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Effect of CLA and Other C18 Unsaturated Fatty Acids on DGAT in Bovine Milk Fat Biosynthetic Systems

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Lipids

Abstract

Production of dairy products with increased amounts of nutraceutic FA such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) represents a recent approach for dairy producers and processors to increase the value of their products. The effect of CLA and other FA on the expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) and DGAT-2, and DGAT activity were investigated in bovine mammary gland epithelial (MAC-T) cells. DGAT gene expression analyses were also conducted using bovine mammary gland tissue from dairy cows. In the studies with MAC-T cells, there were no significant effects of CLA isomers or other FA on DGAT1 expression, whereas all FA tested showed enhanced DGAT2 expression (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001), with α-linolenic acid (α-18:3) having the greatest effect. Additionally, DGAT2 expression was co-ordinated with expression of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT), an observation that was also apparent in mammary gland from lactating dairy cows. In contrast, treatment of MAC-T cells with trans-10, cis-12 18:2 or α-18:3 resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in overall DGAT enzyme activity, although the mechanisms resulting in these effects are unclear. Competition assays using microsomes from bovine mammary gland tissue and 1-[14C]oleoyl-CoA suggested that DGAT activity was more selective for oleoyl (cis-9 18:1)-CoA than cis-9, trans-11 18:2-, trans-10, cis-12 18:2- or cis-9, cis-12 18:2-CoA. Collectively, the results suggest the relationship between trans-10, cis-12 18:2 and reduced TAG production in bovine milk is not linked to the production of DGAT1 or DGAT2 transcripts, but probably involves effects of this CLA isomer at events beyond transcription, such as post-translational and/or enzyme activity effects.

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Abbreviations

ACAT:

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase

DGAT:

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase

GAPDH:

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

GPAT:

sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase

LPAAT:

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase

MFD:

Milk fat depression

QRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

SCD:

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute, Animal Health Division of Eli Lilly Canada, Inc., Dairy Farmers of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canada Research Chairs Program. As well, the authors thank Dr. David Glimm for assistance in procuring bovine mammary gland biopsy samples. B.M.S. and C.C.H. held an Alberta Ingenuity Scholarship and Alberta Ingenuity Post-doctoral Fellowship, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-10 Agriculture/Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada

    Brent M. Sørensen, E. Chris Kazala, Gordon K. Murdoch, Aileen F. Keating, Cristina Cruz-Hernandez, John J. Kennelly, Erasmus K. Okine & Randall J. Weselake

  2. Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany

    Jochen Wegner

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  1. Brent M. Sørensen
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  2. E. Chris Kazala
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  5. Cristina Cruz-Hernandez
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Correspondence to Randall J. Weselake.

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Sørensen, B.M., Chris Kazala, E., Murdoch, G.K. et al. Effect of CLA and Other C18 Unsaturated Fatty Acids on DGAT in Bovine Milk Fat Biosynthetic Systems. Lipids 43, 903–912 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-008-3216-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-008-3216-z

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