[Yuki Nakamura] Is phosphatidylcholine essential in seed plant?

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the major phospholipid class in most eukaryotes. However, it remained unknown whether PC biosynthesis is essential for plants. A research group led by Dr. Yuki Nakamura showed a methyltransferase trio, PMT1, 2, and 3, essential for PC biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. The triple mutant has no ability to synthesize PC and shows severe seedling growth, albeit they can germinate. Thus, an essential role of PC biosynthesis in postembryonic growth is now revealed in plants 170 years after the first discovery of PC in egg yolk.