Physiological function and role of selected acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases from various organisms in phospholipid remodeling
Speaker: dr Katarzyna Jasieniecka-Gazarkiewicz, Laboratory of Plant Biochemistry, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk
Talk: Physiological function and role of selected acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases from various organisms in phospholipid remodeling
Time: 30.01.2026
Venue: Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Abrahama 58, hall 042B
Katarzyna Jasieniecka-Gazarkiewicz obtained her PhD from IFB UG-MUG in Biological Sciences in the field of Biochemistry. During her PhD studies, she completed an internship of over a year at the Plant Breeding Institute of the Swedish University of Agriculture (Sweden). Her primary interests are biochemistry and biotechnology of plant lipids. Her research focuses on determining the biochemical and physiological functions of the proteins encoded by genes involved in lipid metabolism. In recent years, she has been focusing on understanding the function of different acyltransferases in plant adaptation to environmental stresses.
In her seminar, she will discuss the physiological function and role of selected acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs) from yeast, plants and diatoms in phospholipid remodeling. Changes in the fatty acid composition of phospholipids are essential for maintaining the integrity of living organisms' membranes. This so-called remodeling occurs for two main reasons. First, in plants and microorganisms, the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids must be modified in response to changes in environmental conditions (e.g., temperature). Second, oxidized fatty acids disrupt proper membrane function and must be replaced with unoxidized fatty acids. Furthermore, fatty acid exchange between the acyl-CoA pool and the phosphatidylcholine (PC) fatty acid pool is an extremely important process, as it influences the composition of fatty acids that build storage lipids.