Isolation of cDNA fragment of Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase Gene from Seabuckthorn

The contribution of membrane lipids, particularly the level of unsaturation of fatty acids, to chilling sensitivity of plants, has been intensively discussed. The biosynthesis of phosphatidyl glycerol represents a central pathway in lipid metabolism in all organisms. Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyses the first step of glycerolipid biosynthesis and, therefore, it is a potential site for triacylglycerol synthesis regulation. The cDNA For GPAT gene has been cloned and extensively characterised from several plants excluding Seabuckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides. The isolation of partial cDNA (681) hp, Accession No. EU081817) for GPAT gene from Seabuckthorn plant has been reported for the first time that shows 97 per cent homology with the Lycopersicon esculentum at nucleotide level and 93 per cent homology with the Capsicum annuum at protein level. Full-length cloning and overexpression of GPAT from Seabuckthorn will modify the ability of vegetable crops to tolerate chilling temperature by protecting the photo synthetic machinery from photoinhibition under cold conditions.