Oil synthesis in vitro in microsomal membranes from developing cotyledons of Linum usitatissimum L

Microsomal preparations from developing linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) cotyledons catalyzed i) acyl exchange between acyl-CoA and position 2 of sn-phosphatidylcholine, ii) acylation of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate to yield phosphatidic acid, and iii) the utilisation of phosphatidic acid in the production of diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol. Selectivity studies for C18 acyl species of acyl-CoA indicated a bias for the channelling of oleate to phosphatidylcholine for, presumably, its desaturation, and the utilisation of the polyunsaturated fatty-acid products in the acyl-CoA pool for phosphatidic acid and subsequent triacylglycerol synthesis. The microsomal preparations were capable of returning glycerol backbone with associated acyl components to phosphatidylcholine from diacylglycerol where it may be further enriched with polyunsaturated C18 acids by desaturation. The acyl quality in linolenate-rich oilseeds appears to be under similar control to that found in linoleate-rich species.