scholarly journals Roles of polyunsaturated fatty acids, from mediators to membranes

2020 ◽  
pp. jlr.R120000800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Harayama ◽  
Takao Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Membrane Lipid ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Lipid Mediator ◽  
Lysophospholipid Acyltransferases ◽  
Signaling Lipids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, are recognized as important biomolecules, but understanding their precise roles and modes of action remains challenging. PUFAs are precursors for a plethora of signaling lipids, for which knowledge about synthetic pathways and receptors has accumulated. However, due to their extreme diversity and the ambiguity concerning the identity of their cognate receptors, the roles of PUFA-derived signaling lipids require more investigation. In addition, PUFA functions cannot be explained just as lipid mediator precursors, since they are also critical for the regulation of membrane biophysical properties. The presence of PUFAs in membrane lipids also affects the functions of transmembrane proteins and peripheral membrane proteins. Although the roles of PUFAs as membrane lipid building blocks were difficult to analyze, the discovery of lysophospholipid acyltransferases, which are critical for their incorporation, advanced our understanding. Recent studies unveiled how lysophospholipid acyltransferases affect PUFA levels in membrane lipids, and their genetic manipulation became an excellent strategy to study the roles of PUFA-containing lipids. In this review, we will provide an overview of metabolic pathways regulating PUFAs as lipid mediator precursors and membrane components, and update recent progress about their functions. Some issues to be solved for future research will also be discussed.

scholarly journals Role of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Exercise in Breast Cancer Prevention: Identifying Common Targets

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. NMI.S39043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma A. Abdelmagid ◽  
Jessica L. MacKinnon ◽  
Sarah M. Janssen ◽  
David W.L. Ma
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Cancer Prevention ◽  
Breast Cancer Prevention ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pufa Intake ◽  
Diet And Exercise ◽  
Important Study

Diet and exercise are recognized as important lifestyle factors that significantly influence breast cancer risk. In particular, dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to play an important role in breast cancer prevention. Growing evidence also demonstrates a role for exercise in cancer and chronic disease prevention. However, the potential synergistic effect of n-3 PUFA intake and exercise is yet to be determined. This review explores targets for breast cancer prevention that are common between n-3 PUFA intake and exercise and that may be important study outcomes for future research investigating the combined effect of n-3 PUFA intake and exercise. These lines of evidence highlight potential new avenues for research and strategies for breast cancer prevention.

Lipids: Fatty Acids

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Bianchi ◽  
Elizabeth A. Canuel
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Deep Sea Bacteria ◽  
Total Fatty Acids ◽  
Fatty Acid Biomarkers

This chapter discusses fatty acids, the building blocks of lipids, which represent a significant fraction of the total lipid pool in aquatic organisms. It explores how chain length and levels of unsaturation (number of double bonds) have been shown to be correlated to decomposition, indicating a pre- and postdepositional selective loss of short-chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, saturated fatty acids are more stable and typically increase in relative proportion to total fatty acids with increasing sediment depth. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are predominantly used as proxies for the presence of “fresh” algal sources, although some PUFAs also occur in vascular plants and deep-sea bacteria. Thus, these biomarkers represent a very diverse group of compounds present in aquatic systems. The numerous applications of fatty acid biomarkers to identifying the sources of organic matter in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and marine ecosystems are discussed.

scholarly journals Nutritional ecology of essential fatty acids: an evolutionary perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 369 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Hulbert ◽  
Sarah K. Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Fatty Acid Composition ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Acid Composition ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Dietary Fatty Acid ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Dietary Fatty Acid Composition

There are four types of fatty acids but only two types are essential nutritional requirements for many animals. These are the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) and the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and because they cannot be converted to one another they are separate essential dietary requirements. They are only required in small amounts in the diet and their biological importance stems largely from their role as constituents of membrane lipids. They are synthesised by plants and, as a generalisation, green leaves are the source of n-3 PUFA while seeds are the source of n-6 PUFA in the food chain. While the fatty acid composition of storage fats (triglycerides) is strongly influenced by dietary fatty acid composition, this is not the case for membrane fats. The fatty acid composition of membrane lipids is relatively unresponsive to dietary fatty acid composition, although n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA can substitute for each in membrane lipids to some extent. Membrane fatty acid composition appears to be regulated and specific for different species. The role of essential fats in the diet of animals on (1) basal metabolic rate, (2) thermoregulation, (3) maximum longevity, and (4) exercise performance is discussed.

scholarly journals Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Patterson ◽  
R. Wall ◽  
G. F. Fitzgerald ◽  
R. P. Ross ◽  
C. Stanton
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Lipid Mediator ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Omega 6 ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

Omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (e.g., arachidonic acid (AA)) and omega-3 (n-3) PUFA (e.g., eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)) are precursors to potent lipid mediator signalling molecules, termed “eicosanoids,” which have important roles in the regulation of inflammation. In general, eicosanoids derived from n-6 PUFA are proinflammatory while eicosanoids derived from n-3 PUFA are anti-inflammatory. Dietary changes over the past few decades in the intake of n-6 and n-3 PUFA show striking increases in the (n-6) to (n-3) ratio (~15 : 1), which are associated with greater metabolism of the n-6 PUFA compared with n-3 PUFA. Coinciding with this increase in the ratio of (n-6) : (n-3) PUFA are increases in chronic inflammatory diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular disease, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). By increasing the ratio of (n-3) : (n-6) PUFA in the Western diet, reductions may be achieved in the incidence of these chronic inflammatory diseases.

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