“Triacylglycerol metabolism, function and accumulation in plant vegetative tissues” will be presented by Changcheng Xu, biochemist, Biological, Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Oils in the form of triacylglycerols are the most abundant energy-dense storage compounds in eukaryotes and their metabolism plays a key role in cellular energy balance, lipid homeostasis, growth and maintenance. Plants accumulate oils primarily in seeds and fruits. Plant oils are used for food and feed, and increasingly as feedstocks for biodiesel and industrial chemicals. While plant vegetative tissues do not accumulate significant levels of triacylglycerols, they possess a high capacity for their synthesis, storage and metabolism. The development of plant vegetative oil accumulation presents an opportunity to create novel renewable platforms for expanded production of triacylglycerols as a renewable and sustainable bioenergy source. In this talk, I will present our recent results on triacylglycerol synthesis, turnover, storage and function in leaves, and discuss emerging genetic engineering strategies targeted at enhancing triacylglycerol accumulation in abundant vegetative tissues. Such a platform could potentially be modified to produce desired oleochemical feedstocks or nutraceuticals.