Isolation and Characterization of a Δ5-Desaturase from Oblongichytrium sp.

Yasuyuki KUMON; Yasushi KAMISAKA; Nao TOMITA; Kazuyoshi KIMURA; Hiroshi UEMURA; Toshihiro YOKOCHI; Rinka YOKOYAMA; Daiske HONDA

doi:10.1271/bbb.80235

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Notes

Isolation and Characterization of a Δ5-Desaturase from Oblongichytrium sp.

Yasuyuki KUMON, Yasushi KAMISAKA, Nao TOMITA, Kazuyoshi KIMURA, Hiroshi UEMURA, Toshihiro YOKOCHI, Rinka YOKOYAMA, Daiske HONDA

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Keywords: Δ5-desaturase, Labyrinthulomycetes, Oblongichytrium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, thraustochytrid

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2008 Volume 72 Issue 8 Pages 2224-2227

DOI https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.80235

View "Advance Publication" version (August 7, 2008).

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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 Δ5-desaturase by its heterologous expression in yeast. The enzyme had higher activity toward 20:4n-3 than 20:3n-6, indicating that this Δ5-desaturase can be used in the production of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic organisms.

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