Journal article
Fatty Acid Desaturation and the Regulation of Adiposity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Genetics (Austin), Vol.176(2), pp.865-875
06/2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/112996
PMCID: PMC1894614
PMID: 17435249
Abstract
Monounsaturated fatty acids are essential components of membrane and storage lipids. Their synthesis depends on the conversion of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids by Δ9 desaturases.
Caenorhabditis elegans
has three Δ9 desaturases encoded by the genes
fat-5
,
fat-6
, and
fat-7
. We generated nematodes that display a range of altered fatty acid compositions by constructing double-mutant strains that combine mutations in
fat-5
,
fat-6
, and
fat-7
. All three double-mutant combinations have reduced survival at low temperatures. The
fat-5;fat-6
double mutants display relatively subtle fatty acid composition alterations under standard conditions, but extreme fatty acid composition changes and reduced survival in the absence of food. The strain with the most severe defect in the production of unsaturated fatty acids,
fat-6;fat-7
, exhibits slow growth and reduced fertility. Strikingly, the
fat-6;fat-7
double-mutant animals have decreased fat stores and increased expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. We conclude that the Δ9 desaturases, in addition to synthesizing unsaturated fatty acids for properly functioning membranes, play key roles in lipid partitioning and in the regulation of fat storage.
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Details
- Title
- Fatty Acid Desaturation and the Regulation of Adiposity in Caenorhabditis elegans
- Creators
- Trisha J Brock - Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6340John Browse - Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6340Jennifer L Watts - Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6340
- Publication Details
- Genetics (Austin), Vol.176(2), pp.865-875
- Academic Unit
- Biological Chemistry, Institute of; Molecular Biosciences, School of
- Publisher
- Copyright © 2007 by the Genetics Society of America
- Identifiers
- 99900548010601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article