Characterization and Functional Analysis of Fads Reveals Δ5 Desaturation Activity during Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Dwarf Surf Clam Mulinia lateralis.

Fatty acid desaturases (Fads), as key enzymes in the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), catalyze the desaturation between defined carbons of fatty acyl chains and control the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids. In the present study, two Fads genes, designated MulFadsA and MulFadsB, were identified from the genome of the dwarf surf clam Mulinia lateralis (Mollusca, Mactridae), and their spatiotemporal expression was examined. MulFadsA and MulFadsB contained the corresponding conserved functional domains and clustered closely with their respective orthologs from other mollusks. Both genes were expressed in the developmental stages and all tested adult tissues of M. lateralis, with MulFadsA exhibiting significantly higher expression levels in adult tissues than MulFadsB. Subsequently, the effects of dietary microalgae on Fads expressions in the dwarf surf clam were investigated by feeding clams with two types of unialgal diets varying in fatty acid content, i.e., Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Cp) and Platymonas helgolandica (Ph). The results show that the expressions of MulFads were significantly upregulated among adult tissues in the Cp group compared with those in the Ph group. In addition, we observed the desaturation activity of MulFadsA via heterologous expression in yeasts, revealing Δ5 desaturation activity toward PUFA substrates. Taken together, these results provide a novel perspective on M. lateralis LC-PUFA biosynthesis, expanding our understanding of fatty acid synthesis in marine mollusks.

GhL1L1 regulates the contents of unsaturated fatty acids by activating the expression of GhFAD2 genes in cotton.

Edible oils with high unsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, are beneficial to human health. Cotton is one of the top five oil crops in the world, but the mechanism of high-quality oil synthesis and regulatory networks in cotton are largely unclear. Here, we identified Leafy cotyledon1-like 1 (GhL1L1), a NF-YB subfamily gene that is specifically expressed during somatic embryogenesis and seed maturation in cotton. Overexpression of GhL1L1 regulates the contents of unsaturated fatty acids in cotton, especially in the seeds, which is associated with altered expression of the cotton fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes. GhL1L1 synergistically enhanced the expression of GhFAD2-1A by binding to the G-box in its promoter, leading to an increase in the content of linoleic acid. Furthermore, this activation could be enhanced by GhNF-YC2 and GhNF-YA1 by form a transcriptional complex. Collectively, these results contribute to provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of oil biosynthesis in cotton and can facilitate genetic manipulation of cotton varieties with enhanced oil content.

Homeostatic control of stearoyl desaturase expression via patched-like receptor PTR-23 ensures the survival of C. elegans during heat stress.

Organismal responses to temperature fluctuations include an evolutionarily conserved cytosolic chaperone machinery as well as adaptive alterations in lipid constituents of cellular membranes. Using C. elegans as a model system, we asked whether adaptable lipid homeostasis is required for survival during physiologically relevant heat stress. By systematic analyses of lipid composition in worms during and before heat stress, we found that unsaturated fatty acids are reduced in heat-stressed animals. This is accompanied by the transcriptional downregulation of fatty acid desaturase enzymes encoded by fat-1, fat-3, fat-4, fat-5, fat-6, and fat-7 genes. Conversely, overexpression of the Δ9 desaturase FAT-7, responsible for the synthesis of PUFA precursor oleic acid, and supplementation of oleic acid causes accelerated death of worms during heat stress. Interestingly, heat stress causes permeability defects in the worm's cuticle. We show that fat-7 expression is reduced in the permeability defective collagen (PDC) mutant, dpy-10, known to have enhanced heat stress resistance (HSR). Further, we show that the HSR of dpy-10 animals is dependent on the upregulation of PTR-23, a patched-like receptor in the epidermis, and that PTR-23 downregulates the expression of fat-7. Consequently, abrogation of ptr-23 in wild type animals affects its survival during heat stress. This study provides evidence for the negative regulation of fatty acid desaturase expression in the soma of C. elegans via the non-canonical role of a patched receptor signaling component. Taken together, this constitutes a skin-gut axis for the regulation of lipid desaturation to promote the survival of worms during heat stress.

Functional characterization reveals a diverse array of metazoan fatty acid biosynthesis genes.

