| Abstrakt: |
Modern diets are often deficient in ω-3 fatty acids and additional dietary sources of ω-3 fatty acids are useful. In order to investigate the molecular basis of the high accumulation of the ω-3 fatty acid, α-linolenic acid (18:3), in three different plants, flax ( Linum usitatissimum), Dracocephalum moldavica, and Perilla frutescens ω-3 desaturase activity, transcript levels, and 18:3 in-vivo synthesis were examined. The 18:3 content was found to be higher at the later developmental stage of D. moldavica (68%) compared with P. frutescens (59%) and flax (45%) cotyledons. The 18:3 and 18:2 contents in both PC and TAG were determined during various stages of seed development for all three plants in addition to soybean ( Glycine max). Northern blot analysis data of three different stages of D. moldavica, flax, and P. frutescens compared with moderately low 18:3 producers, soybean ( Glycine max), and Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus, (8–10% 18:3) at a stage of zygotic embryo development of high triglyceride synthesis showed that ω-3 desaturase mRNA levels were higher in all three high 18:3 producers, flax, D. moldavica and P. frutescens. This indicates that the high level of α-linolenic acid in TAG may be largely controlled by the level of ω-3 desaturase gene expression. However, the PC versus TAG fatty acid composition data suggested that along with ω-3 desaturase other enzymes also play a role in 18:3 accumulation in TAG, and the high accumulators have a selective transfer of α-linolenic acid into TAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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