Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 3 tunes the membrane status of germ cells by incorporating docosahexaenoic acid during spermatogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one of the essential ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with a wide range of physiological roles important for human health. For example, DHA renders cell membranes more flexible and is therefore important for cellular function, but information on the mechanisms that control DHA levels in membranes is limited. Specifically, it is unclear which factors determine DHA incorporation into cell membranes and how DHA exerts biological effects. We found that lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 3 (LPAAT3) is required for producing DHA-containing phospholipids in various tissues, such as the testes and retina. In this study, we report that LPAAT3-KO mice display severe male infertility with abnormal sperm morphology. During germ cell differentiation, the expression of LP

SUBMITTER: Iizuka-Hishikawa Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5519358 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature