Advanced Research On Plant Lipids

The 15th International Symposium on Plant Lipids was held in Okazaki, Japan, in May 12th to 17th, 2002, at the Okazaki Conference Center. The Symposium was organized by the Japanese Organizing Committee with the cooperation of the Japanese Association of Plant Lipid Researchers. The International Symposium was successful with 225 participants from 29 countries. We acknowledge a large number of participants from Asian countries, in particular, from China, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines, presumably because this was the fIrst time that the International Symposium on Plant Lipids was held in Asia. We also acknowledge a number of scientists from Canada, France, Germany, UK and USA, where plant lipid research is traditionally very active. The Symposium provided an opportunity for presentation and discussion of 68 lectures and 93 posters in 11 scientific sessions, which together covered all aspects of plant lipid researches, such as the structure, analysis, biosynthesis, regulation, physiological function, environmental aspects, and the biotechnology of plant lipids. In memory of the founder of this series of symposia, the Terry Galliard Lecture was delivered by Professor Ernst Heinz from Universitat: Hamburg, Germany. In addition, special lectures were given by two outstanding scientists from animal lipid fields, Professor James Ntambi from University of Wisconsin, USA, and Dr. Masahiro Nishijima from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Japan. To our great honor and pleasure, the session of Lipid Biosynthesis was chaired by Dr.

A collection of papers that comprehensively describe the major areas of research on lipid metabolism of plants. State-of-the-art knowledge about research on fatty acid and glycerolipid biosynthesis, isoprenoid metabolism, membrane structure and organization, lipid oxidation and degradation, lipids as intracellular and extracellular messengers, lipids and environment, oil seeds and gene technology is reviewed. The different topics covered show that modern tools of plant cellular and molecular biology, as well as molecular genetics, have been recently used to characterize several key enzymes of plant lipid metabolism (in particular, desaturases, thioesterases, fatty acid synthetase) and to isolate corresponding cDNAs and genomic clones, allowing the use of genetic engineering methods to modify the composition of membranes or storage lipids. These findings open fascinating perspectives, both for establishing the roles of lipids in membrane function and intracellular signalling and for adapting the composition of seed oil to the industrial needs. This book will be a good reference source for research scientists, advanced students and industrialists wishing to follow the considerable progress made in recent years on plant lipid metabolism and to envision the new opportunities offered by genetic engineering for the development of novel oil seeds.

This text presents a comprehensive description of the fundamental principles of plant lipid metabolism and then uses this base to examine current research in the field. The importance of molecular biology and the incorporation of new analytical methods are discussed, and the contributions of current research to agricultural and industrial uses are covered in depth. Chapters are illustrated with tables and figures to support key concepts, and projections for future researc in the field are also explored.

New research tools have revealed many surprising aspects of the dynamic nature of lipids and their participation in processes such as recognition, intra- and inter-cellular signalling, deterrence and defense against pathogens, membrane trafficking and protein function. This is in addition to new information on the more established roles of plant lipids as structural components of membranes and as long-term storage products. Plant lipids are also increasingly being seen as sources of a new generation of environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and renewable industrial products, including biopolymers and high-grade lubricants. Plant Lipids: Biology, Utilisation and Manipulation provides a broad overview of plant lipid research and its many applications. Linking various disciplines, the editor brings together researchers from major international laboratories to review the history and current state of progress in this quickly evolving field. The text starts by providing a fascinating historical perspective on the study of plant lipids, from its inception as a branch of alchemy in the seventeenth century to the current post-genomic era. It then offers a detailed discussion on the formation, modification and utilization of fatty acids. This is followed by an exploration of the major classes of macromolecular structures formed by plant lipids, including bilayer membranes and storage bodies. From there, the contributors consider other types of macromolecular lipid assemblies in plants, examining proteins and the key plant lipid structure - the cuticle. The final chapters look at diverse classes of plant lipids that are linked to various aspects of signaling. This text provides an excellent resource for researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and genetics, in both the academic and industrial sectors. It also meets the needs of students looking for a comprehensive introduction to this field, as well as direction for fut

The 8th International Symposium on the Biological Role of Plant Llpldstook place atthe Feder ation of Technical and Scientific Societies, Budapest, Hungary, July 25-28,1988. The host association was the Hungarian Scientific Society for Food Industry (METE). This was the first time that the Symposium was held In an Eastern European socialist country. Previous host cities were Norwich, Karlsruhe, GOteborg, PariS, Gronlngen, Neuchatel, Davis. The addition of Budapest to this distinguished list was the merit of the organizers, the Lipid Chemical Working Group of the Complex Committee of Food Science of the Hungarian Academy of Scien ces and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Symposium was organized by Professor Peter Blacs, Aladar Blaskovlts, Tlbor Farkas, KatalinGrulz, Tibor Kremmer and Laszlo Vfgh, with the as sistance of Mrs. Marta Tardy-Lengyel. The activity and the help of the staff of the Central Food Research Institute In Budapest Is high Iyappreclated. In organizing the Symposium, we started with the Idea that a bridge between Eastern and West ern scientists should be built In the field of plant lipid research as well. In fact, 180 partiCipants were registered, 50 of them from Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, the USSR and Hungary.

The Seventh International Symposium on the Structure and Function of Plant Lipids took place at the University of California, Davis, California July 27th to August 1st, 1986. This was the first time the Symposium was held in the United States. The list of previous host cities reads, Norwich, Karlsruhe, Goteborg, Paris, Groningen, Neuchatel. The addition of Davis to this distinguished list was made by the organizers with the doubts of people who give invitations to parties - will anybody come? In fact 155 participants registered and there were 21 spouses in attendance. The scientific program was composed of nine sessions: biochemistry of isoprenoids and sterols, function of isoprenoids and sterols, structure and function of lipids, biosynthesis of complex lipids, fatty acid oxygenases and desaturases, medium and long chain fatty acids, interaction of university, government and industrial research, algal lipids, and genetics and biotechnology. In addition to these sessions of plenary lectures, there were four poster sessions in which about 140 posters were presented. All of this was packed into four days, and there was some comment about the scarcity of time to ask questions of the speakers, discuss the posters and even to eat lunch. The compression of the program was a result of the continued desire of the organizing committees to avoid concurrent sessions. The congregation of participants into a single session increases interaction and generates a feeling of unity at these symposia.

This edited volume is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters concerning developments within the field of lipid metabolism. It includes scholarly contributions from experts in the field that cover such topics as roles of lipids in cancer, analytical tools for lipid assessment in biological assays, plant lipid metabolism, the effect of nanoparticles on lipid peroxidation in plants, and fatty acid compositions in fermented fish products. This book provides a thorough overview of the latest research efforts by international authors on lipid metabolism, and opens new possible research paths for further novel developments.