The role of diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 and -2 in the incorporation of hydroxy fatty acids into triacylglycerol in Arabidopsis thaliana expressing a castor bean oleate 12-hydroxylase geneThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.

Expression of oleate 12-hydroxylase genes in Arabidopsis results in the accumulation of hydroxy fatty acids in seed triacylglycerol (TAG). The pathways by which these unusual fatty acids become incorporated into TAG are not well understood. We expressed a fatty acid hydroxylase cDNA in Arabidopsis mutant lines to assess the role of three enzymes implicated in TAG assembly in this species. Plants deficient in the expression of phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 or -2 accumulated hydroxy fatty acids and showed no differences to equivalent transformed wild-type plants. Plants lacking diacylglylcerol acyltransferase activity were also able to accumulate hydroxy fatty acids in seed neutral lipids. Triacylglycerol species containing one and two hydroxy fatty acids were abundant, and small amounts of trihydroxy-TAG were detected. These results indicate that individually, the three enzymes do not play a major role in the incorporation of hydroxy fatty acids into TAG.