Recent advances in functional analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthases

S Hayashi, Y Satoh, Y Ogasawara, T Dairi - Current Opinion in Chemical …, 2020 - Elsevier
S Hayashi, Y Satoh, Y Ogasawara, T Dairi
Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 2020Elsevier
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid,
and arachidonic acid are essential fatty acids for humans. PUFAs are biosynthesized by
either desaturases/elongases from oleic acid or PUFA synthases from acetyl units. PUFA
synthases are composed of three or four subunits, and each creates a specific PUFA even
though the multiple catalytic domains in each subunit are very similar. We recently dissected
these PUFA synthases by in vivo and in vitro experiments and elucidated how the enzymes …
Summary
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and arachidonic acid are essential fatty acids for humans. PUFAs are biosynthesized by either desaturases/elongases from oleic acid or PUFA synthases from acetyl units. PUFA synthases are composed of three or four subunits, and each creates a specific PUFA even though the multiple catalytic domains in each subunit are very similar. We recently dissected these PUFA synthases by in vivo and in vitro experiments and elucidated how the enzymes control PUFA profiles. Moreover, for the first time, we converted a practical microalgal docosahexaenoic acid synthase into an eicosapentaenoic acid synthase based on the results.
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