Key Enzymes in Fatty Acid Synthesis Pathway for Bioactive Lipids Biosynthesis

Abstract

Dietary bioactive lipids, one of the three primary nutrients, is not only essential for growth and provides nutrients and energy for life's activities but can also help to guard against disease, such as Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases, which further strengthen the immune system and maintain many body functions. Many microorganisms, such as yeast, algae, and marine fungi, have been widely developed for dietary bioactive lipids production. These biosynthetic processes were not limited by the climate and ground, which are also responsible for superiority of shorter periods and high conversion rate. However, the production process was also exposed to the challenges of low stability, concentration, and productivity, which was derived from the limited knowledge about the critical enzyme in the metabolic pathway. Fortunately, the development of enzymatic research methods provides powerful tools to understand the catalytic process, including site-specific mutagenesis, protein dynamic simulation, and metabolic engineering technology. Thus, we review the characteristics of critical desaturase and elongase involved in the fatty acids' synthesis metabolic pathway, which aims to not only provide extensive data for enzyme rational design and modification but also provides a more profound and comprehensive understanding of the dietary bioactive lipids' synthetic process.

Gametophyte phase of commercial kelps, the potential food supplements for essential fatty acids and n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

“…Our data for the S. japonica gametophyte phase were PUFA > MUFA > SFA, whereas the literature for the thallus was PUFA > SFA > MUFA (Susanto et al., 2019). The difference might concern the regulation of FA desaturase, which is controlled by algae development and external stimulating factors, such as cold stress, light and other factors (Zhu et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2020; Zhuang et al., 2022; He et al., 2020).…”

Enhancement of violaxanthin accumulation in Nannochloropsis oceanica by overexpressing a carotenoid isomerase gene from Phaeodactylum tricornutum

“…Up to now, there is no evidence to show the substrate specificity of Δ9 desaturase is adjustable, and thus we prefer to believe that the contrary trend exhibited by C16:1 and C18:1 is caused by the enzyme polymorphism. In fact, microalgae always possess several types of Δ9 desaturases showing different substrate preferences ( Zhuang et al, 2022 ). For example, Fistulifera sp.…”

Dietary intake of different ratios of ARA/DHA in early stages and its impact on infant development

“…The endogenous synthesis of LC-PUFAs from C18 precursors is a complex pathway that requires multi-step chain extension, desaturation and beta oxidation. 17 Evidence suggests that infants can convert linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) into ARA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) into DHA, however, the synthesis rate is not sufficient to maintain rapid growth in infants. 18–20 Therefore, it is imperative to supplement ARA and DHA through diet, whether from breast milk or other supplements.…”