@article {2658, title = {Composition of secondary alcohols, ketones, alkanediols, and ketols in Arabidopsis thaliana cuticular waxes}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany}, volume = {60}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 437ZCTimes Cited: 0Cited Reference Count: 25Wen, Miao Jetter, Reinhard}, month = {Apr}, pages = {1811-1821}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Arabidopsis wax components containing secondary functional groups were examined (i) to test the biosynthetic relationship between secondary alcohols and ketols and (ii) to determine the regiospecificity and substrate preference of the enzyme involved in ketol biosynthesis. The stem wax of Arabidopsis wild type contained homologous series of C-27 to C-31 secondary alcohols (2.4 mu g cm(-2)) and C-28 to C-30 ketones (6.0 mu g cm(-2)) dominated by C-29 homologues. In addition, compound classes containing two secondary functional groups were identified as C-29 diols (similar to 0.05 mu g cm(-2)) and ketols (similar to 0.16 mu g cm(-2)). All four compound classes showed characteristic isomer distributions, with functional groups located between C-14 and C-16. In the mah1 mutant stem wax, diols and ketols could not be detected, while the amounts of secondary alcohols and ketones were drastically reduced. In two MAH1-overexpressing lines, equal amounts of C-29 and C-31 secondary alcohols were detected. Based on the comparison of homologue and isomer compositions between the different genotypes, it can be concluded that biosynthetic pathways lead from alkanes to secondary alcohols, and via ketones or diols to ketols. It seems plausible that MAH1 is the hydroxylase enzyme involved in all these conversions in Arabidopsis thaliana.}, keywords = {BRASSICA-OLERACEA, chain lengths, CHROMATOGRAPHY, cytochrome P450, ECERIFERUM MUTANTS, EPICUTICULAR WAXES, fatty acid derivatives, GAS, HYDROXYLATION, LEAF WAXES, LEAVES, MAH1, MASS SPECTROMETRY, neutral lipids, plant surface composition, RESISTANT, ULTRASTRUCTURE, wax}, isbn = {0022-0957}, url = {://000265524400023}, author = {Wen, M. and Jetter, R.} } @article {2113, title = {Plant surface lipid biosynthetic pathways and their utility for metabolic engineering of waxes and hydrocarbon biofuels}, journal = {Plant Journal}, volume = {54}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 299KRTimes Cited: 12Cited Reference Count: 122Jetter, Reinhard Kunst, Ljerka}, month = {May}, pages = {670-683}, type = {Review}, abstract = {Due to their unique physical properties, waxes are high-value materials that are used in a variety of industrial applications. They are generated by chemical synthesis, extracted from fossil sources, or harvested from a small number of plant and animal species. As a result, the diversity of chemical structures in commercial waxes is low and so are their yields. These limitations can be overcome by engineering of wax biosynthetic pathways in the seeds of high-yielding oil crops to produce designer waxes for specific industrial end uses. In this review, we first summarize the current knowledge regarding the genes and enzymes generating the chemical diversity of cuticular waxes that accumulate at the surfaces of primary plant organs. We then consider the potential of cuticle biosynthetic genes for biotechnological wax production, focusing on selected examples of wax ester chain lengths and isomers. Finally, we discuss the genes/enzymes of cuticular alkane biosynthesis and their potential in future metabolic engineering of plants for the production of renewable hydrocarbon fuels.}, keywords = {ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA, BRASSICA-OLERACEA, chain lengths, CONDENSING ENZYME, CUTICULAR WAX, cuticular waxes, ECERIFERUM MUTANTS, EPICUTICULAR WAX, ESTERS, fatty acid elongation, FATTY ACYL-COENZYME, HYDROCARBONS, industrial products, LEAVES PISUM-SATIVUM, MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION, SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE}, isbn = {0960-7412}, url = {://000255755000012}, author = {Jetter, R. and Kunst, L.} }