Figure 1.
GC results of transfected MCF7 cells with18∶2n-6 and18∶3n-3 fatty acids.
A: No product is seen in FADS1-transfected cells. B: FADS2 transfected cells Δ6-desaturate 18∶2n−6→18∶3n−6 (9,12–18∶2 → 6,9,12–18∶2) and 18∶3n–3→18∶4n−3 (9,12,15–18∶3 → 6,9,12,15–18∶4).
Figure 2.
GC results of FADS2 transfected MCF7 cells with 20∶2n−6 (8,11–20∶2) and 20∶3n−3 (8,11,14–20∶3) fatty acids.
A: FADS1-transfected cells Δ5-desaturate 20∶2n−6→5,11,14–20∶3 and 20∶3n−3→5,11,14,17–20∶4. B: FADS2 transfected cells Δ8-desaturate 20∶2n−6→20∶3n−6 and 20∶3n−3→20∶4n−3.
Figure 3.
n−6 LCPUFA pathway in MCF7 cells.
Δ6- and Δ8-desaturation steps are absent in MCF7, leading to Δ5-desaturation of 11,14–20∶2 to 5,11,14–20∶3 when FADS1 is functional. The analogous pathways for n–3 LCPUFA convert 11,14,17–20∶3→5,11,14,17–20∶4 (not shown). FADS2 is also believed to be involved in C22 LCPUFA biosynthesis (not shown).