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. 1994 Dec;106(4):1453–1459. doi: 10.1104/pp.106.4.1453

Identification of a gene that complements an Arabidopsis mutant deficient in chloroplast omega 6 desaturase activity.

D L Falcone 1, S Gibson 1, B Lemieux 1, C Somerville 1
PMCID: PMC159685  PMID: 7846158

Abstract

Membrane lipids of the fad6 (formerly fadC) mutant of Arabidopsis, which is deficient in chloroplast omega 6 desaturase activity, have increased levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and are deficient in trienoic fatty acids. A putative fad6 cDNA clone was isolated by probing a cDNA library with a degenerate oligonucleotide based on a conserved region within known omega 3 desaturase genes. Expression of the cDNA in transgenic plants of a fad6 mutant restored normal levels of all fatty acids. When used as a hybridization probe, the cDNA identified a restriction fragment-length polymorphism that co-segregated with the fad6 mutation. Thus, on the basis of a genetic complementation test and genetic map position, the fad6 gene is encoded by the cDNA. The cDNA encoded a 418-amino acid polypeptide of 47,727 D that displayed a high degree of sequence similarity to a delta 12 desaturase from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis. The fad6 gene exhibited less sequence homology to any known higher plant desaturase, including an endoplasmic reticulum-localized omega 6 desaturase corresponding to the Arabidopsis fad2 gene.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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