Table 2. Functional characterization of metazoan ω3 desaturases.
Transgenic yeast expressing the corresponding ω3 desaturases [A. millepora (KY658236), A. vaga (ωx1, MF448337; ωx2, MF448339), P. vulgata (KY658241), P. dumerilii (KY707886), and L. salmonis (KY658239)] were grown in the presence of exogenously added substrates 18:2ω6, 18:3ω6, 20:2ω6, 20:3ω6, 20:4ω6, and 22:4ω6. Conversions are expressed as a percentage of total FA substrate converted to desaturated product, with the corresponding activity (Δ) detected also shown. nd, not detected.
| Substrate | Product | Conversion (%) | Activity | |||||
| A. millepora | A. vaga | P. vulgata | P. dumerilii | L. salmonis | ||||
| ωx1 | ωx2 | |||||||
| 18:2ω6 | 18:3ω3 | 70.5 | 10.6 | 11.7 | 34.7 | 9.7 | 33.6 | Δ15 |
| 18:3ω6 | 18:4ω3 | 64.8 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 18.8 | 6.5 | 39.6 | Δ15 |
| 20:2ω6 | 20:3ω3 | 15.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 11.3 | 9.5 | 10.4 | Δ17 |
| 20:3ω6 | 20:4ω3 | 25.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 16.1 | 15.8 | 14.2 | Δ17 |
| 20:4ω6 | 20:5ω3 | 32.0 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 38.0 | 13.3 | 30.4 | Δ17 |
| 22:4ω6 | 22:5ω3 | 2.8 | nd | nd | 3.4 | 12.0 | 6.1 | Δ19 |