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Wax ester biosynthesis in the liver of myctophid fishes
Author(s) -
Seo HwanSook,
Endo Yasushi,
Moku Masatoshi,
Kawaguchi Kouichi,
Fujimoto Kenshiro
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-001-0733-5
Subject(s) - wax , wax ester , triglyceride , chemistry , incubation , biosynthesis , biochemistry , fatty acid , organic chemistry , cholesterol , enzyme
The biosynthetic properties of wax esters in the liver were compared between two types of myctophid fishes having different body lipid composition, i.e., three triglyceriderich species ( Lampanyctus jordani, Diaphus theta , and Symbolophorus californiensis ) and three was ester‐rich species ( L. regalis, Stenobracius nannochir , and Stenobracius leucopsarus ). n ‐Heptadecanol (17∶0‐ALC) and/or 10‐ cis ‐heptadecenoic acid (17∶1‐ACID) was incubated with liver homogenate of the six myctophid fishes and with co‐factors such as NADPH and ATP for 2 to 5 h. Considerable amounts of wax esters with odd‐numbered fatty acids and/or alcohols were produced in the liver homogenate of the was ester‐rich species. Stenobracius nannochir and L. regalis , which exclusively contained wax esters as neutral lipids, showed the highest activity of wax ester synthesis, followed by S. leucopsarus , which contained triglyceride as the minor constituent. Only trace amounts at most of odd‐numbered fatty acids and alcohols were incorporated into the wax esters after incubation with the liver homogenates of the triglyceride‐rich fishes. Active interchange between the fatty acids and the alcohols occurred during wax ester biosynthesis in the wax ester‐rich fishes. The chain elongation and shortening of acyl moieties were also observed during incubation. These results suggested that the deposition of lipids in myctophid fishes is mainly due to their biosynthetic activities.