Abstract
The open reading frame of the Δ6-desaturase gene was isolated from Mortierella alpina W15 and the gene was cloned into a pPIC3.5K vector. The vector was transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115 and expression was induced with methanol. The Δ6-desaturase expressed in P. pastoris GS115 catalyzed the conversion of linoleic acid to γ-linolenic acid but not the conversion of α-linolenic acid to octadecatetraenoic acid. The results indicate that the Δ6-desaturase gene from M. alpina W15 has substrate specificity in different organisms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Δ6-desaturase genes can be divided into four monophyletic groups. This work paves the way for further study of the functions of Δ6-desaturase in fatty acid metabolism and its three-dimensional structure.
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Acknowledgments
The investigation was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2007AA10Z120), Key technologies research and development program of Wuhan (201020622246), Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars of Hubei Province of China (2010CDA097), and Doctor Funds of Henan Polytechnic University (B2011-035). The authors are grateful to Ms Cheng of Huazhong University of Science & Technology analytical and testing center for technical assistance.
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Liu, J., Li, D., Yin, Y. et al. Δ6-Desaturase from Mortierella alpina: cDNA cloning, expression, and phylogenetic analysis. Biotechnol Lett 33, 1985–1991 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0650-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0650-4