Analysis of Chloroplast Monogalactosyldiacylglycerols Biosynthesis

Lifeasible is committed to the development and research of chloroplast engineering. With years of experience in chloroplast lipidomics, we are able to provide analysis of chloroplast monogalactosyldiacylglycerols biosynthesis services to gain a broad understanding of the wide range of functions and biosynthetic pathways of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols, precisely meeting customer requirements.

Introduction

Chloroplast thylakoid membranes contain photosynthetic complexes and many essential biochemical pathways. Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) is a glycoglycerolipid with a galactose moiety that can bind to the sn-3 position of glycerol to form a hydrophilic head group. There are two acyl chains at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions of the glycerol backbone. In eukaryotes, galactolipids are found only in photosynthetic organisms such as seed plants, fungi, green mosses, and algae. As the main membrane component of chloroplasts and other plastids, MGDG accounts for more than 50% of the total photosynthetic membrane lipids. Therefore, MGDG is considered to be the most abundant polar lipid on earth. MGDG plays a central role in promoting photosynthetic photoreaction, maintaining chloroplast morphology, and responding to abiotic stress. Scientists have made significant progress after successfully identifying the cucumber MGDG synthase. In recent years, galactolipids and synthetic analogs have also been shown to have biomedical functions such as antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunosuppressive, and have great potential for application.

Fig. 1. Biosythesis pathway and functions of MGDG and DGDG in the chloroplast. (Lyu J, et al., 2021)

Customized Services

The biosynthesis of MGDG is considered to be the key to plant photosynthesis, and the final step of MGDG synthesis is catalyzed by MGDG synthase. The reaction catalyzed by MGDG synthase is a key step in chloroplast membrane formation, but the molecular characterization of this enzyme remains unclear. Lifeasible is committed to the analysis of chloroplast monogalactosyldiacylglycerols biosynthesis, comprehensively determining the entire amino acid sequence of MGDG synthase and its activity to understand the broad functions and biosynthetic pathways of MGDG.

We can provide not only analysis of the biochemical characteristics, regulatory systems, in vivo functions of MGDG synthase, but also the role of MGDG in plant morphogenesis and life cycle, herbicide design and novel oxygenated lipid galactolipids function. Here, the MGDG biosynthesis services we can provide include but are not limited to:

·Identification of MGDG Synthase in Seed Plants
We used CsMGD technology to screen cDNA of plant cDNA library to identify the MGDG synthase gene in plant chloroplasts. The activity of MGDG synthase was determined by in vitro recombination and E. coli mature protein activity.

·Identification of Biochemical Properties of MGDG Synthase
Based on the gene of MGDG synthase that we successfully isolated, our engineers utilized recombinant proteins to study the enzymatic characterization of MGDG synthase, the subcellular localization of MGDG synthase, the three-dimensional structure of MGDG synthase and MGDG synthesis in non-photosynthetic organs.

·Identification of MGDG Synthase Mutants
We analyzed the effect on lipid metabolism in non-photosynthetic organs by isolating and identifying mutants of MGDG synthase.

Applications

• Providing supporting information for studying the biochemical links between photosynthesis, chloroplast shape maintenance, jasmonic acid synthesis, phosphate starvation response, antifreeze response, and possibly other responses.
• Developing innovative processes to design and synthesize structurally diverse MGDG.
• Enables in vivo custom biosynthesis of MGDG.
• Realizing the application of MGDG in biomedicine, food and other fields.

Lifeasible is committed to developing a variety of cutting-edge technologies to help customers analyze the role of chloroplast lipids in chloroplast biosynthesis and photosynthetic function. We are proud to regulate plant growth and development, as well as control their pests, through chloroplast protein modifications. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

References

1. Lyu J, Gao R, Guo Z. (2021) Galactosyldiacylglycerols: from a photosynthesis-associated apparatus to structure-defined in vitro assembling[J]. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 69(32): 8910-8928.
2. Nakamura Y, Shimojima M, Ohta H, et al. (2010) Biosynthesis and function of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), the signature lipid of chloroplasts[M]//The Chloroplast. Springer, Dordrecht. 185-202.