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Conservation of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Retina

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Book cover Neurobiology of Essential Fatty Acids

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 318))

Abstract

Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3), a polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the n-3 family, makes up about half of the total fatty acids of vertebrate rod outer segment (ROS) phospholipids (see review by Fliesler and Anderson, 1983). This level of 22:6n-3 is among the highest reported for any membrane. The reason for the large amount of 22:6n-3 in ROS is not known, although it has been observed that membranes that are active metabolically, as in ROS, mitochondria, sperm, and synaptic vesicles, have high levels of PUFAs, while relatively inactive membranes such as myelin have low PUFA levels (Dratz and Deese, 1986; see books edited by Simopoulos et al., 1986 and Lands, 1987). Over the past 15-20 years, evidence has accumulated suggesting that 22:6n-3 is important in maintaining the normal structure and function of the retina.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    R. E. Anderson, R. D. Wiegand & C. A. Koutz

  2. Departments of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    R. E. Anderson & A. M. Stinson

  3. Health Research Associates, MD, Rockville, 20850, USA

    P. J. O’Brien

Authors
  1. R. E. Anderson
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  2. P. J. O’Brien
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  3. R. D. Wiegand
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  4. C. A. Koutz
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  5. A. M. Stinson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University Eye Center and Neuroscience Center Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Nicolas G. Bazan

  2. Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Mary G. Murphy

  3. FIDIA Research Laboratories, Abano Terme, Italy

    Gino Toffano

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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Anderson, R.E., O’Brien, P.J., Wiegand, R.D., Koutz, C.A., Stinson, A.M. (1992). Conservation of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Retina. In: Bazan, N.G., Murphy, M.G., Toffano, G. (eds) Neurobiology of Essential Fatty Acids. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 318. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3426-6_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3426-6_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6515-0

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