Two Δ6-desaturase-like genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian): Structure characterization, mRNA expression, temperature and nutritional regulation

- The Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b genes were not allelic variants of a single gene.
- Both Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b genes were highly expressed in liver, intestine and brain.
- The Δ6Fad-a was regulated, whereas Δ6 Fad-b was not affected by temperature.
- The Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b genes have different nutritional roles in different tissues.

Δ6-Desaturase is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) biosynthesis. There is very little information on the evolution and functional characterization of Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b in common carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian). In the present study, the genomic sequences and structures of two putative Δ6-desaturase-like genes in common carp genome were obtained. We investigated the mRNA expression patterns of Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b in tissue, hatching carp embryos, larvae by temperature shock and juveniles under nutritional regulation. Our results showed that the two Δ6Fad genes had identical coding exon structures, being comprised of 12 coding exons, and with introns of distinct size and sequence composition. They were not allelic variants of a single gene. Both Δ6Fad genes were highly expressed in liver, intestine (pyloric caeca) and brain. The Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b mRNAs showed an increase in expression from newly hatched to 25 days after hatching. The expression levels of Δ6Fad-a were obviously regulated by temperature, whereas Δ6Fad-b was not affected by temperature. The regulation of Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b in response to dietary fatty acid composition was determined in liver, brain and intestine (pyloric caeca) of common carp fed with diets: diet1with fish oil (FO) rich in n − 3 HUFA, diet2 with corn oil (CO, 18:2n − 6) and diet3 with linseed oil (LO, 18:3n − 3). The differential expression of Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b genes in liver, brain and intestine in common carps was fed with different oil sources, respectively. Further work is in progress to determine the mechanism of differential expression of the Δ6Fad-a and Δ6Fad-b genes in different tissues and the roles of transcription factors in regulating HUFA synthesis.