Roles of vitamin A in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis

Abstract

Dietary macronutrients and micronutrients play important roles in human health. On the other hand, the excessive energy derived from food is stored in the form of triacylglycerol. A variety of dietary and hormonal factors affect this process through the regulation of the activities and expression levels of those key player enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, fatty acid elongases, and desaturases. As a micronutrient, vitamin A is essential for the health of humans. Recently, vitamin A has been shown to play a role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. This review summarizes recent research progresses about the roles of vitamin A in fatty acid synthesis. It focuses on the effects of vitamin A on the activities and expression levels of mRNA and proteins of key enzymes for fatty acid synthesis in vitro and in vivo. It appears that vitamin A status and its signaling pathway regulate the expression levels of enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis. Future research directions are also discussed.

Keywords: Vitamin A; Acetyl-CoA carboxylase; Fatty acid synthase; Fatty acid elongase; Stearoyl-CoA desaturase; Fatty acid synthesis

Core Tip: Recent studies have shown that vitamin A plays a role in the regulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Vitamin A status, its supplementation, and the treatment with its metabolite, retinoic acid, have been shown to regulate the activities, and the expression levels of protein and mRNA of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, fatty acid elongases, and fatty acid desaturases in the animal tissues and cells. Systematic evaluations of the roles of vitamin A in the fatty acid metabolism are needed for the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.