JAOCS News Feature biosynthesis of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids by maturingcarthamus tinctorius L. seeds

Abstract Recent advances in the biosynthesis of fatty acids by maturing safflower seeds are described. We now can define the systems responsible for (a) the conversion of CO 2 to sucrose to acetyl CoA; (b) the condensation of acetyl CoA via the de novo acyl carrier protein pathway to the terminal product, palmityl acyl carrier protein; (c) the elongation of palmityl acyl carrier protein to stearyl acyl carrier protein by a specific malonyl acyl carrier proteinelongation system; (d) the desaturation of stearyl acyl carrier protein to oleic acid by a highly specific, soluble stearyl acyl carrier protein desaturase; (e) the further desaturation of oleyl CoA to linoleyl CoA; and (f) the transfer of acyl CoAs to glycerol‐3‐phosphate to the final product, a triacylglycerol and its coalescence to the typical high lipid containing mature seed, engorged with oil droplets. Future research should be directed to a fuller understanding of how the maturing seed triggers these complicated series of reactions, how all these enzymes are coordinated to allow a smooth flow of substrates for the formation of oil droplets, and, finally, how biochemical engineering can further improve oil crops in the ever growing demand for high yielding systems.