Advances in synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in bacteria

Abstract:

Fatty acids are not only the components of cell membrane but also the raw materials for the synthesis of bioactive molecules. Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) with low phase-transition temperatures are essential molecules for bacteria to regulate cell membrane fluidity. Therefore, the synthetic pathways of UFAs are key targets for the screening of antibacterial agents. Bacteria can adopt the anaerobic pathway to synthesize UFAs. For example, Escherichia coli, a model organism, synthesizes UFAs via the classic FabA-FabB pathway. However, the anaerobic pathways for the synthesis of UFAs vary in different bacteria, and the catalytic enzymes are also different. Bacteria can synthesize UFAs via aerobic pathways, in which fatty acid desaturase directly converts saturated fatty acids (SFAs) into UFAs. Different desaturases introduce double bond to form UFAs with different structures, which play roles in stress responses, pathogenicity and other aspects. Other enzymes involved in the synthesis of fatty acids can also participate in the synthesis of UFAs or regulation of different UFAs. Some bacteria can use monooxygenase to convert capryl-ACP (acyl carrier protein) in the fatty acid synthesis pathway into cis-3-decenyl ACP to synthesize UFAs. We comprehensively reviewed the research progress in the synthesis of UFAs in bacteria, aiming to provide theoretical support for deciphering the mechanism of bacterial synthesis of UFAs and developing the targeted antibacterial drugs.