Frédéric
F
Domergue
D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002617:Chemical Industry; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006795:Household Products; D007219:Industrial Oils; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014885:Waxes / Q000378:metabolism*
D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014885:Waxes; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; C021351:hexadecanal dehydrogenase (acylating)