Very long-chain acids synthesis

The unique suberin components that are not found as significant components of cutin are the very long chain molecules and the dicarboxylic acids. Therefore, chain elongation and conversion of co-hydroxy acids to the corresponding dicarboxylic acids constitute two unique biochemical processes involved in the synthesis of suberin. Incorporation of labeled acetate into the very long chain components of suberin was demonstrated and this ability developed during suberization in potato tuber disks [73]. The enzymes involved... 

FIGURE 3-7 Pathways for the interconversion of brain fatty acids. Palmitic acid (16 0) is the main end product of brain fatty acid synthesis. It may then be elongated, desaturated, and/or P-oxidized to form different long chain fatty acids. The monoenes (18 1 A7, 18 1 A9, 24 1 A15) are the main unsaturated fatty acids formed de novo by A9 desaturation and chain elongation. As shown, the very long chain fatty acids are a-oxidized to form a-hydroxy and odd numbered fatty acids. The polyunsaturated fatty acids are formed mainly from exogenous dietary fatty acids, such as linoleic (18 2, n-6) and a-linoleic (18 2, n-3) acids by chain elongation and desaturation at A5 and A6, as shown. A A4 desaturase has also been proposed, but its existence has been questioned. Instead, it has been shown that unsaturation at the A4 position is effected by retroconversion i.e. A6 unsaturation in the endoplasmic reticulum, followed by one cycle of P-oxidation (-C2) in peroxisomes [11], This is illustrated in the biosynthesis of DHA (22 6, n-3) above. In severe essential fatty acid deficiency, the abnormal polyenes, such as 20 3, n-9 are also synthesized de novo to substitute for the normal polyunsaturated acids. 

Although palmitate, a 16-carbon, fully saturated LCFA (16 0), is to primary end-product of fatty acid synthase activity, it can be further I elongated by the addition of two-carbon units in the endoplasmic] reticulum (ER) and the mitochondria. These organelles use separate enzymic processes. The brain has additional elongation capabilities, allowing it to produce the very-long-chain fatty acids (up to 24 car bons) that are required for synthesis of brain lipids. 

These experiments show altogether that the unknowns are amides of taurine from several fatty acids. Therefore, this new class of endogenous substrates of FAAH corresponds to fatty acyl amides of taurine (NAT) with very long-chain fatty acids. The structure of this new class of substrates of FAAH is confirmed by chemical synthesis and comparison of retention times and mass spectra obtained for these synthetic products with those of the natural products. 

Although the mitochondria are the primary site of oxidation for dietary and storage fats, the peroxisomal oxidation pathway is responsible for the oxidation of very long-chain fatty acids, jS-methyl branched fatty acids, and bile acid precursors. The peroxisomal pathway also plays a role in the oxidation of dicarboxylic acids. In addition, it plays a role in isoprenoid biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism. Peroxisomes are also involved in bile acid biosynthesis, a part of plasmalogen synthesis and glyoxylate transamination. Furthermore, the literature indicates that peroxisomes participate in cholesterol biosynthesis, hydrogen peroxide-based cellular respiration, purine, fatty acid, long-chain... 

A variety of biochemical defects have been reported in patients with the Zellweger syndrome. These include a defect in the catabolism of pipecolic acid (D2) and increased plasma, biliary, and urinary levels of intermediates in bile acid synthesis (H4, M15, M30). More recently, the accumulation of very-long-chain fatty acids, such as hexacosanoic acid, has been noted (M32) and elevated plasma phytanic acid with decreased fibroblast phytanic acid oxidase activity reported (P13). 

After fatty acid synthesis, downstream enzymes can further modify palmi-tate for various cellular functions. In the endoplasmic reticulum, the 16 carbon fatty acid can be modified to fatty acids with eighteen or more carbons known as very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), such as stearate (18 0) by a family of elongase enzymes called elongation of very long chain fatty acids (ELOVLl-6) (Jakobsson et ah, 2006). Palmitate and stearate can also be desaturated by stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCDl) at the cis-9 carbon to palmitoleate (16 1) and oleate (18 1), respectively (Sampath and Ntambi,... 

A small proportion of our diet consists of very-long-chain fatty acids (20 or more carbons) or branched-chain fatty acids arising from degradative products of chlorophyll. Very-long-chain fatty acid synthesis also occurs within the body, especially in cells of the brain and nervous system, which incorporate them into the sphin-golipids of myelin. These fatty acids are oxidized by peroxisomal p- and a-oxidation pathways, which are essentially chain-shortening pathways. 

The synthesis of sphingolipids begins with the formation of ceramide (Fig. 33.32). Serine and palmityl CoA condense to form a product that is reduced. A very-long-chain fatty acid (usually containing 22 carbons) forms an amide with the amino group, a double bond is generated, and ceramide is formed. 

Peroxisomes are present in greater number in the liver than in other tissues. Liver peroxisomes contain the enzymes for the oxidation of very-long-chain fatty acids such as C24 0 and phytanic acid, for the cleavage of the cholesterol side chain necessary for the synthesis of bile salts, for a step in the biosynthesis of ether lipids, and for several steps in arachidonic acid metabohsm. Peroxisomes also contain catalase and are capable of detoxifying hydrogen peroxide. 

Zellweger s (cerebrohepatorenal) syndrome occurs in individuals with a rare inherited absence of peroxisomes in all tissues. Patients accumulate C26-C38 polyenoic acids in brain tissue owing to defective peroxisomal oxidation of the very-long-chain fatty acids synthesized in the brain for myelin formation. In liver, bile acid and ether lipid synthesis are affected, as is the oxidation of very-long-chain fatty acids. 

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