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Fatty acid composition of vitellogenin from four teleost species

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Abstract

The fatty acid compositions of vitellogenin and liver from cod (Gadus morhua), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) were determined. Vitellogenin was isolated from plasma of estradiol-17β-treated fish by precipitation with EDTA-Mg2+ and distilled water or by high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. In all investigated species, vitellogenin contained 16–18% (w/w) lipid, in which polyunsaturated fatty acids, predominantly 20:5 (n-3) and 22:6 (n-3), comprised about 50% of the total fatty acids. The proportions of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and (n-3) fatty acids in vitellogenin of the different species were generally similar, although the relative content of specific fatty acids was distinctive for each species. The distribution of fatty acids in total lipids of vitellogenin was highly consistent among individual females of each species. In contrast, liver fatty acid composition varied considerably, both within and between species. Altogether, the differences in the fatty acid composition of vitellogenin and liver from each species indicate that a specific selection of fatty acids occurs during the lipidation of vitellogenin.

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Abbreviations

BHT:

butylated hydroxytoluene

E-17β:

estradiol-17β

EDTA:

ethylenedinitrilo tetra-acetic acid disodium salt dihydrate

FA:

fatty acids

FAME:

fatty acid methyl esters

HDL:

high density lipoproteins

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acids

SD:

standard deviation

TLC:

thin-layer chromatography

VHDL:

very high density lipoproteins

VLDL:

very low density lipoproteins

v/v:

volume per volume

w/v:

weight per volume

w/w:

weight per weight

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoophysiology, University of Göteborg, Medicinaregatan 18, S-41390, Göteborg, Sweden

    C. Silversand & C. Haux

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  1. C. Silversand
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  2. C. Haux
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Silversand, C., Haux, C. Fatty acid composition of vitellogenin from four teleost species. J Comp Physiol B 164, 593–599 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389799

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