Caenorhabditis elegans mboa-7, a member of the MBOAT family, is required for selective incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into phosphatidylinositol.

ABSTRACT: Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is a component of membrane phospholipids, and it functions both as a signaling molecule and as a compartment-specific localization signal in the form of polyphosphoinositides. Arachidonic acid (AA) is the predominant fatty acid in the sn-2 position of PI in mammals. LysoPI acyltransferase (LPIAT) is thought to catalyze formation of AA-containing PI; however, the gene that encodes this enzyme has not yet been identified. In this study, we established a screening system to identify genes required for use of exogenous polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in Caenorhabditis elegans. In C. elegans, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) instead of AA is the predominant fatty acid in PI. We showed that an uncharacterized gene, which we named mboa-7, is required for incorporation of

SUBMITTER: Lee HC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2262980 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature