Sukanya Jeennor, Pattsarun Cheawchanlertfa, Sarinya Suttiwattanakul, Sarocha Panchanawaporn, Chanikul Chutrakul, Kobkul Laoteng
We identified a novel elongase gene from a selected strain of the Oomycete, Pythium sp. BCC53698. Using a PCR approach, the cloned gene (PyElo) possessed an open reading frame (ORF) of 834 bp encoding 277 amino acid residues. A similarity search showed that it had homology with the PUFA elongases of several organisms. In addition, the signature characteristics, including four conserved motifs, a histidine-rich catalytic motif and membrane-associated feature were present in the Pythium gene. Heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that it was specific for fatty acid substrates, having a double bond at Δ(6)-position, which included γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (STA), and preferentially elongated the n3-18C PUFA...
July 18, 2014: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications