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Functional Analysis of an Acyltransferase-Like Domain from Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthase in Thraustochytrium.

ABSTRACT: Biosynthesis of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFA) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6-4,7,10,13,16,19) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5-4,7,10,13,16) in protist Thraustochytrium is catalyzed by a polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) synthase comprising three large subunits, each with multiple catalytic domains. This study used complementation test, in vitro assays, and functional expression to characterize an acyltransferase (AT)-like domain in Subunit-B of a PUFA synthase from Thraustochytrium. Complementation test in Escherichia coli showed that the AT-like domain could not restore the growth phenotype of a temperature-sensitive mutant (∆fabD^ts) defective in malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase activity. In vitro assays showed that the AT-like domain possessed thioesterase activity towards a few acyl-CoAs tested where docosahexaenoyl-CoA (DHA-CoA) was the preferred substrate. Expression of this domain in an E. coli mutant (∆fadD) defective in acyl-CoA synthetase activity resulted in the increased accumulation of free fatty acids. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the substitution of two putative active site residues, serine at 96 (S96) and histidine at 220 (H220), in the AT-like domain significantly reduced its activity towards DHA-CoA and accumulation of free fatty acids in the ∆fadD mutant. These results indicate that the AT-like domain of the PUFA synthase does not function as a malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase, rather it functions as a thioesterase. It might catalyze the last step of the VLCPUFA biosynthesis by releasing freshly synthesized VLCPUFAs attached to ACP domains of the PUFA synthase in Thraustochytrium.

SUBMITTER: Almendariz-Palacios C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8003026 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Thraustochytrium sp. strain ATCC 26185 accumulates a high level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a nutritionally important ω-3 very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLCPUFA) synthesized primarily by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthase, a type I polyketide synthase-like megaenzyme. The PUFA synthase in this species comprises three large subunits, each with multiple catalytic domains. It was hypothesized that among these domains, ketoacylsynthase (KS) domains might be critical for catalyzing the condensation of specific unsaturated acyl-acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) with malonyl-ACP, thereby retaining double bonds in an extended acyl chain. To investigate the functions of these putative KS domains, two segment sequences from subunit A (KS-A) and subunit B (KS-B) of the PUFA synthase were dissected and then expressed as stand-alone enzymes in Escherichia coli The results showed that both KS-A and KS-B domains could complement the defective phenotypes of both E. colifabB and fabF mutants. Overexpression of these domains in wild-type E. coli led to increases in total fatty acid production. KS-B produced a higher ratio of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) to saturated fatty acids (SFAs), while KS-A could improve the overall production of fatty acids more effectively, particularly for the production of SFAs, implying that KS-A is more comparable to FabF, while KS-B is more similar to FabB in catalytic functions. Successful complementation and functional expression of the embedded KS domains in E. coli are the first step forward in studying the molecular mechanism of the PUFA synthase for the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs in ThraustochytriumIMPORTANCE Very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs) are important for human health. They can be biosynthesized in either an aerobic pathway or an anaerobic pathway in nature. However, abundant VLCPUFAs in marine microorganisms are primarily synthesized by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthase, a megaenzyme with multiple subunits, each with multiple catalytic domains. Furthermore, the fundamental mechanism for this enzyme to synthesize these fatty acids still remains unknown. This report started with dissecting the embedded KS domains of the PUFA synthase from marine protist Thraustochytrium sp. strain ATCC 26185 and then expressing them in wild-type E. coli and mutants defective in condensation of acyl-ACP with malonyl-ACP. Successful complementation of the mutants and improved fatty acid production in the overexpression experiments indicate that these KS domains can effectively function as stand-alone enzymes in E. coli This result has paved the way for further studying of molecular mechanisms of the PUFA synthase for the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs.

Project description:Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) are the major long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) of the central nervous system. We examined the alterations in transcriptional profiles in neonate baboon cerebral cortex brain tissue using high-density Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays ("U133 plus 2.0"). Twelve neonates were divided into 3 groups: Control (C, no DHA-ARA); 1× LCPUFA (L, 0.33%DHA-0.67%ARA); 3× LCPUFA (L3, 1.00%DHA-0.67%ARA). Significance analysis (P < 0.05) of a total of >54,000 probe sets (ps) identified changes in expression levels of 1108 ps, representing 2.05% of the total ps on the oligoarray, with most ps showing <2-fold change. Comparing L and C, 534 ps were upregulated with supplementation, and 574 ps were downregulated. For the L3/C comparisons, 666 ps were upregulated and 442 ps were downregulated. Characterization of differentially regulated genes by gene ontology assign them to diverse biological functions, notably lipid metabolism, ion channel and transport, G-protein and signal transduction, development, visual perception, membrane function, apoptosis, cytoskeleton, peptidases, cell cycle, stress response, kinases and phosphatases, transcription regulation, receptors, and ubiquitin, with about 400 transcripts having no defined function. Of differentially expressed genes involved in lipid metabolism, PLA2G6, a phospholipase recently associated with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy, was downregulated in both LCPUFA groups. ELOVL5, a PUFA elongase, was the only enzyme in the LCPUFA biosynthetic pathway that was differentially expressed. Mitochondrial fatty acid carrier, CPT2, was among several genes associated with mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation to be downregulated, while the mitochondrial proton carrier, UCP2, was upregulated. PUFA-regulated receptor, Retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) was repressed in both groups, while HNF4A, a PUFA regulated factor, was downregulated in L3/C. Genes involved in neural development, TIMM8A, NRG1, SEMA3D and NUMB, were upregulated while HES1 and SIM1 showed decreased expression. LUM, EML2, TIMP3 and TTC8 which have roles in visual perception were upregulated and TIA1, a silencer of COX2 gene translation is upregulated in L3/C. Ingenuity network analysis identified a top network associated with nervous system development and function with EGFR as the outstanding interaction partner. In this network EGFR interacts with genes involved in neural or visual perception, TIMP3, NRG1, ADAM17, EDG7 and FGF7. Quantitative real time-PCR analysis on selected genes confirmed the array results. The L and L3 groups have DHA and ARA content within the ranges observed in human and baboon breastmilk, and thus these data indicate that LCPUFA concentrations within the normal range of human breastmilk induce global changes in gene expression across numerous functions including transcripts involved in neural development, visual perception, etc. Keywords: dietary dose response

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Functional Analysis of an Acyltransferase-Like Domain from Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthase in Thraustochytrium.

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