Recombinant Nostoc sp. Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (plsY)
Description
Functional Role and Enzymatic Activity
PlsY belongs to the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family, which determines the regiospecificity of acylation in glycerolipid biosynthesis. Unlike eukaryotic GPATs that typically acylate the sn-1 position of G3P, cyanobacterial PlsY transfers acyl groups to the sn-2 position, producing lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) or monoacylglycerol (MAG) via bifunctional acyltransferase/phosphatase activity . This sn-2 preference is critical for synthesizing specialized lipids like cutin in plants, suggesting evolutionary divergence in cyanobacterial lipid metabolism .
Key catalytic features:
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Products: sn-2 MAG or LPA, depending on phosphatase activity .
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Conserved motifs: Includes an N-terminal phosphatase domain (HAD-like hydrolase superfamily) and a C-terminal PlsC-type acyltransferase domain .
Biotechnological Applications
Recombinant PlsY is utilized in metabolic engineering to optimize fatty acid production. For example:
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Biofuel Research: Co-expression with thioesterases in Synechocystis sp. enhances free fatty acid yields by redirecting acyl-ACP pools toward lipid synthesis .
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Membrane Engineering: Modifies lipid composition in host organisms to improve stress tolerance or product secretion .
Case Study:
In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, combining PlsY overexpression with acyl-ACP synthetase knockout increased C16:0 and C18:1 fatty acid production by 30–50% .
Research Findings and Comparative Analysis
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Catalytic Mechanism: The phosphatase domain of PlsY hydrolyzes the phosphate group from acyl-phosphate, enabling a two-step reaction (acylation followed by dephosphorylation) .
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Evolutionary Insight: Cyanobacterial PlsY’s sn-2 specificity contrasts with Arabidopsis GPATs, which exhibit dual sn-1/sn-2 activities .
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Recombinant Production: Available commercially (e.g., MyBioSource MBS7026428) with >85% purity, expressed in E. coli .
Open Questions and Future Directions
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Does PlsY’s sn-2 activity influence membrane fluidity in extremophilic cyanobacteria?
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Can engineered PlsY variants improve lipid yields in industrial algae strains?
Product Specs
Note: While we prioritize shipping the format we currently have in stock, we can accommodate special requirements for the format. Please specify your preference when placing the order, and we will prepare accordingly.
Note: All our proteins are shipped with standard blue ice packs. If you require dry ice shipping, please inform us in advance, as additional fees will apply.
Generally, the shelf life of the liquid form is 6 months at -20°C/-80°C. The lyophilized form has a shelf life of 12 months at -20°C/-80°C.
Target Background
KEGG: ana:all0492
STRING: 103690.all0492
