The Biochemistry of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) 1 have effects on diverse physiological processes impacting normal health and chronic disease, such as the regulation of plasma lipid levels (1-4), cardiovascular (5-7) and immune function (8), insulin action (9, 10), and neuronal development and visual function (11) (see Table Ingestion of n-3 PUFA will lead to their distribution to virtually every cell in the body with effects on membrane composition and function, eicosanoid synthesis, and signaling as well as the regulation of gene expression (11-14). However, cell-specific lipid metabolism as well as the expression of fatty acid-regulated transcription factors likely plays an important role in determining how cells respond to changes in PUFA composition. In this minireview I will highlight some of the recent advances in our understanding of n-3 PUFA effects on cells with an emphasis on those mechanisms likely to have a broad physiological impact.