Regulation of Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis in Plants

磷脂酰胆碱(PtdCho)是真核细胞的主要磷脂。它存在于这些细胞的大多数细胞膜中，是一种普通的结构脂，是激素信息的响应者，是脂肪酸合成的中间体，还发挥着其他作用。摩尔博士正在继续研究这种磷脂是如何在植物细胞中合成的，以及这种合成是如何受到调控的。他正在研究胆碱的来源，寻找合成的核苷酸途径，合成途径以将胆碱-磷酸结合到二酰基甘油上而结束，形成PtdCho。胆碱似乎不是直接来自L丝氨酸，而可能是来自磷酸丝氨酸。这项工作包括对催化合成CDPcholine的酶、胞苷转移酶和该途径的末端酶-胆碱磷酸转移酶的潜在调节进行了研究。脂质甲基化途径的某些方面也将被研究。将尝试溶解甲基化酶，以便更好地测试其调节的可能性。这项工作的结果将有助于更好地理解磷脂，从而膜，合成是如何调节的，以及结构组织是如何影响这种活性的。

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.