Institution: | 1. Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd., Bioprocess Development Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0841, Japan;2. Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan |
Abstract: | Arachidonic acid (ARA) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and an essential component of membrane lipids. However, the PUFA synthase required for ARA biosynthesis has not been identified in any organism. To identify the PUFA synthase producing ARA, we determined the draft genome sequence of the marine bacterium Aureispira marina, which produces a high level of ARA, and found a gene cluster encoding a putative PUFA synthase for ARA production. Expression of the gene cluster in Escherichia coli induced production of ARA, demonstrating that the gene cluster encodes a PUFA synthase required for ARA biosynthesis. |