Characterization of phosphoethanolamine-N-methyltransferases in green algae

Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) is a common and abundant phospholipid in most eukaryotic organisms. Although it has been known that the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lacks PtdCho, we recently detected PtdCho in four Chlamydomonas species. Homology search of draft genomic sequences of the four PtdCho-containing algae suggested existence of phosphoethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PEAMT) in C. applanata and C. asymmetrica, which is the key enzyme in PtdCho biosynthesis in land plants. Here we analyzed the putative genes encoding PEAMT in C. applanata and C. asymmetrica, named CapPEAMT and CasPEAMT, respectively. In vitro assays with recombinant CapPEAMT and CasPEAMT indicated that they have the methylation activity for phosphoethanolamine, but not the methylation activity for phosphomonomethylethanolamine, in contrast with land plant PEAMTs, that possess the three successive methylation activities.