Long-chain (≥C20 ) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are physiologically important fatty acids for most animals, including humans. Although most LC-PUFA production occurs in aquatic primary producers such as microalgae, recent research indicates the ability of certain groups of (mainly marine) invertebrates for endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthesis and/or bioconversion from dietary precursors. The genetic pathways for and mechanisms behind LC-PUFA biosynthesis remain unknown in many invertebrates to date, especially in non-model species. However, the numerous genomic and transcriptomic resources currently available can contribute to our knowledge of the LC-PUFA biosynthetic capabilities of metazoans. Within our previously generated transcriptome of the benthic harpacticoid copepod Platychelipus littoralis, we detected expression of one methyl-end desaturase, one front-end desaturase, and seven elongases, key enzymes responsible for LC-PUFA biosynthesis. To demonstrate their functionality, we characterized eight of them using heterologous expression in yeast. The P. littoralis methyl-end desaturase has Δ15/17/19 desaturation activity, enabling biosynthesis of α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from 18:2 n-6, 20:4 n-6 and 22:5 n-6, respectively. Its front-end desaturase has Δ4 desaturation activity from 22:5 n-3 to DHA, implying that P. littoralis has multiple pathways to produce this physiologically important fatty acid. All studied P. littoralis elongases possess varying degrees of elongation activity for saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, producing aliphatic hydrocarbon chains with lengths of up to 30 carbons. Our investigation revealed a functionally diverse range of fatty acid biosynthesis genes in copepods, which highlights the need to scrutinize the role that primary consumers could perform in providing essential nutrients to upper trophic levels.

Engineering diverse fatty acid compositions of phospholipids in Escherichia coli.

Bacterial fatty acids (FAs) are an essential component of the cellular membrane and are an important source of renewable chemicals as they can be converted to fatty alcohols, esters, ketones, and alkanes, and used as biofuels, detergents, lubricants, and commodity chemicals. Most prior FA bioconversions have been performed on the carboxylic acid group. Modification of the FA hydrocarbon chain could substantially expand the structural and functional diversity of FA-derived products. Additionally, the effects of such modified FAs on the growth and metabolic state of their producing cells are not well understood. Here we engineer novel Escherichia coli phospholipid biosynthetic pathways, creating strains with distinct FA profiles enriched in ω7-unsaturated FAs (ω7-UFAs, 75%), Δ5-unsaturated FAs (Δ5-UFAs, 60%), cyclopropane FAs (CFAs, 55%), internally-branched FAs (IBFAs, 40%), and Δ5,ω7-double unsaturated FAs (DUFAs, 46%). Although bearing drastically different FA profiles in phospholipids, UFA, CFA, and IBFA enriched strains display wild-type-like phenotypic profiling and growth. Transcriptomic analysis reveals DUFA production drives increased differential expression and the induction of the fur iron starvation transcriptional cascade, but higher TCA cycle activation compared to the UFA producing strain. This likely reflects a slight cost imparted for DUFA production, which resulted in lower maximum growth in some, but not all, environmental conditions. The IBFA-enriched strain was further engineered to produce free IBFAs, releasing 96 mg/L free IBFAs from 154 mg/L of the total cellular IBFA pool. This work has resulted in significantly altered FA profiles of membrane lipids in E. coli, greatly increasing our understanding of the effects of FA structure diversity on the transcriptome, growth, and ability to react to stress.

Environmental adaptation in fish induced changes in the regulatory region of fatty acid elongase gene, elovl5, involved in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis.

Fish are the main source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) for human consumption. In the process of evolution via natural selection, adaptation to distinct environments has likely driven changes in the endogenous capacity for LC-PUFA biosynthesis between marine and freshwater fishes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive changes in this metabolic pathway are poorly understood. Here, we compared the transcriptional regulation of elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (Elovl5), which is one of the critical enzymes in LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathway, in marine large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Comparative transcriptomic and absolute mRNA quantification analyses revealed that the expression of elovl5 in rainbow trout was markedly higher than that in large yellow croaker. Correspondingly, the number of chromatin accessible areas in the regulatory region of elovl5 in rainbow trout was higher than in large yellow croaker, which revealed that chromatin accessibility in the regulatory region of elovl5 in rainbow trout was higher. Furthermore, the differences in sequence and activity of the elovl5 promoter were observed between rainbow trout and large yellow croaker, and transcription factors including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ß (CEBPß), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) and upstream stimulatory factor 2 (USF2) displayed different regulatory roles on elovl5 expression between the two species. We propose that changes in the gene regulatory region driven by natural selection likely play a key role in differences in elovl5 expression and the activity of Elovl5, which may influence the LC-PUFA biosynthesis capacities of rainbow trout and large yellow croaker. These findings may also provide opportunities to improve the quality of aquatic products and, consequently, human health.

