Biochemical pathways in seed oil synthesis

Abstract

•Recent research has identified new intricacies in assembly of seed oils.•Oil synthesis involves multiple subcellular compartments requiring lipid trafficking.•Phosphatidylcholine is both a central intermediate and a carrier of acyl chains.•Different plants utilize alternative pathways to produce diverse oil structures.•Major questions and unknowns are highlighted for future oilseed research. Oil produced in plant seeds is utilized as a major source of calories for human nutrition, as feedstocks for non-food uses such as soaps and polymers, and can serve as a high-energy biofuel. The biochemical pathways leading to oil (triacylglycerol) synthesis in seeds involve multiple subcellular organelles, requiring extensive lipid trafficking. Phosphatidylcholine plays a central role in these pathways as a substrate for acyl modifications and likely as a carrier for the trafficking of acyl groups between organelles and membrane subdomains. Although much has been clarified regarding the enzymes and pathways responsible for acyl-group flux, there are still major gaps in our understanding. These include the identity of several key enzymes, how flux between alternative pathways is controlled and the specialized cell biology leading to biogenesis of oil bodies that store up to 80% of carbon in seeds. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.