title: Biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid in human cells: evidence that two different delta 6-desaturase activities may exist.
abstract: It has been proposed that synthesis of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6(n-3) in rat hepatocytes occurs by a route independent of delta 4-desaturase, which involves delta 6-desaturation and retroconversion (Voss A., Reinhart M., Sankarappa S. and Sprecher H. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 19995-20000). However, most cells exhibit these enzymatic activities and nevertheless synthesize low to undectectable amounts of 22:6(n-3). Moreover, there are few data on the occurrence of this pathway in human cells. In the present work, we have analysed the biosynthetic pathway of 22:6(n-3) in human Y-79 retinoblastoma and Jurkat T-cells. Y-79 cells were supplemented with 18:3(n-3) and 20:5(n-3) or incubated with [1-14C]18:3(n-3) and [1-14C]20:5(n-3) and lipids analysed by argentation TLC, reverse-phase TLC and GLC-mass spectrometry. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that synthesis of 22:6(n-3) from 20:5(n-3) in Y-79 cells occurred through two successive elongations, followed by a delta 6-desaturation of 24:5(n-3) to 24:6(n-3) and retroconversion to 22:6(n-3). Incubation of Y-79 cells with [1-14C]18:3(n-3) in medium containing 50 microM trans-9,12-18:2, a potent inhibitor of delta 6-desaturase, caused a reduction of 22:6(n-3) synthesis mainly by interfering with the desaturation of 18:3(n-3). However, when [1-14C]20:5(n-3) was used as precursor, synthesis of 22:6(n-3) was depressed to a lesser extent and mainly by reduction of 24:6(n-3) retroconversion. Neuronal differentiation of Y-79 cells caused a great increase in delta 6-desaturase activity on 18:3(n-3), though the amount of 22:6(n-3) synthesized did not change or diminish, suggesting the existence of a particular delta 6-desaturase involved in the synthesis of 22:6(n-3). The existence of a distinctive delta 6-desaturase activity could also explain why Jurkat cells growing in serum-free medium showed a near 3-fold increase in the synthesis of pentaenes from 18:3(n-3) and, at the same time, a large decrease in the synthesis of 22:6(n-3). The verification of the involvement of two delta 6-desaturase activities in 22:6(n-3) synthesis would have important implications for the formulation of the nutritional requirements of this fatty acid during development.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marzo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alava
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piñeiro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naval
mesh_terms: D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D007938:Leukemia / Q000378:metabolism; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005227:Fatty Acids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D003994:Bucladesine; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase