Abstract
Accessions of the USDA Soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.) Germplasm Collection exhibit genetic diversity for oil concentration ranging from 12 to 27 percent of dry weight. Although oil concentration is a highly heritable quantitative genetic trait, the genetic and biochemical basis for genotypic differences in the oil content of soybean seed is unknown. Recent knowledge on biological regulation of this trait has emerged from research on diacylglycerol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.20), the enzyme that catalyses triacylglycerol synthesis. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase purified from the cv. Dare has a native mass of about 1.5 MDa. Structural analysis suggests the protein consists of 10 monomers having three nonidentical subunits in a 1:2:2 molar ratio. Kinetics of the enzyme purified from soybeans exhibiting high or low oil content suggest that genotypic differences in oil content may be governed by gene dosage effects. However, subtle conformational changes in protein structure may influence oil composition, as evidenced by apparent substrate specificities observed in germplasm containing low-palmitic acid. Therefore, diacylglycerol acyltransferase may play a unique role in determining the content and composition of triacylglycerol in soybean.
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