Transgenic mice convert carbohydrates to essential fatty acids.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24836606.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0097637 and PMC identifier 4023978.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Transgenic mice (named "Omega mice") were engineered to carry both optimized fat-1 and fat-2 genes from the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and are capable of producing essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids from saturated fats or carbohydrates. When maintained on a high-saturated fat diet lacking essential fatty acids or a high-carbohydrate, no-fat diet, the Omega mice exhibit high tissue levels of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, with a ratio of ∼1∶1. This study thus presents an innovative technology for the production of both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as a new animal model for understanding the true impact of fat on human health.
Medical subject headings
- Dietary Carbohydrates
- Fatty Acids, Essential
- Mice, Transgenic