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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Quantitative Determination of De Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brown Adipose Tissue Using Deuterium Oxide
Published on: May 12, 2023
Activity of human Delta5 and Delta6 desaturases on multiple n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
R J de Antueno1, L C Knickle, H Smith
1QuantaNova Canada Ltd., P.O. Box 818, Kentville, NS, B4N 4H8, Canada. r.deantueno@mailexcite.com
Abstract:
Yeast co-expressing human elongase and desaturase genes were used to investigate whether the same desaturase gene encodes an enzyme able to desaturate n-3 and n-6 fatty acids with the same or different carbon chain length. The results clearly demonstrated that a single human Delta5 desaturase is active on 20:3n-6 and 20:4n-3. Endogenous Delta6 desaturase substrates were generated by providing to the yeast radiolabelled 20:4n-6 or 20:5n-3 which, through two sequential elongations, produced 24:4n-6 and 24:5n-3, respectively. Overall, our data suggest that a single human Delta6 desaturase is active on 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, 24:4n-6 and 24:5n-3.
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