Brassica napus (Rapeseed), a plant used for the production of food oils, stores fats in lipid bodies in their seeds. Metabolism of these fats by beta-oxidation in glyoxysomes provides energy to plants during germination. An enzyme associated with beta-oxidation, acyl-CoA synthetase, has been reported in the literature as being associated with the lipid bodies. To determine if the remaining steps of beta-oxidation can be catalyzed by proteins associated with these lipid bodies, lipid bodies were isolated from germinating Brassica napus, incubated with acyl-CoA substrates, and the reaction products analyzed by HPLC. Each round of beta-oxidation produces an acyl-CoA product that is two carbons shorter. Retention times for these acyl-CoA reaction products were compared to the retention times of acyl-CoA standards to observe these intermediates forming over time. Catalase assays were run to make ensure that glyoxysomes were not present in the lipid body preparation. SDS-PAGE was used to see the proteins present on the lipid bodies and determine their molecular weights.

Measurement of beta-oxidation catalyzed by lipid bodies of Brassica napus using HPLC

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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