Lipid biosynthesis in Brassica napus leaves : I. 14C-labelling kinetics of the fatty acids of the major glycerolipids

Abstract

Data obtained from in vivo studies on the biosynthesis and desaturation of fatty acids in galactolipid biosynthesis of Brassica napus are significantly different from previous results obtained from Vicia faba. The differences are attributed to the difference in fatty acid composition between ‘16:3 plants’ ( B. napus) and ‘18:3 plants’ ( V. faba). The data suggest that, unlike V. faba, B. napus does not use the ‘phospholipid pathway’ in which phosphatidylcholine may act as a precursor to the diacylglycerols used in galactolipid biosynthesis. The results suggest the use of multiple pathways of biosynthesis of the diacylglycerol precursors of galactolipid which differ in importance from one plant species to another.