OILSEEDS FUNCTION AS POWERFUL BIOSYNTHETIC FACTORIES THAT CONVERT PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY DERIVED SUGARS INTO REDUCED STORAGE LIPIDS WITH HIGH ENERGY DENSITY. THIS BIOSYNTHETIC CAPABILITY CAN BE HARNESSED TO PRODUCE A VARIETY OF LIPID STRUCTURES WITH FUNCTIONALITIES USEFUL FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS. THE OPTION TO GROW CROPS THAT PRODUCE SUCH SPECIALIZED AND POTENTIALLY HIGH-VALUE PRODUCTS OFFERS AN APPROACH TO DIVERSIFY AND ENHANCE THE RURAL ECONOMY. THE ISOLATION OF ENZYMES FROM DIFFERENT PLANTS AND AN INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF METABOLIC FLUXES IN DEVELOPING SEEDS HAS ALLOWED THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH LEVELS OF SUCH USEFUL LIPIDS IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS. WE WILL STUDY THE SYNTHESIS OF ACETYL-TAG MOLECULES IN TRANSGENIC CAMELINA SEED, AS THESE UNUSUAL LIPIDS REPRESENT A FUNCTIONALLY USEFUL OIL WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SYNTHESIS TO DATE. ACETYL-TAGS ARE MODIFIED TRIACYLGLYCEROL (TAG) MOLECULES THAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF VEGETABLE OIL. HOWEVER, EVEN IN THE BEST TRANSGENIC LINES, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ENDOGENOUS OIL REMAINS WHICH CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE DESIRED PROPERTIES OF THE INTENDED PRODUCT. WITH THE GOAL OF COMPLETELY REPLACING ENDOGENOUS SEED OIL WITH FUNCTIONALLY USEFUL ACETYL-TAG MOLECULES, THIS PROJECT WILL FINE-TUNE THE TIMING OF SYNTHESIS AND THE LOCATION OF ACCUMULATION OF SUCH SPECIALIZED OILS IN DEVELOPING SEEDS, THUS ENHANCING PRODUCTION. ACHIEVING THESE GOALS WILL PROVIDE FUNDMENTAL INFORMATION ABOUT OPTIMIZING GENE EXPRESSION AND PREVENTING LIPID TURNOVER, PARTICULARLY IN THE LATE STAGES OF SEED DEVELOPMENT, ENABLING THE MANIPULATION OF SEED BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS TO ENHANCE THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-VALUE MOLECULES. IN THE LONG-TERM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF CROPS PRODUCING ULTRA-HIGH LEVELS OF VALUABLE COMPOUNDS WILL OFFER FARMERS AN ALTERNATIVE INCOME STREAM AND HELP TO DIVERSITY THE RURAL ECONOMY.