Retention of fatty acyl desaturase 1 (fads1) in Elopomorpha and Cyclostomata provides novel insights into the evolution of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in vertebrates

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Lopes Marques, M (Author) Other; Kabeya, N (Author) Other; Qian, Y (Author) Other; Ruivo, R (Author) Other; Santos, MM (Author) FCUP; Venkatesh, B (Author) Other; Tocher, DR (Author) Other; Filipe F C Castro (Author) FCUP; Monroig, O (Author) Other

Journal

Title: BMC Evolutionary Biology

Vol. 18

ISSN: 1471-2148

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 43 Citations

Scopus - 44 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00P-S4G

DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1271-5

Abstract (EN): BackgroundProvision of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in vertebrates occurs through the diet or via endogenous production from C-18 precursors through consecutive elongations and desaturations. It has been postulated that the abundance of LC-PUFA in the marine environment has remarkably modulated the gene complement and function of Fads in marine teleosts. In vertebrates two fatty acyl desaturases, namely Fads1 and Fads2, encode 5 and 6 desaturases, respectively. To fully clarify the evolutionary history of LC-PUFA biosynthesis in vertebrates, we investigated the gene repertoire and function of Fads from species placed at key evolutionary nodes.ResultsWe demonstrate that functional Fads15 and Fads26 arose from a tandem gene duplication in the ancestor of vertebrates, since they are present in the Arctic lamprey. Additionally, we show that a similar condition was retained in ray-finned fish such as the Senegal bichir and spotted gar, with the identification of fads1 genes in these lineages. Functional characterisation of the isolated desaturases reveals the first case of a Fads1 enzyme with 5 desaturase activity in the Teleostei lineage, the Elopomorpha. In contrast, in Osteoglossomorpha genomes, while no fads1 was identified, two separate fads2 duplicates with 6 and 5 desaturase activities respectively were uncovered.ConclusionsWe conclude that, while the essential genetic components involved LC-PUFA biosynthesis evolved in the vertebrate ancestor, the full completion of the LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathway arose uniquely in gnathostomes.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9