title: Isolation and characterization of a Delta5-desaturase from Oblongichytrium sp.
abstract: We isolated a cDNA clone with homology to known desaturase genes from Oblongichytrium sp., recently classified as a new genus of thraustochytrids (Labyrinthulomycetes), and found that it encoded Delta5-desaturase by its heterologous expression in yeast. The enzyme had higher activity toward 20:4n-3 than 20:3n-6, indicating that this Delta5-desaturase can be used in the production of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic organisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumon
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamisaka
authors.forename: Nao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokochi
authors.forename: Rinka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Daiske
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Honda
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004951:Esterification; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D008386:Marine Biology; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors