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Isolation and Characterization of Δ6-Desaturase, an ELO-Like Enzyme and Δ5-Desaturase from the Liverwort Marchantia Polymorpha and Production of Arachidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids in the Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia Pastoris

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Abstract

The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha contains high proportions of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. In general, these C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are synthesized from linoleic and α-linolenic acids, respectively, by a series of reactions catalyzed by Δ6-desaturase, an ELO-like enzyme involved in Δ6 elongation and Δ5-desaturase. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the cDNAs, MpDES6, MpELO1 and MpDES5, coding for the respective enzymes from M. polymorpha. Co-expression of the MpDES6, MpELO1 and MpDES5 cDNAs resulted in the accumulation of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Interestingly, Δ6 desaturation by the expression of the MpDES6 cDNA appears to occur both in glycerolipids and the acyl-CoA pool, although other lower-plant Δ6-desaturases are known to have a strong preference for glycerolipids.

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  1. Kanji Ohyama

    Present address: Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Research Institute of Agricultural Resources, Ishikawa Agricultural College, Ishikawa, 921-8836, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawaoiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Masataka Kajikawa, Katsuyuki T. Yamato, Yoshito Kohzu, Hideya Fukuzawa & Kanji Ohyama

  2. Laboratory of Fermentation Physiology and Applied Microbiology, Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Masutoshi Nojiri, Eiji Sakuradani & Sakayu Shimizu

  3. Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yasuyoshi Sakai

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  1. Masataka Kajikawa
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  2. Katsuyuki T. Yamato
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Kajikawa, M., Yamato, K.T., Kohzu, Y. et al. Isolation and Characterization of Δ6-Desaturase, an ELO-Like Enzyme and Δ5-Desaturase from the Liverwort Marchantia Polymorpha and Production of Arachidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids in the Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia Pastoris . Plant Mol Biol 54, 335–352 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLAN.0000036366.57794.ee

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