Evidence for an association between genetic variants of thefatty acid desaturase 1 fatty acid desaturase 2(FADS1 FADS2) gene cluster and the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes

Abstract

The present study gives further evidence for the recently found association between variants of thefatty acid desaturase 1 fatty acid desaturase 2(FADS1 FADS2) gene cluster and PUFA in blood phospholipids and explores this association for cellular fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes. In a subgroup of adults participating in the Bavarian Nutrition Survey II, a cross-sectional population-based study conducted in Bavaria, Germany, allelic variation in three selected loci of theFADS1 FADS2gene cluster was analysed and used for haplotype construction. Associations with plasma phospholipid PUFA (n163) and PUFA in erythrocyte membranes (n535) were investigated by regression analysis. All haplotypes of the original five-loci haplotypes of our previous study could be replicated. In addition, associations with serum phospholipid PUFA were confirmed in the present data set. Although less pronounced, associations betweenFADS1 FADS2haplotypes and PUFA in erythrocyte membranes, particularly arachidonic and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, could be established. We provide the first replication of the association of theFADS1 FADS2gene cluster with PUFA in blood phospholipids. For the first time, such associations were also shown for PUFA in cell membranes.