Transgenic mice convert carbohydrates to essential fatty acids.
Transgenic mice (named "Omega mice") were engineered to carry both optimized fat-1 and fat-2 genes from the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and are capable of producing essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids from saturated fats or carbohydrates. When maintained on a high-saturated fat diet lacking essential fatty acids or a high-carbohydrate, no-fat diet, the Omega mice exhibit high tissue levels of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, with a ratio of ∼1∶1. This study thus presents an innovative technology for the production of both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as a new animal model for understanding the true impact of fat on human health.
Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology (LLMT), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Victor J
VJ
Pai
Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology (LLMT), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Bin
B
Wang
Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology (LLMT), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Xiangyong
X
Li
Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Lin
L
Wu
Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology (LLMT), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Jing X
JX
Kang
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000235:genetics; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C466741:fat-1 protein, C elegans; C492490:fat-2 protein, C elegans; D004247:DNA; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases