DNA STRANDS CODING FOR GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHATE ACYLTRANSFERASE

摘要

DNA strands having the ability to biotechnologically produce glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (ATase) useful for converting the property of the PG of membrane lipids into that of more chilling resistance, specifically a chimeric gene of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (ATase) cDNA derived from squash in which the about one- third central region (the site cleaved by Kpn I and Hind III) has been replaced with the corresponding region of spinach ATase cDNA, a cDNA derived from squash in which the about one-sixth central region (the site cleaved by Hind III and Sac I) has been replaced with the corresponding region of spinach ATase cDNA, or a chimeric gene of ATase cDNA, derived from spinach in which the about one-third 3'- terminal region (the site cleaved by Kpn I and Eco RI) has been replaced with the corresponding region of squash ATase cDNA are disclosed. These chimeric genes can express a chimeric ATase which has a higher substrate selectivity to unsaturated fatty acids. The DNA strand is introduced and expressed in a chilling sensitive plant, so that it can afford a plant the chilling resistance higher than that afforded by the ATase gene derived from a known chilling resistant plant.