Open AccessImmunocytochemical localization of acyl-lipid desaturases in cyanobacterial cells: evidence that both thylakoid membranes and cytoplasmic membranes are sites of lipid desaturation.
Author(s) -
László Mustárdy,
Dmitry A. Los,
Zoltán Gombos,
Norio Murata
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.93.19.10524
Subject(s) - thylakoid , membrane , cytoplasm , biochemistry , synechocystis , cyanobacteria , biology , chloroplast , chemistry , bacteria , gene , genetics
There are four acyl-lipid desaturases in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Each of these desaturases introduces a double bond at a specific position, such as the Delta6, Delta9, Delta12, or omicron3 position, in C18 fatty acids. The localization of the desaturases in cyanobacterial cells was examined immunocytochemically with antibodies raised against synthetic oligopeptides that corresponded to the carboxyl-terminal regions of the desaturases. All four desaturases appeared to be located in the regions of both the cytoplasmic and the thylakoid membranes. These findings suggest that fatty acid desaturation of membrane lipids takes place in the thylakoid membranes as well as in the cytoplasmic membranes.