Plant acetyl-CoA carboxylase: structure, biosynthesis, regulation, and gene manipulation for plant breeding

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) catalyzes the first committed step of fatty acid synthesis, the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA. Two physically distinct types of enzymes are found in nature. Heteromeric ACCase composed of four subunits is usually found in prokaryotes, and homomeric ACCase composed of a single large polypeptide is found in eukaryotes. Most plants have both forms, the heteromeric form in plastids, in which de novo fatty acids are synthesized, and the homomeric form in cytosol. This review focuses on the structure and regulation of plant heteromeric ACCase and its manipulation for plant breeding.