Bacterial Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Their Biosynthetic Genes, Functions, and Practical Use
Kiyohito Yoshida,
Mikako Hashimoto,
Ryuji Hori,
Takumi Adachi,
Hidetoshi Okuyama,
Yoshitake Orikasa,
Tadashi Nagamine,
Satoru Shimizu,
Akio Ueno,
Naoki Morita
Affiliations
Kiyohito Yoshida
Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Section of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Mikako Hashimoto
Course in Ecological Genetics, Division of Biosphere Science, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Ryuji Hori
Technical Solution Center First Group, J-OIL MILLS, Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan
Takumi Adachi
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
Hidetoshi Okuyama
Laboratory of Environmental Molecular Biology, Section of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Yoshitake Orikasa
Department Food Science, Obihiro University Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
Tadashi Nagamine
ROM Co. Ltd., Togashi Bld., Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0062, Japan
Satoru Shimizu
Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Centre for Science and Technology, 5-3, Sakae-machi, Horonobe, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan
Akio Ueno
Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Centre for Science and Technology, 5-3, Sakae-machi, Horonobe, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan
Naoki Morita
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
The nutritional and pharmaceutical values of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) such as arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have been well recognized. These LC-PUFAs are physiologically important compounds in bacteria and eukaryotes. Although little is known about the biosynthetic mechanisms and functions of LC-PUFAs in bacteria compared to those in higher organisms, a combination of genetic, bioinformatic, and molecular biological approaches to LC-PUFA-producing bacteria and some eukaryotes have revealed the notably diverse organization of the pfa genes encoding a polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase complex (PUFA synthase), the LC-PUFA biosynthetic processes, and tertiary structures of the domains of this enzyme. In bacteria, LC-PUFAs appear to take part in specific functions facilitating individual membrane proteins rather than in the adjustment of the physical fluidity of the whole cell membrane. Very long chain polyunsaturated hydrocarbons (LC-HCs) such as hentriacontanonaene are considered to be closely related to LC-PUFAs in their biosynthesis and function. The possible role of LC-HCs in strictly anaerobic bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic environments and the evolutionary relationships of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria carrying pfa-like genes are also discussed.