Unsaturated fatty acids augment protein transport via the SecA:SecYEG translocon.

The translocon SecYEG and the associated ATPase SecA form the primary protein secretion system in the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria. The secretion is essentially dependent on the surrounding lipids, but the mechanistic understanding of their role in SecA : SecYEG activity is sparse. Here, we reveal that the unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) of the membrane phospholipids, including tetraoleoyl-cardiolipin, stimulate SecA : SecYEG-mediated protein translocation up to ten-fold. Biophysical analysis and molecular dynamics simulations show that UFAs increase the area per lipid and cause loose packing of lipid head groups, where the N-terminal amphipathic helix of SecA docks. While UFAs do not affect the translocon folding, they promote SecA binding to the membrane, and the effect is enhanced up to fivefold at elevated ionic strength. Tight SecA : lipid interactions convert into the augmented translocation. Our results identify the fatty acid structure as a notable factor in SecA : SecYEG activity, which may be crucial for protein secretion in bacteria, which actively change their membrane composition in response to their habitat.

Highly Valuable Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Microalgae: Strategies to Improve Their Yields and Their Potential Exploitation in Aquaculture.

Microalgae have a great potential for the production of healthy food and feed supplements. Their ability to convert carbon into high-value compounds and to be cultured in large scale without interfering with crop cultivation makes these photosynthetic microorganisms promising for the sustainable production of lipids. In particular, microalgae represent an alternative source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), whose consumption is related to various health benefits for humans and animals. In recent years, several strategies to improve PUFAs' production in microalgae have been investigated. Such strategies include selecting the best performing species and strains and the optimization of culturing conditions, with special emphasis on the different cultivation systems and the effect of different abiotic factors on PUFAs' accumulation in microalgae. Moreover, developments and results obtained through the most modern genetic and metabolic engineering techniques are described, focusing on the strategies that lead to an increased lipid production or an altered PUFAs' profile. Additionally, we provide an overview of biotechnological applications of PUFAs derived from microalgae as safe and sustainable organisms, such as aquafeed and food ingredients, and of the main techniques (and their related issues) for PUFAs' extraction and purification from microalgal biomass.

circ01592 regulates unsaturated fatty acid metabolism through adsorbing miR-218 in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

The composition of fatty acids plays a key role in regulating milk flavor and quality. Therefore, to improve the quality of milk, it is particularly important to study the regulatory mechanism of fatty acid metabolism in dairy cows. In this study, the expression profiles at non-lactation, peak-lactation, mid-lactation and late-lactation were constructed by high-throughput sequencing. Considering non-lactation as the control group and the other points as the experimental groups, the differentially expressed genes were screened. ELOVL5 was significantly upregulated and was selected for subsequent analyses. Bioinformatics prediction, a dual-luciferase assay, qPCR analysis and western blot analysis were used for verification. The results showed that ELOVL5 was a downstream target gene of miR-218 that regulated milk fat metabolism. A dual-luciferase assay and expression level analysis showed that circ01592 can directly bind to miR-218 and that overexpression of circ01592 (pcDNA-circ01592) significantly reduced the expression of miR-218 and enhanced the expression of ELOVL5, the target gene of miR-218 in BMECs. A functional study of BMECs showed that circ01592 promoted the synthesis of TAG and increased the content of UFA. The function of miR-218 was opposite to that of circ01592. Overall, the data showed that circ01592 promoted TAG synthesis and fatty acid composition by binding miR-218, alleviating the inhibitory effect of miR-218 on ELOVL5 expression. These mechanisms provide a new research approach and theoretical basis for improving milk quality.

Interference with ACSL1 gene in bovine adipocytes: Transcriptome profiling of circRNA related to unsaturated fatty acid production.

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) is a member of the acyl-CoA synthetase family that plays a vital role in lipid metabolism. We have previously shown that the ACSL1 gene regulates the composition of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in bovine skeletal muscle, which in turn regulates the fatty acid synthesis and the generation of lipid droplets. Here, we used RNA-Seq to screen circRNAs that regulated the expression of ACSL1 gene and other UFA synthesis-related genes by RNA interference and noninterference in bovine adipocytes. The results of KEGG pathway analysis showed that the parental genes of differentially expressed (DE)-circRNAs were primarily enriched in the adipocytokine signaling pathway. The prediction results showed that novel_circ_0004855, novel_circ_0001507, novel_circ_0001731, novel_circ_0005276, novel_circ_0002060, novel_circ_0005405 and novel_circ_0004254 regulated UFA synthesis-related genes by interacting with the related miRNAs. These results could help expand our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in the regulation of UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes.

