Enhanced production of docosahexaenoic acid in mammalian cells.

ABSTRACT: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical effects, may be obtained through diet or synthesized in vivo from dietary a-linolenic acid (ALA). However, the accumulation of DHA in human body or other mammals relies on the intake of high dose of DHA for a certain period of time, and the bioconversion of dietary ALA to DHA is very limited. Therefore the mammalian cells are not rich in DHA. Here, we report a new technology for increased production of DHA in mammalian cells. By using transient transfection method, Siganus canaliculatus ?4 desaturase was heterologously expressed in chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and simultaneously, mouse ?6-desaturase and ?5-desaturase were overexpressed. The results demonstrated that the overexpression of ?6/?5-desaturases significantly enhanced the ability of transfected cells to convert the added ALA to docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) which in turn get converted into DHA directly and efficiently by the heterologously expressed ?4 desaturase. This technology provides the basis for potential utility of these gene constructs in the creation of transgenic livestock for increased production of DHA/related products to meet the growing demand of this important PUFA.

SUBMITTER: Zhu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4008533 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature