title: The importance of SERINE DECARBOXYLASE1 (SDC1) and ethanolamine biosynthesis during embryogenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: In plants, ethanolamine is considered a precursor for the synthesis of choline, which is an essential dietary nutrient for animals. An enzyme serine decarboxylase (SDC) has been identified and characterized in Arabidopsis, which directly converts serine to ethanolamine, a precursor to phosphorylethanolamine and its subsequent metabolites in plants. However, the importance of SDC and ethanolamine production in plant growth and development remains unclear. Here, we show that SDC is required for ethanolamine biosynthesis in vivo and essential in plant embryogenesis in Arabidopsis. The knockout of SDC1 caused an embryonic lethal defect due to the developmental arrest of the embryos at the heart stage. During embryo development, the expression was observed at the later stages, at which developmental defect occurred in the knockout mutant. Overexpression of SDC1 in planta increased levels of ethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine both in leaves and siliques. These results suggest that SDC1 plays an essential role in ethanolamine biosynthesis during the embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ian Sofian
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Yunus
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019856:Ethanolamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010743:Phospholipids; C483858:phosphatidylethanolamine; D012694:Serine; D019856:Ethanolamine
keywords: 
  Arabidopsis thaliana
  ; embryo development; ethanolamine; phospholipid; serine decarboxylase