Evolution and Functional Characteristics of the Novel elovl8 That Play Pivotal Roles in Fatty Acid Biosynthesis.

Elongation of very long-chain fatty acid (Elovl) proteins are key enzymes that catalyze the rate-limiting step in the fatty acid elongation pathway. The most recently discovered member of the Elovl family, Elovl8, has been proposed to be a fish-specific elongase with two gene paralogs described in teleosts. However, the biological functions of Elovl8 are still to be elucidated. In this study, we showed that in contrast to previous findings, elovl8 is not unique to teleosts, but displays a rather unique and ample phylogenetic distribution. For functional determination, we generated elovl8a (elovl8a-/-) and elovl8b (elovl8b-/-) zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Fatty acid composition in vivo and zebrafish liver cell experiments suggest that the substrate preference of Elovl8 overlapped with other existing Elovl enzymes. Zebrafish Elovl8a could elongate the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 to C20:2n-6 and C20:3n-3, respectively. Along with PUFA, zebrafish Elovl8b also showed the capacity to elongate C18:0 and C20:1. Gene expression quantification suggests that Elovl8a and Elovl8b may play a potentially important role in fatty acid biosynthesis. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the function of Elovl8a and Elovl8b, representing additional fatty acid elongases not previously described in chordates.

Retinal bioavailability and functional effects of a synthetic very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in mice.

Rare, nondietary very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) are uniquely found in the retina and a few other vertebrate tissues. These special fatty acids play a clinically significant role in retinal degeneration and development, but their physiological and interventional research has been hampered because pure VLC-PUFAs are scarce. We hypothesize that if Stargardt-3 or age-related macular degeneration patients were to consume an adequate amount of VLC-PUFAs that could be directly used in the retina, it may be possible to bypass the steps of lipid elongation mediated by the retina's ELOVL4 enzyme and to delay or prevent degeneration. We report the synthesis of a VLC-PUFA (32:6 n-3) in sufficient quantity to study its bioavailability and functional benefits in the mouse retina. We acutely and chronically gavage fed wild-type mice and Elovl4 rod-cone conditional knockout mice this synthetic VLC-PUFA to understand its bioavailability and its role in visual function. VLC-PUFA-fed wild-type and Elovl4 conditional knockout mice show a significant increase in retinal VLC-PUFA levels in comparison to controls. The VLC-PUFA-fed mice also had improvement in the animals' visual acuity and electroretinography measurements. Further studies with synthetic VLC-PUFAs will continue to expand our understanding of the physiological roles of these unique retinal lipids, particularly with respect to their potential utility for the treatment and prevention of retinal degenerative diseases.

LPIAT1/MBOAT7 contains a catalytic dyad transferring polyunsaturated fatty acids to lysophosphatidylinositol.

Human membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing 7 (MBOAT7), also known as lysophosphatidylinositol acyltransferase 1 (LPIAT1), is an enzyme involved in the acyl-chain remodeling of phospholipids via the Lands' cycle. The MBOAT7 rs641738 variant has been associated with the entire spectrum of fatty liver disease (FLD) and neurodevelopmental disorders, but the exact enzymatic activity and the catalytic site of the protein are still unestablished. Human wild type MBOAT7 and three MBOAT7 mutants missing in the putative catalytic residues (N321A, H356A, N321A + H356A) were produced into Pichia pastoris, and purified using Ni-affinity chromatography. The enzymatic activity of MBOAT7 wild type and mutants was assessed measuring the incorporation of radiolabeled fatty acids into lipid acceptors. MBOAT7 preferentially transferred 20:4 and 20:5 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI). On the contrary, MBOAT7 showed weak enzymatic activity for transferring saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, regardless the lipid substrate. Missense mutations in the putative catalytic residues (N321A, H356A, N321A + H356A) result in a loss of O-acyltransferase activity. Thus, MBOAT7 catalyzes the transfer of PUFAs to lipid acceptors. MBOAT7 shows the highest affinity for LPI, and missense mutations at the MBOAT7 putative catalytic dyad inhibit the O-acyltransferase activity of the protein. Our findings support the hypothesis that the association between the MBOAT7 rs641738 variant and the increased risk of NAFLD is mediated by changes in the hepatic phosphatidylinositol acyl-chain remodeling. Taken together, the increased knowledge of the enzymatic activity of MBOAT7 gives insights into the understanding on the basis of FLD.

