Workshop on Fatty Acid Production and Metabolism

Abstract

The workshop was based on the oral presentations or recent results obtained by eleven speakers, including by alphabetic order: Drs. Bemis D.L., Berdyshev E.V., Carballeira N.M., Garcia D.M., Grizeau D., Nichols P., Samain J.F., Tamaoka J., Tredici M., Yang N. and Yokochi T. The majority of communications covered topic number I, related to natural products, while three other topics were addressing specific questions to aquaculture, cell and molecular biology and developmental biology. Variations, production and characterisation of PUFAs found in marine bacteria, fungi, algae and animals were described. The influence and biological activities of several relevant molecules, belonging to fatty acids, ethanolamides and cannabinoids, conjugated, conjugated tetraenes (AA, DHA, EPA), as well as several key PUFAs, such as DF, LA in addition to sterols, phospholipids and phopholipase were reported. Identification and properties of these molecules were presented for different categories of marine bacteria and microalgae. Their specific interest and relevance as bioproducts were discussed. Their physiological role was presented in relation to several basic biological functions, metabolism or requirements identified in three categories of marine metazoan, including sea urchin, shellfish and fish. Their relevance and potential utilisation as natural products in biological or medical research and for aquaculture were discussed.