Protocol for in vitro phospholipid synthesis combining fatty acid synthesis and cell-free gene expression

Phospholipids are important biomolecules for the study of lipidomics, signal transduction, biodiesel, and synthetic biology; however, it is difficult to synthesize and analyze phospholipids in a defined in vitro condition. Here, we present a protocol for in vitro production and quantification of phospholipids. We describe steps for preparing a cell-free system consisting of fatty acid synthesis and a gene expression system that synthesizes acyltransferases on liposomes. The whole reaction can be completed within a day and the products are quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Eto et al.¹.