title: Insights from computational analysis of full-length β-ketoacyl-[ACP] synthase-II cDNA isolated from American and African oil palms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Palm oil derived from fruits (mesocarp) of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Tenera) and American oil palm (E. oleifera) is important for food industry. Due to high yield, Elaeis guineensis (Tenera) is cultivated on commercial scale, though its oil contains high (~54%) level of saturated fatty acids. The rate-limiting activity of beta-ketoacyl-[ACP] synthase-II (KAS-II) is considered mainly responsible for the high (44%) level of palmitic acid (C16:0) in the oil obtained from E. guineensis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to annotate KAS-II cDNA isolated from American and African oil palms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The full-length E. oleifera KAS-II (EoKAS-II) cDNA clone was isolated using random method of gene isolation. Whereas, the E. guineensis KAS-II (EgTKAS-II) cDNA was isolated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique; and missing ends were obtained by employing 5'and 3' RACE technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that EoKAS-II and EgTKAS-II open reading frames (ORFs) are of 1689 and 1721 bp in length, respectively. Further analysis of the both EoKAS-II and EgTKAS-II predicted protein illustrates that they contains conserved domains for 'KAS-I and II', 'elongating' condensing enzymes, 'condensing enzymes super-family', and '3-oxoacyl-[ACP] synthase II'. The predicted protein sequences shows 95% similarity with each other. Consecutively, the three active sites (Cys, His, and His) were identified in both proteins. However, difference in positions of two active Histidine (His) residues was noticed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These insights may serve as the foundation in understanding the variable activity of KAS-II in American and African oil palms; and cDNA clones could be useful in the genetic engineering of oil palms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Melaka Institute of Biotechnology, Lot 7, Melaka International Trade Centre City, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Kedah, Malaysia ; Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Bedong-Semeling Road, Bedong, 08100, Kedah, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Subhash J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bhore
authors.affiliation: School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia ; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Thye S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Melaka Institute of Biotechnology, Lot 7, Melaka International Trade Centre City, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Kedah, Malaysia ; Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Bedong-Semeling Road, Bedong, 08100, Kedah, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kassim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amelia
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Melaka Institute of Biotechnology, Lot 7, Melaka International Trade Centre City, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Kedah, Malaysia ; School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Farida H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Shah
keywords: African oil palm; American oil palm; Elaeis guineensis; Elaeis oleifera; cooking oil; edible oil; fatty acids; oil palm; palm oil