The yeast acyltransferase Sct1p regulates fatty acid desaturation by competing with the desaturase Ole1p

The degree of fatty acid unsaturation, that is, the ratio of unsaturated versus saturated fatty acyl chains, determines membrane fluidity. Regulation of expression of the fatty acid desaturase Ole1p was hitherto the only known mechanism governing the degree of fatty acid unsaturation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report a novel mechanism for the regulation of fatty acid desaturation that is based on competition between Ole1p and the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase Sct1p/Gat2p for the common substrate C16:0-CoA. Deletion of SCT1 decreases the content of saturated fatty acids, whereas overexpression of SCT1 dramatically decreases the desaturation of fatty acids and affects phospholipid composition. Whereas overexpression of Ole1p increases desaturation, co-overexpression of Ole1p and Sct1p results in a fatty acid composition intermediate between those obtained upon overexpression of the enzymes separately. On the basis of these results, we propose that Sct1p sequesters C16:0-CoA into lipids, thereby shielding it from desaturation by Ole1p. Ta-king advantage of the growth defect conferred by overexpressing SCT1, we identified the acyltransferase Cst26p/Psi1p as a regulator of Sct1p activity by affecting the phosphorylation state and overexpression level of Sct1p. The level of Sct1p phosphorylation is increased when cells are supplemented with saturated fatty acids, demonstrating the physiological relevance of our findings.     

Lipid droplet formation protects against gluco/lipotoxicity in Candida parapsilosis: An essential role of fatty acid desaturase Ole1

Elevated levels of glucose and lipids can result in cellular dysfunction in eukaryotic cells ranging from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts to human cells. Moreover, glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity can cause cell death, although the mechanism(s) for lethality is unclear. In the present study, we utilized Candida parapsilosis fatty acid desaturase (OLE1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS2) gene deletion mutants and wild-type (WT) yeast cells to unravel the relationship to glucose and lipid induced cell death in eukaryotic cells. Incubation of WT yeast cells with glucose led to the rapid accumulation of lipid droplets, whereas lipid droplet formation was severely impaired in yeast cells with deletion of OLE1 (ole1Δ/Δ) or FAS2 (fas2Δ/Δ). Interestingly, ole1Δ/Δ yeast cells died within hours in a 1% glucose medium without fatty acid supplementation, whereas the WT or fas2Δ/Δ yeast cells did not. In glucose medium, ole1Δ/Δ yeast cells accumulated saturated fatty acids, while fas2Δ/Δ did not. Addition of saturated fatty acids (e.g., palmitic acid) enhanced ole1Δ/Δ yeast cell death, whereas the addition of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic or palmitoleic acid) rescued cell death. Furthermore, palmitic acid and glucose medium induced apopotic cell death in ole1Δ/Δ yeast cells, which was dependent on mitochondrial function. Thus, our results show that glucotoxicity is directly linked to lipotoxicity, which we demonstrate is mediated by mitochondrial function.     

Candida albicans protein kinase CaHsl1p regulates cell elongation and virulence

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsl1p is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that regulates cell morphology. We identified Candida albicans CaHSL1 and analysed its function in C. albicans. Cells lacking CaHsl1p exhibited filamentous growth under yeast growth conditions with the filaments elongating more quickly than did those of the wild type under hyphal growth conditions, suggesting that it plays a role in the suppression of cell elongation. Green fluorescent protein-tagged CaHsl1p colocalized with a septin complex to the bud neck during yeast growth or to a potent septation site during hyphal growth, as expected from the localization in S. cerevisiae. However, the localization of the septin complex did not change in DeltaCahsl1, suggesting that CaHsl1p does not participate in septin organization. CaHsl1p was expressed in a cell cycle-dependent manner and, except for the G1 phase, phosphorylated throughout the cell cycle. In DeltaCahsl1 cells, the phosphorylation of a possible CaHsl1p target CaSwe1p decreased, while that of CaCdc28p at tyrosine18 increased. Either an extra copy of the tyrosine18-mutated CaCdc28p or deletion of CaSWE1 suppressed the cell elongation phenotype caused by CaHSL1 deletion. Furthermore, DeltaCahsl1 exhibited reduced virulence in the mouse systemic candidiasis model. Thus, the CaHsl1p-CaSwe1p-CaCdc28p pathway appears important in the cell elongation of both the yeast and hyphal forms and to the virulence of C. albicans.     

Mutagenesis of the borage Delta(6) fatty acid desaturase

The consensus sequence of the third histidine box of a range of Delta(5), Delta(6), Delta(8) and sphingolipid desaturases differs from that of the membrane-bound non-fusion Delta(12) and Delta(15) desaturases in the presence of glutamine instead of histidine. We have used site-directed mutagenesis to determine the importance of glutamine and other residues of the third histidine box and created a chimaeric enzyme to determine the ability of the Cyt b(5) fusion domain from the plant sphingolipid desaturase to substitute for the endogenous domain of the Delta(6) desaturase.     

