BMC Evolutionary Biology (Oct 2018)

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

  • Mónica Lopes-Marques,
  • Naoki Kabeya,
  • Yu Qian,
  • Raquel Ruivo,
  • Miguel M. Santos,
  • Byrappa Venkatesh,
  • Douglas R. Tocher,
  • L. Filipe C. Castro,
  • Óscar Monroig

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-018-1271-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Background Provision of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in vertebrates occurs through the diet or via endogenous production from C18 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. Results We demonstrate that functional Fads1Δ5 and Fads2∆6 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. Conclusions We 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.

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