ABSTRACT
Hypothesis: The convergent evolution of aerobic and anaerobic pathways for DHA/ EPA biosynthesis suggests substantial benets from these chains for bacteria, plants and animals.
For many years it was believed that plants and animals were the only organisms that benetted from the incorporation of DHA/EPA into their membrane phospholipids. The desaturase pathway is well established and features molecular oxygen (O2) as substrate for introduction of multiple double bonds along the chains. The discovery of DHA/EPA in membranes of bacteria along with a new anaerobic pathway (Figure 4.1) necessitate a rethinking of the evolutionary history of DHA/EPA synthesis.
