Altered fatty acid (FA) composition is related to insulin resistance and CVD. One possible mediator may be inflammation, but longitudinal data relating FA composition to inflammation taking insulin resistance into account are limited. We investigated the long-term association between FA composition and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in a large population-based cohort study in 767 men f...

The NADH-dependent stearoyl CoA desaturase of hepatic microsomes (EC 1.14.99.5) is an enzyme system consisting of cytochrome b5 reductase (EC 1.6.2.2), cytochrome b5, and the terminal desaturase. We have developed a simple method for routine assay of the terminal enzyme based on complementation of the enzyme with chick embryo liver microsomes lacking desaturase activity. Desaturation of [1-14C]...

Alteration of gene expression tightly regulates lipogenesis. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), a key enzyme in lipogenesis, catalyzes the conversion of SFA to MUFA, and inhibition of its activity impairs lipid synthesis. As posttranscriptional regulators, microRNAs are involved in many pathways of lipid metabolism; however, their effect on SCD-1 has not been reported. In this study, miR-125b w...

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is a microsomal enzyme required for the biosynthesis of oleate and palmitoleate, which are the major monounsaturated fatty acids of membrane phospholipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol esters. Two well characterized isoforms of SCD, SCD1 and SCD2, exist in the mouse. Most mouse tissues express SCD1 and 2 with the exception of the liver, which expresses mainly the...

Lipids are an important energy supply in our cells and can be stored or used to produce macromolecules during lipogenesis when cells experience nutrient starvation. Our proteomic analysis reveals that the Drosophila homologue of human Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 Desat1) is an indirect target of Myc in fat cells. Stearoyl-CoA desaturases are key enzymes in the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty ac...

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has shown a wide range of biologically beneficial effects; reduction of incidence and severity of animal carcinogenesis, reduction of the adverse effects of immune stimulation, reduction of severity of atherosclerosis, growth promotion in young rats, and modulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). One of the most interesting aspects of CLA is its ability to reduc...

A single gene encoding a 6-desaturase (FADS2) has been isolated and characterized in mammalian species. This 6-desaturase plays a major role in the biosynthesis of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids). It catalyses the rate-limiting desaturation of linoleic acid (C18:2 n− 6) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n− 3) required for the biosynthesis of long-chain PUFAs. Moreover, recent studies have provide...

Lipodystrophy is characterized by the complete or partial absence of adipose tissue, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and leptin deficiency. Here, we show that low-dose central leptin corrects the insulin resistance and fatty liver of lipodystrophic aP2-nSREBP-1c mice, while the same dose given peripherally does not. Central leptin also repressed stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) RNA and ...