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Genome-wide identification and analysis of membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) gene family in plants

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Abstract

Membrane bound O-acyl transferase (MBOAT) family is composed of gene members encoding a variety of acyltransferase enzymes, which play important roles in plant acyl lipid metabolism. Here, we present the first genome-enabled identification and analysis of MBOAT gene models in plants. In total, we identified 136 plant MBOAT sequences from 14 plant species with complete genomes. Phylogenetic relationship analyses suggested the plant MBOAT gene models fell into four major groups, two of which likely encode enzymes of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) and lysophospholipid acyltransferase (LPLAT), respectively, with one–three copies of paralogs present in each of the most plant species. A group of gene sequences, which are homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycerol uptake proteins (GUP), was identified in plants; copy numbers were conserved, with only one copy represented in each of the most plant species; analyses showed that residues essential for acyltransferases were more prone to be conserved than vertebrate orthologs. Among four groups, one was inferred to emerge in land plants and experience a rapid expansion in genomes of angiosperms, which suggested their important roles in adaptation of plants in lands. Sequence and phylogeny analyses indicated that genes in all four groups encode enzymes with acyltransferases. Comprehensive sequence identification of MBOAT family members and investigation into classification provide a complete picture of the MBOAT gene family in plants, and could shed light into enzymatic functions of different MBOAT genes in plants.

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Abbreviations

ASAT:

Acyl-CoA:sterol acyltransferases

BLAST:

Basic local alignment search tool

DAcT:

Diacylglycerol acetyltransferase

DAG:

Diacylglycerol

DGAT:

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase

GUP:

Glycerol uptake protein

LPCAT:

Lysophosphotidylcholine acyltransferase

LPLAT:

Lysophospholipid acyltransferase

MBOAT:

Membrane bound O-acyltransferase

PC:

Phosphotidylcholine

SAT:

Sterol acyltransferase

TAG:

Triacylglycerol

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Fundamental Scientific Research Funds for CATAS-TCGRI (1630032013009), and Preservation and Utilization of Agricultural and Biological Resources Program from the Department of Agriculture of China (2130135).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Enhancement in Southern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Danzhou, 571737, Hainan, China

    Peng Wang, Zhunian Wang, Maoyuan Wang & Xinmin Tian

  2. Center for Plant Science Innovation and School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

    Yongchao Dou

  3. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China

    Xiaoxiao Zhang

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  1. Peng Wang
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  2. Zhunian Wang
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Correspondence to Peng Wang or Zhunian Wang.

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Wang, P., Wang, Z., Dou, Y. et al. Genome-wide identification and analysis of membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) gene family in plants. Planta 238, 907–922 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-013-1939-4

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