Environmental and dietary influences on highly unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and expression of fatty acyl desaturase and elongase genes in liver of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) synthesis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was known to be influenced by both nutritional and environmental factors. Here we aimed to test the hypothesis that both these effectors involved similar molecular mechanisms. Thus, HUFA biosynthetic activity and the expression of fatty acyl desaturase and elongase genes were determined at various points during an entire 2 year production cycle in salmon fed diets containing either 100% fish oil or diets in which a high proportion (75% and 100%) of fish oil was replaced by C18 polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich vegetable oil. The results showed that HUFA biosynthesis in Atlantic salmon varied during the growth cycle with peak activity around seawater transfer and subsequent low activities in seawater. Consistent with this, the gene expression of Delta6 desaturase, the rate-limiting step in the HUFA biosynthetic pathway, was highest around the point of seawater transfer and lowest during the seawater phase. In addition, the expression of both Delta6 and Delta5 desaturase genes was generally higher in fish fed the vegetable oil-substituted diets compared to fish fed fish oil, particularly in the seawater phase. Again, generally consistent with this, the activity of the HUFA biosynthetic pathway was invariably higher in fish fed diets in which fish oil was substituted by vegetable oil compared to fish fed only fish oil. In conclusion, these studies showed that both nutritional and environmental modulation of HUFA biosynthesis in Atlantic salmon involved the regulation of fatty acid desaturase gene expression.     

低温和外源不饱和脂肪酸对高山被孢霉脂肪酸脱氢酶基因表达的影响

[目的]在转录水平上研究低温和外源不饱和脂肪酸对于高山被孢霉脂肪酸脱氢酶基因的表达调控机制.[方法]通过实时定量PCR技术和启动子报告基因融合载体的方法,研究低温和外源不饱和脂肪酸对于高山被孢霉3种脂肪酸脱氢酶基因表达随时间进程的影响.[结果]实时定量PCR的结果表明:低温对于3种脂肪酸脱氢酶基因的转录具有激活作用,外源不饱和脂肪酸对基因转录起抑制作用,而且这两种作用都是快速响应的,随时间延长逐渐减弱并消失.脂肪酸组成测定结果证明了基因转录水平变化与对应产物变化之间没有相关性.低温能够在短时间内诱导pFAD6启动子活性增加,并随时间延长而持续增强 ;外源不饱和脂肪酸对pFAD6启动子活性起抑制作用,其不饱和度和浓度越高,抑制作用越强,而且抑制作用是快速且持续的.[结论]低温和外源不饱和脂肪酸除了在转录水平上调控高山被孢霉脂肪酸脱氢酶基因表达发生变化之外,可能主要在转录后水平上介导了胞内脂肪酸组成的变化.而且,脂肪酸脱氢酶基因的表达可能受到胞内脂肪酸组成变化的反馈调节作用.本文首次在转录水平上对高山被孢霉脂肪酸脱氢酶基因的表达调控机制进行了探索,为深入了解脂肪酸脱氢酶基因表达及多不饱和脂肪酸合成对外界信号的应答机制提供了有用信息,也对应用微生物发酵和转基因技术生产不饱和脂肪酸具有指导意义.     

Identification of a Delta 4 fatty acid desaturase from Thraustochytrium sp. involved in the biosynthesis of docosahexanoic acid by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Brassica juncea

The existence of Delta 4 fatty acid desaturation in the biosynthesis of docosahexanoic acid (DHA) has been questioned over the years. In this report we describe the identification from Thraustochytrium sp. of two cDNAs, Fad4 and Fad5, coding for Delta 4 and Delta 5 fatty acid desaturases, respectively. The Delta 4 desaturase, when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, introduced a double bond at position 4 of 22:5(n-3) and 22:4(n-6) resulting in the production of DHA and docosapentanoic acid. The enzyme, when expressed in Brassica juncea under the control of a constitutive promoter, desaturated the exogenously supplied substrate 22:5(n-3), resulting in the production of DHA in vegetative tissues. These results support the notion that DHA can be synthesized via Delta 4 desaturation and suggest the possibility that DHA can be produced in oilseed crops on a large scale.     

ω-3多聚不饱和脂肪酸脱氢酶的真核表达及鉴定

目的：构建ω-3多聚不饱和脂肪酸脱氢酶真核表达载体,并在293T细胞（人胚肾细胞）中实现表达。方法：通过RT-PCR法扩增得到ω-3多聚不饱和脂肪酸脱氢酶基因fat1,构建重组真核表达载体pCMV－Myc－fat1,用脂质体法转染293T细胞,Western Blot检测fat1的表达,并用间接免疫荧光（IFA）确定其在293T细胞中的定位情况。结果：构建真核表达质粒pCMV－Myc－fat1,转染293T细胞后,可检测到细胞内有fat1的表达并确定其在细胞中的位置。结论：成功构建真核表达质粒pCMV－Myc－fat1,可检测出细胞内有fat1的表达并确定其在细胞膜和细胞质内均有表达,为进行fat1的功能研究奠定了基础。