Abstract
The sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris (Gmelin) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) was shown by using a deuterated tracer (D5−18∶3n−3) and quantitation by negative chemical ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to convert 18∶3n−3 to 20∶5n−3. The rate of conversion was very slow, corresponding to 0.09 μg/g tissue/mg 18∶3n−3 eaten over 14 d. Deuterated arachidonic acid (D8−20∶4n−6) was also included in the diet to give a measure of the relative amounts of diet eaten by the different animals. The recovery of this fatty acid in tissue lipids was 33.7% compared with only 0.95% recovery of D5−18∶3n−3 and its anabolites, indicating that the majority of the D5-tracer was catabolized. Considerable elongation of D5−18∶3n−3 into 20∶3n−3 and a trace of 22∶3n−3 was found, and these were accompanied by minor amounts of the intermediates 18∶4n−3 and 20∶4n−3. No deuterated 22∶6n−3 was found.
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Abbreviations
- D n :
-
deuterated
- GC-MS:
-
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
- PUFA:
-
polyunsaturated fatty acid
- tri23∶0:
-
tritricosanoyl
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Bell, M.V., Dick, J.R. & Kelly, M.S. Biosynthesis of eicosapentaenoic acid in the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris . Lipids 36, 79–82 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0671-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0671-2