A process of enzymatic degumming edible oils, comprising treating edible
oil with a lipid acyltransferase so as to transfer an acyl group from a
major part of the phospholipid to one or more acyl acceptors, wherein the
acyl acceptor may be any compound comprising a hydroxyl group. In one
embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is water and in another
embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is one or more sterols and/or
stanols. When the acyl acceptor is a stanol and/or sterol, one or more
sterol esters and/or stanol esters are produced. The lipid
acyltransferase for use in the process of the present invention may
comprise one or more of the following amino acid sequences: SEQ ID NO: 1,
SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ
ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ
ID NO: 13, SEQ ID NO: 14, or SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17,
SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 38, SEQ ID NO: 40, SEQ ID NO:
41, SEQ ID NO: 45, SEQ ID NO: 47, SEQ ID NO: 50 or an amino acid sequence
which has 75% or more identity thereto. A novel lipid acyltransferase
comprising the amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID NO: 16 is also taught.