| SUBJECT |
Unusual seed oils that might have useful industrial applications are the focus of the laboratory of biochemist Jan G. Jaworski. He hopes to use information gleaned from the study of seed oil metabolism to modulate their composition. His lab is investigating structure-function relationships in 3-ketoacyl synthases, a class of plant enzymes that participate in fatty acid and oil biosynthesis and elongation. The researchers have cloned, purified, and characterized 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III from spinach, a soluble protein that catalyzes the first condensation reaction. In addition, they are working to characterize a membrane-bound condensation enzyme from Arabidopsis, the 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase FAE1 KCS. In a separate project, funded by Dow, Jaworski is using such metabolic information to guide insertion of genes from exotic plants into Arabidopsis that enable production of seed oils of unique and industrially interesting compositions. "Such plants could represent a renewable, domestic source of chemical feedstocks and polymer precursors," Jaworski says. Plants could also provide novel chemical feedstocks not available from petroleum-based sources, he adds. |
| UPDATE | 07.02 |
| AUTHOR | This data is not available for free |
| LITERATURE REF. | This data is not available for free |
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