Biosynthesis of linoleic acid in Tyrophagus mites (Acarina: Acaridae)

• Published in: Insect biochemistry and molecular biology Vol. 43; no. 11; pp. 991 - 996
• Main Authors: Aboshi, Takako, Shimizu, Nobuhiro, Nakajima, Yuji, Honda, Yoshiyuki, Kuwahara, Yasumasa, Amano, Hiroshi, Mori, Naoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Acaridae - chemistry; Acaridae - metabolism; Animals; biosynthesis; Biosynthesis of linoleic acid; derivatization; Essential fatty acids; fatty acid metabolism; gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; linoleic acid; Linoleic Acid - biosynthesis; Linoleic Acid - chemistry; mass spectrometry; microsymbionts; mites; Molecular Structure; phosphatidylcholines; phosphatidylethanolamines; stearic acid; Tyrophagus mites; Tyrophagus putrescentiae; vertebrates; yeasts; Δ12-Desaturase; LPE; Tyrophagus mites; Δ12-Desaturase; CDL; Essential fatty acids; LC/MS; Biosynthesis of linoleic acid; PC; PE; DMDS; PI; ESI; GC/MS; LPC; lysophosphatidylcholine; dimethyldisulfide; lyso phospatidylethanolamine; curved desolvation line; electron spray ionization; phosphatidylethanolamine; phosphatidylinositol; phosphatidylcholine; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry; gas chromatography mass spectrometry
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.08.002
• ISSN: 0965-1748

We report here that Tyrophagus similis and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Astigmata: Acaridae) have the ability to biosynthesize linoleic acid [(9Z, 12Z)-9, 12-octadecadienoic acid] via a Δ12-desaturation step, although animals in general and vertebrates in particular appear to lack this ability. When the mites were fed on dried yeast enriched with d31-hexadecanoic acid (16:0), d27-octadecadienoic acid (18:2), produced from d31-hexadecanoic acid through elongation and desaturation reactions, was identified as a major fatty acid component of phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) in the mites. The double bond position of d27-octadecadienoic acid (18:2) of PCs and PEs was determined to be 9 and 12, respectively by dimethyldisulfide (DMDS) derivatization. Furthermore, the GC/MS retention time of methyl 9, 12-octadecadienoate obtained from mite extracts agreed well with those of authentic linoleic acid methyl ester. It is still unclear whether the mites themselves or symbiotic microorganisms are responsible for inserting a double bond into the Δ12 position of octadecanoic acid. However, we present here the unique metabolism of fatty acids in the mites. [Display omitted] •Octadecadienoic acid was identified as a major component of phospholipids in two Tyrophagus mites.•We analyzed phospholipids of the mites fed on dry yeast enriched with d31-hexadecanoic acid.•d31-Hexadecanoic acid was elongated to d31-octadecanoic acid and then desaturated into d27-linoleic acid.•These results indicated that the Tyrophagus mites have the ability to biosynthesize linoleic acid from hexadecanoic acid.