title: A Caenorhabditis elegans model for ether lipid biosynthesis and function.
abstract: Ether lipids are widespread in nature, and they are structurally and functionally important components of membranes. The roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, synthesizes numerous lipid species containing alkyl and alkenyl ether bonds. We isolated C. elegans strains carrying loss-of-function mutations in three genes encoding the proteins required for the initial three steps in the ether lipid biosynthetic pathway, FARD-1/FAR1, ACL-7/GNPAT, and ADS-1/AGPS. Analysis of the mutant strains show that they lack ether lipids, but possess the ability to alter their lipid composition in response to lack of ether lipids. We found that increases in de novo fatty acid synthesis and reduction of stearoyl- and palmitoyl-CoA desaturase activity, processes that are at least partially regulated transcriptionally, mediate the altered lipid composition in ether lipid-deficient mutants. Phenotypic analysis demonstrated the importance of ether lipids for optimal fertility, lifespan, survival at cold temperatures, and resistance to oxidative stress.Caenorhabditis.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Biosciences Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University, Gottingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tarazona
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Biosciences Washington State University, Pullman, WA Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
authors.forename: Trisha J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Browse
authors.affiliation: Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University, Gottingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Feussner
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Biosciences Washington State University, Pullman, WA jwatts@vetmed.wsu.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics*; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers / Q000378:metabolism; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; C022311:palmitoyl-CoA desaturase
keywords: C. elegans; fatty acid/desaturases; lipidomics; peroxisomes; phospholipids/phosphatidylethanolamine; plasmalogens