Amino acid substitutions identified in 3 selected random mutants of the cricket Δ12/Δ9-desaturase. A, proposed topology model of the cricket acyl-CoA Δ12/Δ9 fatty acid desaturase. The positions of selected random mutations are indicated by black circles. ER lumen, endoplasmic reticulum lumen. B, partial ClustalW alignment of the cricket Δ9-desaturase (AdD9des), cricket Δ12/Δ9-desaturase (AdD12/9des), and cricket Δ12/Δ9-desaturase mutants 1.1, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3. Identical residues are shaded, conserved histidine clusters 1 and 2 are underlined, and asterisks below the alignment indicate selected random mutations.