Genome-wide identification and analysis of membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) gene family in plants

Membrane bound O-acyl transferase (MBOAT) family is composed of gene members encoding a variety of acyltransferase enzymes, which play important roles in plant acyl lipid metabolism. Here, we present the first genome-enabled identification and analysis of MBOAT gene models in plants. In total, we identified 136 plant MBOAT sequences from 14 plant species with complete genomes. Phylogenetic relationship analyses suggested the plant MBOAT gene models fell into four major groups, two of which likely encode enzymes of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) and lysophospholipid acyltransferase (LPLAT), respectively, with one–three copies of paralogs present in each of the most plant species. A group of gene sequences, which are homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycerol uptake proteins (GUP), was identified in plants; copy numbers were conserved, with only one copy represented in each of the most plant species; analyses showed that residues essential for acyltransferases were more prone to be conserved than vertebrate orthologs. Among four groups, one was inferred to emerge in land plants and experience a rapid expansion in genomes of angiosperms, which suggested their important roles in adaptation of plants in lands. Sequence and phylogeny analyses indicated that genes in all four groups encode enzymes with acyltransferases. Comprehensive sequence identification of MBOAT family members and investigation into classification provide a complete picture of the MBOAT gene family in plants, and could shed light into enzymatic functions of different MBOAT genes in plants.