Differences in erythrocyte phospholipid membrane long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and the prevalence of fatty acid desaturase genotype among African Americans and European Americans.

Numerous studies have reported an association between genetic variants in fatty acid desaturases (FADS1 and FADS2) and plasma or erythrocyte long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels. Increased levels of n-6 PUFAs have been associated with inflammation and several chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer. We hypothesized that genetic variants of FADS that more efficiently convert precursor n-6 PUFA to arachidonic acid (AA) may explain the higher burden of chronic diseases observed in African Americans. To test this hypothesis, we measured the level of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids and genotyped the rs174537 FADS variants associated with higher AA conversion among African American and European American populations. We included data from 1,733 individuals who participated in the Tennessee Colorectal Polyp Study, a large colonoscopy-based case-control study. Erythrocyte membrane PUFA percentages were measured using gas chromatography. Generalized linear models were used to estimate association of race and genotype on erythrocyte phospholipid membrane PUFA levels while controlling for self-reported dietary intake. We found that African Americans have higher levels of AA and a higher prevalence of GG allele compared to whites, 81% vs 43%, respectively. Homozygous GG genotype was negatively associated with precursor PUFAs (linoleic [LA], di-homo-γ-linolenic [DGLA]), positively associated with both product PUFA (AA, docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), product to precursor ratio (AA to DGLA), an indirect measure of FADs efficiency and increased urinary isoprostane F2 (F2-IsoP) and isoprostane F3 (F3-IsoP), markers of oxidative stress. Increased consumption of n-6 PUFA and LA resulting in increased AA and subsequent inflammation may be fueling increased prevalence of chronic diseases especially in African descent.

Functional characterization, tissue distribution and nutritional regulation of the Elovl4 gene in golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758).

The elongases of very long-chain fatty acids (Elovls) are involved in the rate-limiting of the carbon chain elongation reaction in fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis in vertebrates. One member of the Elovls family, Elovl4, has been regarded as a critical enzyme involved in the biosynthesis pathway of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). To explore the role of Elovl4 in PUFA synthesis in Trachinotus ovatus, the cDNA of the Elovl4b gene is cloned from T. ovatus (ToElovl4b). The ORF of ToElovl4b was 918 bp and encoded 305 amino acid (aa) protein sequences. Sequence alignment showed that the deduced amino acids contained significant structural features of the Elovl4 family, such as a histidine box motif (HXXHH), multiple transmembrane domains and an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis revealed that ToElovl4b was highly conserved with that of Rachycentron canadum Elovl4b. Moreover, heterologous expression in yeast demonstrated that ToElovl4b could efficiently elongate 18:2n-6, 18:3n-6 and 20:5n-3 FAs up to 20:2n-6, 20:3n-6 and 22:5n-3, respectively. Furthermore, the tissue expression profile indicated that mRNA expression of ToElovl4b was higher in the gonads and brain than in other tissues. Additionally, nutritional regulation suggested the highest mRNA levels of ToElovl4b in liver and brain were under feeding with 1:1 FO-SO (fish oil, FO; soybean oil, SO) and 1:1 FO-CO (corn oil, CO)), respectively. These new insights were useful for understanding the molecular basis and regulation of LC-PUFA biosynthesis in fish.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway determines ferroptosis sensitivity in gastric cancer.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated necrosis mediated by lipid peroxidation. Cancer cells survive under metabolic stress conditions by altering lipid metabolism, which may alter their sensitivity to ferroptosis. However, the association between lipid metabolism and ferroptosis is not completely understood. In this study, we found that the expression of elongation of very long-chain fatty acid protein 5 (ELOVL5) and fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) is up-regulated in mesenchymal-type gastric cancer cells (GCs), leading to ferroptosis sensitization. In contrast, these enzymes are silenced by DNA methylation in intestinal-type GCs, rendering cells resistant to ferroptosis. Lipid profiling and isotope tracing analyses revealed that intestinal-type GCs are unable to generate arachidonic acid (AA) and adrenic acid (AdA) from linoleic acid. AA supplementation of intestinal-type GCs restores their sensitivity to ferroptosis. Based on these data, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biosynthesis pathway plays an essential role in ferroptosis; thus, this pathway potentially represents a marker for predicting the efficacy of ferroptosis-mediated cancer therapy.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and genetics. implications for interindividual variability in prothrombotic, inflammatory conditions such as COVID-19✰,✰✰,☠,☠☠.

