Biosynthesis and Biotechnology of Seed Lipids Including Sterols, Carotenoids and Tocochromanols

Abstract

This chapter will take a broad look at non-acyl and acyl lipids found in seed. Initially it will focus on certain non-acyl lipids, such as sterols, carotenoids and tocochromanols. It will provide a brief overview of the function of these molecules in plants with a focus on seeds, review information on biosynthetic pathways and attempts at altering quality and quantity of these molecules through metabolic engineering. Our subsequent review of acyl lipid biosynthesis will mainly focus on recent findings related to modification of the pathways providing energy, reductant and carbon for fatty acid biosynthesis that allows for high levels of acyl lipid accumulation during seed filling. This section will have a specific focus on the interaction of primary metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. We will then briefly review fatty acid biosynthesis in seed plastids and cytosolic assembly of seed storage and membrane lipids in seed. Finally developmental regulation of seed storage lipid accumulation and transgenic approaches to increase the total oil content of seeds will be summarized