Regulation of Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis in Plants

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Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) is the major phospholipid of eukaryotic cells. It is found in most membranes of those cells and serves as a general structural lipid, a responder to hormone messages, an intermediate in fatty acid synthesis, and in other roles. Dr. Moore is continuing his investigations into how this phospholipid is synthesized in plant cells, and how that synthesis is regulated. He is examining the source of choline for the nucleotide pathway of synthesis, which terminates with incorporation of choline-phosphate onto diacylglycerol to form the PtdCho. Choline appears not to originate directly from L- serine, but perhaps from phosphoserine. The work includes an investigation of the potential regulation of the enzyme that catalyzes synthesis of CDPcholine, cytidylyltransferase, and the terminal enzyme of the pathway, cholinephosphotransferase. Some aspects of the lipid methylation pathway also will be investigated. Attempts will be made to solubilize the methylation enzymes so that the possibility of their regulation may be better tested. The results of this work would lead to a better understanding of how phosopholipid, and thus membrane, synthesis is regulated and how structural organization effects this activity.