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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Measurement of Fatty Acid β-Oxidation in a Suspension of Freshly Isolated Mouse Hepatocytes
Published on: September 9, 2021
Peroxisomal 2-Hydroxyacyl-CoA Lyase Is Involved in Endogenous Biosynthesis of Heptadecanoic Acid
Benjamin Jenkins1,2, Evelyn de Schryver3, Paul P. Van Veldhoven4
1NIHR BRC Core Metabolomics and Lipidomics Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Pathology building Level 4, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK. BJJ25@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Circulating heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) is reported to be a pathology risk/prognosis biomarker and a dietary biomarker. This pathology relationship has been shown to be reliably predictive even when independent of dietary contributions, suggesting that the endogenous biosynthesis of C17:0 is related to the pathological aetiology. Little is known about C17:0 biosynthesis, which tissues contribute to the circulating levels, and how C17:0 is related to pathology. Hacl1+/- mice were mated to obtain Hacl1-/- and Hacl1+/+ control mice. At 14 weeks, they were anesthetized for tissue collection and fatty acid analysis. Compared to Hacl1+/+, C15:0 was not significantly affected in any Hacl1-/- tissues. However, the Hacl1-/- plasma and liver C17:0 levels were significantly lower: ~26% and ~22%, respectively. No significant differences were seen in the different adipose tissues. To conclude, Hacl1 plays a significant role in the liver and plasma levels of C17:0, providing evidence it can be endogenously biosynthesized via alpha-oxidation. The strong inverse association of C17:0 with pathology raises the question whether there is a direct link between α-oxidation and these diseases. Currently, there is no clear evidence, warranting further research into the role of α-oxidation in relation to metabolic diseases.
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