Cryptogamie, Algologie
24 (3) - Pages 269-276The work reported here studied the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the marine diatom Haslea ostrearia Simonsen. Microalgae were incubated with [1-14C] linoleic acid for 4, 8 and 12 hours. Analysis by HPLC showed that linolenic, eicosatetraenoic and eicosapentaenoic n-3 fatty acids were synthesized from radiolabeled linoleic acid. Results showed that this diatom has the enzymatic capacity for the biosynthesis of eicosapolyunsaturated fatty acids through 6- and 5- desaturation and furthermore has the capacity for synthesis of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.