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Abstract example template
In-vitro Δ6-desaturase activity: Fatty acid and lipid modification of isolated chloroplasts
from borage leaves and microalgae Isochrysis galbana.
Kathrin Stähler, Siew-Young Quek, Matthew R. Miller
This study investigated the ability of isolated chloroplasts from borage (Borago officinalis L.)
and the microalgae Isochrysis galbana to modify lipids in-vitro in order to assess Δ6desaturase activity. Chloroplasts from borage leaves and Isochrysis galbanawere incubated
alone (control) or added with one of the following precursors (30µg precursor/25µg
chlorophyll): 1) high oleic acid (C18:1n-9) free fatty acids (OA-FFA), 2) high α-linolenic
acid (C18:3n-3) FFA (ALA-FFA) or 3) high ALA- monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (ALAMGDG). Sampling took place every 30 min during the trial period and oil was extracted.
Changes in fatty acid (FA) composition were determined by GC-MS and those in lipid class
by Iatroscan thin layer chromatography-FID. We demonstrated that Δ6-desaturase activity
(measured by changes in SDA/ALA ratio) was enhanced by up to 53% during incubation,
when adding ALA-FFA to the microalgae chloroplasts. However, the addition of OA-FFA to
the isolated chloroplasts of both species showed no significant (P < 0.05) changes in major
FA during in-vitro incubation. For borage samples, results indicated no incorporation of the
added FFA to chloroplast lipids. For Isochrysis galbana samples, there is evidence showing
the incorporation of the added FFA precursors into chloroplast glycerolipids with FFA in the
ALA-FFA and OA-FFA samples decreasing from 8.4% to 2.6% and 8.4% to 2.2%,
respectively after 30 min of incubation. Current results indicate that chloroplasts of Isochrysis
galbana have the better ability to incorporate the added FFA precursors (OA-FFA and ALAFFA) into chloroplast lipids and show more promising Δ6-desaturate activity compared with
borage chloroplasts (Stähler K JOACS 2011;88:1715).
Affiliations
Kathrin Stähler. The University of Auckland;
Siew-Young Quek. The University of Auckland;
Matthew R. Miller. New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research;