Transgenic Mice Convert Carbohydrates to Essential Fatty Acids

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2014 May 20

PMID 24836606

Citations 6

Authors

Victor J Pai

Bin Wang

Xiangyong Li

Lin Wu

Jing X Kang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

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.

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