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. 1998 Mar 1;330(Pt 2):611–614. doi: 10.1042/bj3300611

Identification of a Caenorhabditis elegans Delta6-fatty-acid-desaturase by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

J A Napier 1, S J Hey 1, D J Lacey 1, P R Shewry 1
PMCID: PMC1219180  PMID: 9480865

Abstract

We identified a cDNA expressed sequence tag from an animal (the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans) that showed weak similarity to a higher-plant microsomal Delta6-desaturase. A full-length cDNA clone was isolated and expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This demonstrated that the protein encoded by the C. elegans cDNA was that of a fatty acid Delta6-desaturase, as determined by the accumulation of gamma-linolenic acid. The C. elegans Delta6-desaturase contained an N-terminalcytochrome b5 domain, indicating that it had a similar structure to that of the higher-plant Delta6-desaturase. The C. elegans Delta6-desaturase mapped to cosmid W08D2, a region of chromosome III. This is the first example of a Delta6-desaturase isolated from an animal and also the first example of an animal desaturase containing a cytochrome b5 domain.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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