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Metabolic pathway that produces essential fatty acids from polymethylene‐interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids in animal cells
Author(s) -
Tanaka Tamotsu,
Morishige Junichi,
Iwawaki Dai,
Fukuhara Terumi,
Hamamura Naomi,
Hirano Kaoru,
Osumi Takashi,
Satouchi Kiyoshi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2007.05807.x
Subject(s) - linoleic acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , arachidonic acid , biochemistry , fatty acid , eicosapentaenoic acid , linolenic acid , peroxisome , chemistry , metabolism , microsome , biology , in vitro , enzyme , gene
Sciadonic acid (20:3 Δ‐5,11,14) and juniperonic acid (20:4 Δ‐5,11,14,17) are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that lack the Δ‐8 double bond of arachidonic acid (20:4 Δ‐5,8,11,14) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 Δ‐5,8,11,14,17), respectively. Here, we demonstrate that these conifer oil‐derived PUFAs are metabolized to essential fatty acids in animal cells. When Swiss 3T3 cells were cultured with sciadonic acid, linoleic acid (18:2 Δ‐9,12) accumulated in the cells to an extent dependent on the concentration of sciadonic acid. At the same time, a small amount of 16:2 Δ‐7,10 appeared in the cellular lipids. Both 16:2 Δ‐7,10 and linoleic acid accumulated in sciadonic acid‐supplemented CHO cells, but not in peroxisome‐deficient CHO cells. We confirmed that 16:2 Δ‐7,10 was effectively elongated to linoleic acid in rat liver microsomes. These results indicate that sciadonic acid was partially degraded to 16:2 Δ‐7,10 by two cycles of β‐oxidation in peroxisomes, then elongated to linoleic acid in microsomes. Supplementation of Swiss 3T3 cells with juniperonic acid, an n −3 analogue of sciadonic acid, induced accumulation of α‐linolenic acid (18:3 Δ‐9,12,15) in cellular lipids, suggesting that juniperonic acid was metabolized in a similar manner to sciadonic acid. This PUFA remodeling is thought to be a process that converts unsuitable fatty acids into essential fatty acids required by animals.