ABSTRACT
The non-essential fatty acids, C18:1n9, C16:0, C16:1n7, C18:0 and C18:1n7 account for over 75% of fatty acids in white adipose (WAT) triacylglycerol (TAG). The relative composition of these fatty acids (FA) is influenced by the desaturases, SCD1-4 and the elongase, ELOVL6. In knock-out models, loss of SCD1 or ELOVL6 results in reduced Δ9 desaturated and reduced 18-carbon non-essential FA respectively. Both Elovl6 KO and SCD1 KO mice exhibit improved insulin sensitivity. Here we describe the relationship between WAT TAG composition in obese mouse models and obese humans stratified for insulin resistance. In mouse models with increasing obesity and insulin resistance, there was an increase in scWAT Δ9 desaturated FAs (SCD ratio) and FAs with 18-carbons (Elovl6 ratio) in mice. Data from mouse models discordant for obesity and insulin resistance (AKT2 KO, Adiponectin aP2-transgenic), suggested that scWAT TAG Elovl6 ratio was associated with insulin sensitivity, whereas SCD1 ratio was associated with fat mass. In humans, a greater SCD1 and Elovl6 ratio was found in metabolically more harmful visceral adipose tissue when compared to subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Subject(s)
Adipose Tissue, White/metabolism , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Obesity/pathology , Triglycerides/metabolism , Acetyltransferases/deficiency , Acetyltransferases/genetics , Adenosine Deaminase/deficiency , Adenosine Deaminase/genetics , Animals , Fatty Acid Elongases , Fatty Acids/chemistry , Female , Insulin Resistance , Male , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Mice, Obese , Obesity/metabolism , Severity of Illness Index , Triglycerides/chemistryABSTRACT
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-coactivator-1 alpha (PGC1a) is involved in energy and lipid metabolism, and its loss leads to neurodegenerative changes in the striatum. Here we performed lipidomic analysis on brain extracts from PGC1a mutant and wild-type mice. We found increased phosphatidylcholine and decreased ceramides in the brain of PGC1a-deficient mice. An analysis of lipid raft fractions revealed increased ceramide, glucocylceramides and GM1 ganglioside in the PGC1a mutants. In the cerebellum, we observed a decrease in proteins associated with myelination, but were unable to detect any morphological abnormalities in compact myelin formation in PGC1a mutants compared with wild-type mice. Although PGC1a is involved in lipid biosynthesis, we concluded that altered lipid composition in the PGC1a mutant did not directly affect central nervous system myelin morphology.
