Abstract
Wada and Murata (1) selected desaturase-deficient mutants of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis based on their chill sensitivity. Wada et al. (2) have further shown that PUFAs are necessary for growth and tolerance to photoinhibition at low temperatures. In the red alga P. cruentum, the PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3) apparently fulfills a role similar to that of 18:3ω3 in cyanobacteria and Arabidopsis (3). Since the EPA content increases at low temperatures we have hypothesized that by selection and screening of chill-sensitive mutants of this alga it would be possible to obtain EPA-deficient mutant which may aid in the elucidation of EPA biosynthesis. Based on the data we have obtained we suggest that triglycerides participate in the eukaryotic pathway of EPA biosynthesis in P. cruentum. The HZ3 mutant of P. cruentum is the first mutant of any, higher or lower, plant which appear to be deficient in its ability to hydrolyze TAGs.
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References
Wada H, Murata N (1989) Synechocystis PCC 6803 mutants defective in desaturation of fatty acids. Plant Cell Physiol 30: 971–978
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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Khozin, I., Yu, H.Z., Adlerstein, D., Bigogno, C., Cohen, Z. (1997). Triacylglycerols Participate in the Eukaryotic Pathway of PUFAs Biosynthesis in the Red Microalga Porphyridium Cruentum . In: Williams, J.P., Khan, M.U., Lem, N.W. (eds) Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Lipids. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2662-7_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2662-7_29
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