Tan Xiao-li;Zheng Xiang-feng;Zhang Zhi-yan;Wang Zheng;Xia Heng-chuan;Lu Chang-ming;Gu Shou-lai

Jiangsu Univ, Inst Life Sci, Zhenjiang 212013, Peoples R China;Chinese Acad Agr Sci, Oil Crops Res Inst, Wuhan 430062, Peoples R China

Brasscia napus;LACS;lipid;subcellular localization;yeast

Long-chain acyl-Coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases (LACSs) catalyze the formation of long-chain acyl-CoA, and play important roles in fatty acid metabolism including phospholipids, triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis and fatty acid beta-oxidation. Here, we report the characterization of a LAGS gene from Brassica napus. It is highly homologous to Arabidopsis LACS4 and thus designated as BnLACS4. The.cloned gene BnLACS4 could complement a LAGS-deficient yeast strain YB525. It is mainly expressed in flowers and developing seeds where lipid biosynthesis is at high rate in Brassica napus. When transiently expressed in tobacco leaves, BnLACS4 is localized in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the common site for eukaryotic pathway of lipid biosynthesis. Expression of BnLACS4 in the yeast strain pep4 increased its lipid content. Taken together, our results suggest that BnLACS4 may be involved in lipid biosynthesis in B. napus.