5-Octadecenoic acid: evidence for a novel type of fatty acid modification in schistosomes

5-Octadecenoic acid: evidence for a novel type of fatty acid modification in schistosomes.

The lipid metabolism of schistosomes is characterized by several intriguing adaptations to a parasitic way of living. The surface of the parasite consists of two closely apposed phospholipid bilayers, a structure unique to blood flukes. Schistosomes do not synthesize fatty acids de novo, but are able to modify fatty acids, which they obtain from the host, by chain elongation. Here we present ev...

Fatty Acid Modification of Mononuclear Cells

Fatty Acid Modification of Mononuclear Cells

Lipase-catalyzed production of a bioactive fatty amide derivative of 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid.

Enzymatic syntheses of fatty amides are of considerable interest due to their wide ranging industrial applications in detergents, shampoo, cosmetics and surfactant formulations. Amidation reaction of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was investigated for direct amidation of carboxylic acid in organic solvent. CALB-mediated production of a novel secondary amide was carried out by reacting the h...

Long-term fatty acid modification of endothelial cells: implications for arachidonic acid distribution in phospholipid classes.

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in various fatty acid-modified media until equilibrium conditions were reached (7-8 days). The effects on the fatty acid composition of phospholipid classes and on the metabolism of arachidonic acid (20:4(n-6)) were studied. The results showed that in every phospholipid class large changes in fatty acid composition, including 20:4(n-6) conten...