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Structural characterization of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase in marine microbes


EMSL Project ID
60150

Abstract

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from plants and seafood are imporant dietary fat with a series of benefits to human health. In nature, two major pathways were evolved to produce PUFAs: the desaturase-dependent pathway and the polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase (PFAS) pathway that is found in marine organisms. The PFAS belongs to the family of polyketide synthases (PKSs), a major enzymatic machinery in natural product synthesis. In comparison to all other known PKSs, PFASs adopt a characteristic core enzyme: a unique type-I iterative PKS with tandem acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) in the middle of the protein sequence. These tandem ACPs are functionally equivalent and possess great potential for protein engineering. Structural characterization of the PFAS and other cognate proteins may improve current understanding of tandem ACP-PKS domain interactions and provide structural guidance for tandem ACP engineering in related PKS systems.

Project Details

Start Date
2021-06-16
End Date
2023-10-01
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Jay Keasling
Institution
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory