A NEW FAMILY OF LIPOLYTIC PLANT ENZYMES WITH MEMBERS IN RICE, ARABIDOPSIS AND MAIZE

We have noted a striking similarity between the sequences of proteins in a novel family of lipases we recently reported [Upton, C. and Buckl ey, J.T. (1995) Trends Biol, Sci, 20, 178-9] and more than 120 sequenc es from the database of Expressed Sequence Tags (dbEST) which correspo nd to at least 30 unique genes from arabidopsis, rice and maize, A cDN A (Arab-1) corresponding to one of these sequences was isolated, seque nced and translated, There was significant similarity to sequences in the new lipase family over the entire open reading frame of Arab-1 and when expressed in E, coli, the gene product was lipolytic, Arab-1 and genes for some of the other plant proteins appear to be differentiall y expressed, They may play a role in the regulation of lipid metabolis m during plant development.