Galactolipid synthesis in chromoplasts in vitro

Isolated chromoplasts from Narcissus pseudonarcissus flowers contain: a fatty acid synthesizing system; acyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.3); glycero-phosphate acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.15); acylglycero-phosphate acyltransferase; phosphatidate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.4); diacylglycerol galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.46); and diacylgalactosylglycerol galactosyltransferase, i.e. all enzymatic activities necessary for the synthesis of diacylgalactosylglycerol and diacylgalabiosylglycerol from acetate, HCO_-³, sn-glycerol 3-phosphate, and UDP-d-galactose. Diacylgalactosylglycerol and diacylgalabiosylglycerol, however, are synthesized from these precursors to only a very low extent in an in vitro system. This is attributed to a specificity of diacylglycerol galactosyltransferase for highly unsaturated diacylglycerols. Specificities of acyltransferase reactions were also found.