Changes in fatty acid composition of lipid classes in developing mustard seed

Maturation of mustard (Sinapis alba) seed proceeds with a sharp decrease in the amounts of palmitic and linoleic acids in the total lipids up to 6 weeks after flowering (WAF). Concomitantly, the concentration of oleic acid increases, reaching a plateau at 4 WAF, which is followed by chain elongation of oleic acid to gadoleic and erucic acids. Compositional changes in constituent fatty acids of individual lipid classes indicate that the very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (C₂₀ and C₂₂), as opposed to common long-chain fatty acids (C₁₆ and C₁₈), are metabolized to triacylglycerols mainly by esterification to preformed diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols, rather than via esterification to glycerol-3-phosphate or lysophosphatidic acids.