title: Bacterial Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Their Biosynthetic Genes, Functions, and Practical Use.
abstract: The nutritional and pharmaceutical values of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) such as arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have been well recognized. These LC-PUFAs are physiologically important compounds in bacteria and eukaryotes. Although little is known about the biosynthetic mechanisms and functions of LC-PUFAs in bacteria compared to those in higher organisms, a combination of genetic, bioinformatic, and molecular biological approaches to LC-PUFA-producing bacteria and some eukaryotes have revealed the notably diverse organization of the pfa genes encoding a polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase complex (PUFA synthase), the LC-PUFA biosynthetic processes, and tertiary structures of the domains of this enzyme. In bacteria, LC-PUFAs appear to take part in specific functions facilitating individual membrane proteins rather than in the adjustment of the physical fluidity of the whole cell membrane. Very long chain polyunsaturated hydrocarbons (LC-HCs) such as hentriacontanonaene are considered to be closely related to LC-PUFAs in their biosynthesis and function. The possible role of LC-HCs in strictly anaerobic bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic environments and the evolutionary relationships of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria carrying pfa-like genes are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Section of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan. majin@ees.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kiyohito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Course in Ecological Genetics, Division of Biosphere Science, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan. mkk_hsmt@eis.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Technical Solution Center First Group, J-OIL MILLS, Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan. ryuji.hori@j-oil.com.
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan. takumin_ikuno@ybb.ne.jp.|Bioproduction Research Institute, Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-8517, Japan. takumin_ikuno@ybb.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Molecular Biology, Section of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan. hoku@ees.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.affiliation: Department Food Science, Obihiro University Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan. yosori@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Orikasa
authors.affiliation: ROM Co. Ltd., Togashi Bld., Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0062, Japan. nagamine@rom-ef.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagamine
authors.affiliation: Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Centre for Science and Technology, 5-3, Sakae-machi, Horonobe, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan. satoru.shimizu@h-rise.jp.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Centre for Science and Technology, 5-3, Sakae-machi, Horonobe, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan. akio.ueno@h-rise.jp.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan. morita.n@aist.go.jp.|Bioproduction Research Institute, Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-8517, Japan. morita.n@aist.go.jp.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: arachidonic acid; docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; pfa genes; polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase (PUFA synthase); very long chain polyunsaturated hydrocarbons