scholarly journals Investigation of Deep-Sea Ecosystems Using Marker Fatty Acids: Sources of Essential Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Abyssal Megafauna

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Vasily I. Svetashev

Abyssal seafloor ecosystems cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface. Being formed by mainly heterotrophic organisms, they depend on the flux of particulate organic matter (POM) photosynthetically produced in the surface layer of the ocean. As dead phytoplankton sinks from the euphotic to the abyssal zone, the trophic value of POM and the concentration of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decrease. This results in pronounced food periodicity and limitations for bottom dwellers. Deep-sea invertebrate seston eaters and surface deposit feeders consume the sinking POM. Other invertebrates utilize different food items that have undergone a trophic upgrade, with PUFA synthesized from saturated and monounsaturated FA. Foraminifera and nematodes can synthesize arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while some barophylic bacteria produce EPA and/or docosahexaenoic acid. FA analysis of deep-sea invertebrates has shown high levels of PUFA including, in particular, arachidonic acid, bacterial FA, and a vast number of new and uncommon fatty acids such as 21:4(n-7), 22:4(n-8), 23:4(n-9), and 22:5(n-5) characteristic of foraminifera. We suppose that bacteria growing on detritus having a low trophic value provide the first trophic upgrading of organic matter for foraminifera and nematodes. In turn, these metazoans perform the second-stage upgrading for megafauna invertebrates. Deep-sea megafauna, including major members of Echinodermata, Mollusca, and Polychaeta display FA markers characteristic of bacteria, foraminifera, and nematodes and reveal new markers in the food chain.

1988 ◽  
Vol 253 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
C J Field ◽  
E A Ryan ◽  
A B Thomson ◽  
M T Clandinin

Control and diabetic rats were fed on semi-purified high-fat diets providing a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio (P/S) of 1.0 or 0.25, to examine the effect of diet on the fatty acid composition of major phospholipids of the adipocyte plasma membrane. Feeding the high-P/S diet (P/S = 1.0) compared with the low-P/S diet (P/S = 0.25) increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids in both control and diabetic animals. The diabetic state decreased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid, in adipocyte membrane phospholipids. The decrease in arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipids of diabetic animals tended to be normalized to within the control values when high-P/S diets were given. For control animals, altered plasma-membrane composition was associated with change in insulin binding, suggesting that change in plasma-membrane composition may have physiological consequences for insulin-stimulated functions in the adipocyte.


Oleoscience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 263-272
Author(s):  
Eiji SAKURADANI ◽  
Akinori ANDO ◽  
Sakayu SHIMIZU ◽  
Jun OGAWA

Author(s):  
Thomas S. Bianchi ◽  
Elizabeth A. Canuel

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.


1987 ◽  
Vol 245 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
E R Hall ◽  
C E Manner ◽  
J Carinhas ◽  
R Snopko ◽  
M Rafelson

The asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in bovine endothelial-cell membranes was probed with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonate and purified phospholipase A2. The data suggest that phosphotidylethanolamine is primarily located in the inner lipid bilayer, as reported for other cell types. Stearic acid is taken up by the endothelial cells and is randomly distributed among the membrane phospholipids. In contrast, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (arachidonic, eicosatrienoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) have initial incorporation into the phosphatidylcholine fraction. These fatty acids then undergo a time-dependent transfer from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine. Thus we propose that endothelial cells possess a mechanism for the selective internalization of polyunsaturated fatty acids.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (22) ◽  
pp. 4147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens M. J. Nolsøe ◽  
Marius Aursnes ◽  
Yngve H. Stenstrøm ◽  
Trond V. Hansen

Recently, the identity of the marine hydrindane natural product (−)-mucosin was revised to the trans-fused structure 6, thereby providing a biogenetic puzzle that remains to be solved. We are now disseminating some of our insights with regard to the possible machinery delivering the established architecture. Aspects with regard to various modes of cyclization in terms of concerted versus stepwise processes are held up against the enzymatic apparatus known to be working on arachidonic acid (8). To provide a contrast to the tentative polyunsaturated fatty acid biogenesis, the structural pattern featured in (−)-mucosin (6) is compared to some marine hydrinane natural products of professed polyketide descent. Our appraisal points to a different origin and strengthens the hypothesis of a polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as the progenitor of (−)-mucosin (6).


Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (8) ◽  
pp. e811-e819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éilis J. O'Reilly ◽  
Kjetil Bjornevik ◽  
Jeremy D. Furtado ◽  
Laurence N. Kolonel ◽  
Loic Le Marchand ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo examine the association between prediagnostic plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids levels (PUFA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodsWe identified 275 individuals who developed ALS while enrolled in 5 US prospective cohorts, and randomly selected 2 controls, alive at the time of the case diagnosis, matched on cohort, birth year, sex, ethnicity, fasting status, and time of blood draw. We measured PUFA, expressed as percentages of total fatty acids, using gas liquid chromatography and used conditional logistic regression to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between PUFA and ALS.ResultsThere was no association between total, n-3, and n-6 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid, or docosapentaenoic acid levels and ALS. Higher plasma α-linolenic acid (ALA) in men was associated with lower risk of ALS in age- and matching factor-adjusted analyses (top vs bottom quartile: RR = 0.21 [95% CI 0.07, 0.58], p for trend = 0.004). In women, higher plasma arachidonic acid was associated with higher risk (top vs bottom quartile: RR = 1.65 [95% CI 0.99, 2.76], p for trend = 0.052). Multivariable adjustment, including correlated PUFA, did not change the findings for ALA and arachidonic acid. In men and women combined, higher plasma docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was associated with higher risk of ALS (top vs bottom quartile: RR = 1.56 [95% CI 1.01, 2.41], p for trend = 0.054), but in multivariable models the association was only evident in men.ConclusionsThe majority of individual PUFAs were not associated with ALS. In men, ALA was inversely and DHA was positively related to risk of ALS, while in women arachidonic acid was positively related. These findings warrant confirmation in future studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruixue Hou ◽  
Shelley Cole ◽  
Karin Haack ◽  
Sandra Laston ◽  
Nitesh Mehta ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are critical to the functioning of cell membranes as important constituents of phospholipids. They also serve as precursors for prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes which affect metabolic processes such as vasodilation, inflammation and cell proliferation. The objective of this study was to identify genes that influence the plasma levels of LC-PUFAs in Hispanic children of the Viva La Familia study. Methods Plasma levels of LC-PUFAs, including eicosapentanoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3), docosahexanoic acid (DHA, 22:6, n-3), docosapentanoic acid (DPA, 22:5, n-3), arachidonic acid (20: 4 n-6) and docosapentanoic acid (DPA, 22:5 n-6), were measured as part of metabolomics profiling. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (array and exome sequence) association analysis (GWAS) were conducted using additive genetic models adjusting for kinships. Results GWAS identified several loci on chromosome 11 with significant evidence of association with LC-PUFAs. These include association of EPA and arachidonic acid with rs174548, rs174545, rs174546, rs174550, 1rs74538 of fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1), rs1535, rs174577, rs174568, 174570, 2072114, 2727270 of FADS2, rs174538 of flap structure-specific endonuclease 1 (FEN1), rs174535, rs174528, rs198462, rs174532, rs149803 and rs198464 of myelin regulatory factor (MYRF) and rs102275 and rs102274 of transmembrane protein 258 (TMEM258) (P < 10−12, MAF 5–45%). Other LC-PUFAs showed suggestive evidence of association with the same SNPs. Except for FADS2 SNPs, carriers of minor alleles of all other identified SNPs had lower levels of EPA and arachidonic acid with effect sizes ranging from 5–10%. The analysis of exome variants revealed significant association of EPA with two novel SNPs in syphingomyelin synthase 2 (SGMS2) (P = 1.6 × 10−8) and synaptotagmin 7 (SYT7) (<3 × 10−15, MAF 1.5–33%). The same two loci were associated with arachidonic acid (<6 × 10−9). No significant or suggestive associations were found for other LC-PUFAs. Conclusions In summary, our genome-wide and exome sequencing results replicated the association of EPA and arachidonic acid with FADS and TMEM258 genes and identified novel loci related to neuronal signaling mainly in MYRF, SGMS2 and SYT7. Funding Sources National Institutes of Health (NIH) [DK080457], and the USDA/ARS [Cooperative Agreement 6250-51000-053].


