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Oleate desaturation in young winter wheat root tissue
1Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Sainte-Foy, Quebec GIV 2J3 Canada.
Plant Physiology
|November 1, 1982
Summary
Wheat root lipids incorporate acetate into sterols and ammonium oleate into phosphatidylcholine (PC) and triglycerides (TGs). Oleate is desaturated to linoleate on PC, then transferred to diglycerides and triglycerides.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biochemistry
- Lipid Metabolism
- Plant Physiology
Background:
- Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root lipid synthesis is complex.
- Understanding fatty acid incorporation into lipids is crucial for plant science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the metabolic fate of acetate and ammonium oleate in wheat root lipids.
- To elucidate the pathway of oleate desaturation and triglyceride synthesis in wheat.
Main Methods:
- Radioactive labeling of wheat root tissue with [1,2-(14)C]acetate and [1-(14)C]ammonium oleate.
- Analysis of lipid composition and radioactivity distribution over time using pulse-chase experiments.
Main Results:
- Acetate predominantly labeled sterols, while ammonium oleate initially labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC) and later triglycerides (TGs).
- Oleate was desaturated to linoleate on PC, with linoleate enrichment observed earliest in PC.
- Diglycerides (DGs) showed transient labeling, and TGs accumulated label over time, indicating a pathway from PC to TGs via DGs.
Conclusions:
- A metabolic pathway exists where oleate is incorporated into PC, desaturated to linoleate on PC, and then transferred to DGs and TGs.
- This pathway highlights the dynamic nature of lipid metabolism and fatty acid modification in wheat roots.
- The findings provide insights into the synthesis of storage lipids and membrane components in plants.
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