Reaction: acyl-CoA + a long-chain alcohol = CoA + a long-chain alcohol wax ester
Other name(s): wax synthase (ambiguous); wax-ester synthase (ambiguous)
Systematic name: acyl-CoA:long-chain-alcohol O-acyltransferase
Comments: The enzyme transfers acyl residues from acyl-CoA to long-chain alcohols, forming wax esters. Wax esters have diverse biological functions in bacteria, insects, mammals, and terrestrial plants. The enzyme from the plant Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) prefers acyl residues of chain-length C18 to C20 and its preferred acceptor is (11Z)-icos-11-en-1-ol. cf. EC 2.3.1.332, medium-chain-alcohol O-fatty-acyltransferase.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 64060-40-8
References:
1. Wu, X.-Y., Moreau, R.A. and Stumpf, P.K. Studies of biosynthesis of waxes by developing jojoba seed. 3. Biosynthesis of wax esters from acyl-CoA and long-chain alcohols. Lipids 16 (1981) 897-902.
2. Uthoff, S., Stoveken, T., Weber, N., Vosmann, K., Klein, E., Kalscheuer, R. and Steinbuchel, A. Thio wax ester biosynthesis utilizing the unspecific bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase of Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71 (2005) 790-796. [PMID: 15691932]
3. Teerawanichpan, P. and Qiu, X. Fatty acyl-CoA reductase and wax synthase from Euglena gracilis in the biosynthesis of medium-chain wax esters. Lipids 45 (2010) 263-273. [PMID: 20195781]
4. Tomiyama, T., Kurihara, K., Ogawa, T., Maruta, T., Ogawa, T., Ohta, D., Sawa, Y. and Ishikawa, T. Wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase isoenzymes play a pivotal role in wax ester biosynthesis in Euglena gracilis. Sci. Rep. 7 (2017) 13504. [PMID: 29044218]