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Marian Elias ◽  
Rasha S. Hanafi ◽  
Samia El-Bardicy ◽  
Ebtisam A. Hafez ◽  
Rashika El Ridi

Only a fraction of the Biomphalaria and Bulinus snail community shows patent infection with schistosomes despite continuous exposure to the parasite, indicating that a substantial proportion of snails may resist infection. Accordingly, exterminating the schistosome intermediate snail hosts in transmission foci in habitats that may extend to kilometres is cost-prohibitive and damaging to the ecological equilibrium and quality of water and may be superfluous. It may be more cost effective with risk less ecological damage to focus on discovering the parameters governing snail susceptibility and resistance to schistosome infection. Therefore, laboratory bred Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus snails were exposed to miracidia of laboratory-maintained Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, respectively. Snails were examined for presence or lack of infection association with soft tissue and hemolymph content of proteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides, evaluated using standard biochemical techniques and palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acid, assayed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Successful schistosome infection of B. alexandrina and B. truncatus consistently and reproducibly correlated with snails showing highly significant (up to P < 0.0001 ) decrease in soft tissue and hemolymph content of the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, and the polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic, and arachidonic acids as compared to naïve snails. Snails that resisted twice infection had soft tissue content of oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acid similar to naïve counterparts. High levels of soft tissue and hemolymph oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acid content appear to interfere with schistosome development in snails. Diet manipulation directed to eliciting excessive increase of polyunsaturated fatty acids in snails may protect them from infection and interrupt disease transmission in a simple and effective manner.


2008 ◽  
Vol 417 (2) ◽  
pp. 561-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Damiano ◽  
Gabriele V. Gnoni ◽  
Luisa Siculella

CiC (citrate carrier), a mitochondrial membrane protein, plays an important metabolic role by transporting acetyl-CoA into the cytosol for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. Several studies showed that CiC activity and expression is regulated by dietary fatty acids. In the present study we report data on the structural and functional characterization of the 5′-flanking region of the rat Cic gene. By transient transfection assays in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells, a PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) response region has been identified within the CiC promoter. A cluster of putative binding sites for several transcription factors, composed of a NF-Y (nuclear factor-Y) site, an E-box-like site, a SRE1 (sterol regulatory element 1)-like site and four Sp1 (stimulatory protein 1) sites, was localized in the promoter region. Luciferase reporter gene and gel mobility shift assays indicated that a functional E-box-like, essential to the basal CiC promoter activity, confers responsiveness to activation by SREBP (SRE-binding protein)-1c. This study provides evidence for SREBP-1c as a principal target for PUFA regulation of CiC transcription. In H4IIE cells, overexpression of nSREBP (nuclear SREBP)-1c over-rides arachidonic acid (C20:4, n-6) suppression, but does not prevent the repression by docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6, n-3). ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) assays in H4IIE cells showed that docosahexaenoic acid affects the binding of NF-Y, Sp1 and SREBP-1 to the PUFA response region of CiC promoter, whereas arachidonic acid alters only the binding of SREBP-1. Our data show that PUFA inhibition of hepatic Cic gene transcription is mediated not only by the nuclear level of SREBP-1c, but also might involve a reduction in Sp1 and NF-Y DNA binding, suggesting differential mechanisms in the Cic gene regulation by different PUFA.


2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 321-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
William L. Patterson ◽  
Philippe T. Georgel

Chronic inflammation is a cyclical, self-stimulating process. Immune cells called to sites of inflammation release pro-inflammatory signaling molecules that stimulate activation of inducible enzymes and transcription factors. These enzymes and transcription factors then stimulate production of signaling molecules that attract more immune cells and induce more enzymatic and transcriptional activity, creating a perpetual loop of inflammation. This self-renewing pool of inflammatory stimuli makes for an ideal tumor microenvironment, and chronic inflammation has been linked to oncogenesis, tumor growth, tumor cell survival, and metastasis. Three protein pathways in particular, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), cyclooxygenase (COX), and lipoxygenase (LOX), provide excellent examples of the cyclical, self-renewing nature of chronic inflammation-driven cancers. NF-kB is an inducible transcription factor responsible for the expression of a vast number of inflammation and cancer related genes. COX and LOX convert omega-6 (n-6) and omga-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into pro- and anti-inflammatory signaling molecules. These signaling molecules stimulate or repress activity of all three of these pathways. In this review, we will discuss the pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of these fatty acids and their role in chronic inflammation and cancer progression.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document