Voelker T A, Worrell A C, Anderson L, Bleibaum J, Fan C, Hawkins D J, Radke S E, Davies H M
Calgene, Inc., Davis, CA 95616.
Science. 1992 Jul 3;257(5066):72-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1621095.
Medium-chain fatty acids (FAs), found in storage lipids of certain plants, are an important renewable resource. Seeds of undomesticated California bay accumulate laurate (12:0), and a 12:0-acyl-carrier protein thioesterase (BTE) has been purified from this tissue. Sequencing of BTE enabled the cloning of a complementary DNA coding for a plastid-targeted preprotein. Expression of the complementary DNA in the seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in BTE activity, and medium chains accumulated at the expense of long-chain (greater than or equal to 16) FAs. Laurate became the most abundant FA species and was deposited in the storage triacylglycerols. These results demonstrate a mechanism for medium-chain FA synthesis in plants.
中链脂肪酸（FAs）存在于某些植物的储存脂质中，是一种重要的可再生资源。未驯化的加州月桂树种子积累月桂酸（12:0），并且已从该组织中纯化出一种12:0-酰基载体蛋白硫酯酶（BTE）。对BTE进行测序使得能够克隆编码靶向质体的前体蛋白的互补DNA。在拟南芥种子中表达该互补DNA导致了BTE活性，并且中链脂肪酸以长链（大于或等于16个碳）脂肪酸为代价而积累。月桂酸成为最丰富的脂肪酸种类，并沉积在储存三酰甘油中。这些结果证明了植物中中链脂肪酸合成的一种机制。
