Plant Lipid Biochemistry

The Biochemistry of Plants: A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume 4: Lipids: Structure and Function provides information pertinent to the fundamental aspects of plant lipid biochemistry. This book covers a variety of topics, including oxidative enzymes, glyoxylate cycle, lipoxygenases, ethylene biosynthesis, phospholipids, and carotenoids. Organized into 19 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the different techniques for use in the analysis of plant lipids. This text then outlines the concepts of membrane lipid structure and discusses the relationship between membrane lipid structure and function. Other chapters consider the role that lipid structure plays in regulating physiological function. This book discusses as well the biochemical mechanism by which the double bond is introduced in the biosynthesis of ethylene. The final chapter deals with the results of studies on the biosynthesis of cyclopropanoid, cyclopropenoid, and cyclopentenyl fatty acids in higher plants. This book is a valuable resource for plant biochemists, neurobiochemists, molecular biologists, senior graduate students, and research workers.

The 12th International Symposium on Plant Lipids was held at the University of Toronto, Canada, from July 7th to 12th, 1996. The conference was attended by over 200 scientists from university, government and corporate laboratories from 24 different countries. The topics covered in the symposium ranged from basic physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of plant lipids to transformation and genetic engineering of crop plants. Oil seed plants were a particular focus of the symposium. There were 62 oral and 96 posters presentations. A special lecture in memory of the founder of this series of symposium, Terry Galliard, was presented by John Shanklin. This Proceedings Book has been dedicated to Grattan Roughan for his important contributions to our knowledge of plant lipid metabolism. This volume contains manuscripts submitted from most of the presentations at the symposium. It provides a useful summary of the major fields of plant lipid studies and our present state of knowledge. The papers are arranged in eight sections covering the major areas in the field of plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of plant lipids. We would like to thank Valerie Imperial, Rajesh Khetarpal and Mary Williams for their invaluable help in organizing and running the meetings and excursions. John P. Williams, Mobashsher U. Khan and Nora W. Lem Toronto, Canada, October 1996 xvii DEDICATION This volume is dedicated to Grattan Roughan.

Structure and distribution of plant fatty acids; Plant acyl lipids; The lipid and fatty acid composition of specific tissues; Distribution of individual fatty acids between lipid classes; Biosynthesis of plant fatty acids; The biosynthesis of acyl lipids; Lipolytic enzymes; Biological degradation of plant fatty acids; lipid and fatty acid metabolism during organogenesis and senescence; Role of lipids in plant metabolism; Analysis of plant lipid.

This book summarizes recent advances in understanding the functions of plant and algal lipids in photosynthesis, in development and signaling, and in industrial applications. As readers will discover, biochemistry, enzymology and analytical chemistry, as well as gene knock-out studies have all contributed to our rapidly increasing understanding of the functions of lipids. In the past few decades, distinct physical and biochemical properties of specific lipid classes were revealed in plant and algal lipids and the functional aspects of lipids in modulating critical biological processes have been uncovered. These chapters from international authors across relevant research fields highlight the underlying evolutionary context of lipid function in photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular organisms. The book goes on to encompass what lipids can do for industrial applications at a time of fascination with plants and algae in carbon fixation and as sources for production of food, energy and novel chemicals. The developmental context is a part of the fresh and engaging perspective that is presented in this work which graduate students and scientists will find both illuminating and useful.

This book contains a number of papers dealing with the main topics of a Symposium on "Lipids and Lipid Polymers in Higher Plants", held in July 1976 at the Botanical Institute of the University of Karlsruhe. The symposium was organized by Professors E. Heinz, H.K. Lichtenthaler, H.K. Mangold, and M. Tevini. The sponsorship by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Erwin-Riesch-Stiftung is gratefully acknowledged. The intention of the Symposium was to bring together in one place scientists working in very different fields of plant lipids, such as fatty acids, glycolipids, phospholipids, prenyllipids, sterols, and lipid polymers. The emphasis was placed on biosynthesis, distribution, function, and physiology of the various higher plant lipids and their role in biomembranes and epidermal cell walls. By combining the major contributions in this book, we hope to give all plant scientists access to the recent developments in biochemistry and physiology of plant lipid metabolism. The editors are very grateful to the contributors, who have taken great care to present up-to-date reviews. Karlsruhe, May 1977 M. TEVINI H.K. LICHTENTHALER Contents Section 1. Function, Organization and Lipid Composition of Biomembranes Chapter 1. Functional Organization of Biomembranes P. SITTE (With 15 Figures) A. Introduction. . . . . 1 B. Membrane Functions . 2 I. Membrane Diversity 2 II. Membranes as Barriers 4 III. Lipids and Permeability . 5 IV. Specific Transport . . . 8 V. Membrane Flow and Membrane Families 9 VI. General Principles of Cellular Compartmentation 10 C. Membrane Biogenesis. . . . . . . . . . . . .

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.

The 9th International Symposium on Plant Lipid Biochemistry was held at Wye College, Kent, in July 1990. Not only has the scale and scope of the topic expanded since the first biannual meeting in 1974, but there have been giant strides, particularly in the last few years, in our knowledge of the detailed structure and function of plant lipids. Industry has never been slow to recognize the commercial importance of plant lipids and has invested heavily in the new technologies described in this book. Virtually all the laboratories that have contributed to these developments were represented at the meeting, and this volume is a compendium of their individual contributions.