Evidence of Isozymes for Δ6 Fatty Acid Desaturase in Rat Hepatocytes

Abstract

  The expression of Δ6 fatty acid desaturase, previously identified, was suppressed almost completely by hyper expression of the corresponding antisense gene in a transformant of the rat hepatic cell line BRL-3A. Conversion rates of [1-¹⁴C] linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and tetracosapentaenoic acid into the respective Δ6 fatty acids were equivalent to those in control cells. This finding suggested that all of these reactions were catalyzed by at least two Δ6 desaturase isozymes in rat hepatocytes.