Acyltransferase enzymes have been reported as useful biotechnological tools in order to increase oil yield and modify fatty acid composition. Macadamia species are able to accumulate unusually high levels of palmitoleic acid that besides oleic acid amounts to over 80% of monounsaturated fatty acids in the seed oil. In this work, a gene encoding a type 1 acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1) was cloned from M. tetraphylla. DGAT activity of the protein encoded by MtDGAT1 was confirmed by heterologous expression in a yeast mutant. Fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols synthesized by MtDGAT1 was compared to that of DGAT1 enzymes from Arabidopsis and Echium, with the results suggesting a substrate preference for monounsaturated over polyunsaturated fatty acids. Characteristics of MtDGAT1 may contribute to biochemical mechanisms determining the particular fatty acid composition of Macadamia oil and also indicate the possibility of using this enzyme in biotechnological approaches where a reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the oil is desired.
Keywords: DGAT1; H1246; Macadamia; acyltransferase; fatty acids; oil composition; oilseed; yeast expression.