Abstract
Pavlova lutheri, a marine microalga, is rich in the very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs) eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) acids. Using an expressed sequence tag approach, we isolated a cDNA designated Pldes1, and encoding an amino acid sequence showing high similarity with polyunsaturated fatty acid front-end desaturases. Heterologous expression in yeast demonstrated that PlDES1 desaturated 22:5n-3 and 22:4n-6 into 22:6n-3 and 22:5n-6 respectively, and was equally active on both substrates. Thus, PlDES1 is a novel VLCPUFA Delta4-desaturase. Pldes1 expression is four-fold higher during the mid-exponential phase of growth compared to late exponential and stationary phases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 440-4 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | FEBS Letters |
| Volume | 553 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Oct 2003 |
Keywords
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Chromatography, Gas
- DNA, Complementary/genetics
- Docosahexaenoic Acids/metabolism
- Eicosapentaenoic Acid/analogs & derivatives
- Eukaryota/chemistry
- Fatty Acid Desaturases/chemistry
- Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/analysis
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/physiology
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Recombinant Proteins/chemistry
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Yeasts/genetics