Polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism pathway (PUFA metabolism pathway)

The polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism pathway refers to a series of interconnected biochemical reactions responsible for the synthesis, elongation, desaturation, and degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential components of cell membranes and precursors to bioactive lipid mediators. This metabolic network includes processes such as chain elongation in the endoplasmic reticulum, desaturation by specific desaturase enzymes like FADS1/2, and β‑oxidation in peroxisomes for very-long-chain PUFAs[1][3]. The two main classes—omega‑3 and omega‑6 PUFAs—are metabolized through parallel but non-interconvertible pathways. Key products include arachidonic acid (AA) from omega‑6 precursors and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from omega‑3 precursors. This metabolic system is crucial for maintaining cellular energy balance, membrane fluidity, signal transduction via eicosanoids or other lipid mediators, regulation of inflammation responses,[7] and susceptibility to regulated cell death mechanisms such as ferroptosis[6]. Dysregulation or altered activity within this network has been implicated in various diseases including cancer,[4][6] cardiovascular disorders,[7] inflammatory conditions,[7] and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the "polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism pathway" is not a single molecular target like an enzyme or receptor; rather it encompasses multiple enzymes—including elongases like ELOVL5 and desaturases like FADS1—as well as transporters involved in PUFA handling. Therefore it should not be considered a therapeutic target per se but rather a collection of potential targets within its constituent steps. For drug discovery purposes or biomarker development related to this area, individual proteins/enzymes should be specified instead of referring to the entire metabolic process.[1][3][5][6] If you need structured information about specific molecular targets within this pathway—such as "Fatty acid desaturase 1" or "Elongation of very long-chain fatty acids protein 5"—please specify those entities directly.

Other names

Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathwayPUFA metabolic pathwayPUFA synthesis pathwayPolyunsaturated fat metabolism