COVID-19 symptoms vary from silence to rapid death, the latter mediated by both a cytokine storm and a thrombotic storm. SARS-CoV (2003) induces Cox-2, catalyzing the synthesis, from highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), of eicosanoids and docosanoids that mediate both inflammation and thrombosis. HUFA balance between arachidonic acid (AA) and other HUFA is a likely determinant of net signaling to induce a healthy or runaway physiological response. AA levels are determined by a non-protein coding regulatory polymorphisms that mostly affect the expression of FADS1, located in the FADS gene cluster on chromosome 11. Major and minor haplotypes in Europeans, and a specific functional insertion-deletion (Indel), rs66698963, consistently show major differences in circulating AA (>50%) and in the balance between AA and other HUFA (47-84%) in free living humans; the indel is evolutionarily selective, probably based on diet. The pattern of fatty acid responses is fully consistent with specific genetic modulation of desaturation at the FADS1-mediated 20:3→20:4 step. Well established principles of net tissue HUFA levels indicate that the high linoleic acid and low alpha-linoleic acid in populations drive the net balance of HUFA for any individual. We predict that fast desaturators (insertion allele at rs66698963; major haplotype in Europeans) are predisposed to higher risk and pathological responses to SARS-CoV-2 could be reduced with high dose omega-3 HUFA.

Effects of overexpression of ACSL1 gene on the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in adipocytes of bovine.

There exists a positive correlation between the unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) content in the bovine species and their taste and nutritional significance. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) is known to be involved in lipid synthesis as well as fatty acid transport and degradation. This gene has been identified as the key candidate gene for regulating lipid composition in the bovine skeletal muscle; however, its mechanism of action in regulating UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes is unclear. In this study, we used a recombinant adenovirus vector (Ad-ACSL1) to overexpress the ACSL1 gene using Ad-NC (recombinant adenovirus of green fluorescent protein) as the control. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was done to examine the gene expression associated with the synthesis of UFA, followed by the analysis of the fatty acid composition. Oil red O staining was done to examine the aggregation of lipid droplets. We found that ACSL1 overexpression was associated with an upregulated expression of PPARγ, FABP3, ACLY, SCD1, and FASN, and downregulated expression of CPT1A. Additionally, ACSL1 overexpression resulted in elevated saturated fatty acid content, especially C16:0 and C18:0, than the control group (Ad-NC cells) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the overexpression of ACSL1 enhanced the proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), decreased the proportion of C22:4, and significantly upregulated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. These results were supported by oil red O staining, which revealed an increase in the lipid droplets in bovine adipocytes after the overexpression of the ACSL1 gene. Thus, the results of this study indicated that ACSL1 positively regulated PUFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes.

Characterization of inthomycin biosynthetic gene cluster revealing new insights into carboxamide formation.

Inthomycins are polyketide antibiotics which contain a terminal carboxamide group and a triene chain. Inthomycin B (1) and its two new analogues 2 and 3 were isolated from the crude extract of Streptomyces pactum L8. Identification of the gene cluster for inthomycin biosynthesis as well as the 15N-labeled glycine incorporation into inthomycins are described. Combined with the gene deletion of the rare P450 domain in the NRPS module, a formation mechanism of carboxamide moiety in inthomycins was proposed via an oxidative release of the assembly chain assisted by the P450 domain.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids and p38-MAPK link metabolic reprogramming to cytoprotective gene expression during dietary restriction.

The metabolic state of an organism instructs gene expression modalities, leading to changes in complex life history traits, such as longevity. Dietary restriction (DR), which positively affects health and life span across species, leads to metabolic reprogramming that enhances utilisation of fatty acids for energy generation. One direct consequence of this metabolic shift is the upregulation of cytoprotective (CyTP) genes categorized in the Gene Ontology (GO) term of "Xenobiotic Detoxification Program" (XDP). How an organism senses metabolic changes during nutritional stress to alter gene expression programs is less known. Here, using a genetic model of DR, we show that the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially linoleic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are increased following DR and these PUFAs are able to activate the CyTP genes. This activation of CyTP genes is mediated by the conserved p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) pathway. Consequently, genes of the PUFA biosynthesis and p38-MAPK pathway are required for multiple paradigms of DR-mediated longevity, suggesting conservation of mechanism. Thus, our study shows that PUFAs and p38-MAPK pathway function downstream of DR to help communicate the metabolic state of an organism to regulate expression of CyTP genes, ensuring extended life span.