Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase is the initial enzyme of the glycerolipid biosynthetic pathway. Biochemical analyses indicated that the reaction mediated by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase represents a potential rate-limiting step for the synthesis of phospholipids and storage neutralipid, triacylglycerol. The present invention relates to the cloning of genes encoding extraplastidic membrane-bound glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases. Heterologous expression of the genes, GPAT1, GPAT2, and GPAT3 in a yeast glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase mutant demonstrated that the encoded products could efficiently utilize glycerol-3-phosphate to mediate sn-1 stereo-specific fatty acid acylation. The invention encompasses the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase peptides disclosed and fragments and homologues thereof, the corresponding gene sequences and fragments and homologues thereof, as well as the use of the peptide and gene sequences of the present invention for use in generating recombinant proteins, and transgenic plants with altered lipid metabolism. In this way, the present invention also encompasses the use of such recombinant peptides and transgenic plants for the production of lipid products for use, for example, in pharmaceutical and nutritional applications.
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