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. 2008 Nov 21;4(11):e1000273. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000273

Figure 1. PUFA synthesis and composition are altered with P. aeruginosa infection.

Figure 1

A. Schematic of the LCFA synthesis pathway in C. elegans, adapted from [32]. Diagram depicts all known steps in PUFA synthesis as well as the elongase and desaturase enzymes involved. Shaded section depicts synthesis of PUFAs from their monounsaturated precursors. B. qRT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of LCFA synthesis genes in response to P. aeruginosa (PA14) infection. Data from three independent experiments were normalized as indicated in Materials and Methods and are depicted as mean±s.e.m., relative to age-matched animals feeding on E. coli OP50-1. *, p≤0.05 in the comparison between OP50-1 and PA14; ▴, p≤0.05 in the comparison between PA14 and PA14ΔgacA; Student's t-test. C. Relative abundance of select LCFA in PA14-infected animals. GC-MS analysis was used to measure and identify the individual fatty acid species. LCFA levels are expressed as fraction of total long chain fatty acids and are depicted as mean±s.e.m. from three independent experiments. *, p≤0.001 in the comparison between E. coli and PA14; ▴, p≤0.001 in the comparison between PA14 and PA14ΔgacA; Student's t-test. Abbreviations: AA, arachidonic acid; ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; DGLA, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; GLA, gamma-linolenic acid; LA, linoleic acid; O3AA, ω-3 arachidonic acid; OA, oleic acid; PA, palmitic acid; PLA, palmitoleic acid; SA, stearic acid; VA, vaccenic acid.