A mammalian fatty acid hydroxylase responsible for the formation of α-hydroxylated galactosylceramide in myelin

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Abstract
Hydroxylation is an abundant modification of the ceramides in brain, skin, intestinal tract and kidney. Hydroxylation occurs at the sphingosine base at C-4 or within the amide-linked fatty acid. In myelin, hydroxylation of ceramide is exclusively found at the α-C atom of the fatty acid moiety. α-Hydroxylated cerebrosides are the most abundant lipids in the myelin sheath. The functional role of this modification, however, is not known. On the basis of sequence similarity to a yeast C26 fatty acid hydroxylase, we have identified a murine cDNA encoding FA2H (fatty acid 2-hydroxylase). Transfection of FA2H cDNA in CHO cells (Chinese-hamster ovary cells) led to the formation of α-hydroxylated fatty acid containing hexosylceramide. An EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein)–FA2H fusion protein co-localized with calnexin, indicating that the enzyme resides in the endoplasmic reticulum. FA2H is expressed in brain, stomach, skin, kidney and testis, i.e. in tissues known to synthesize fatty acid α-hydroxylated sphingolipids. The time course of its expression in brain closely follows the expression of myelin-specific genes, reaching a maximum at 2–3 weeks of age. This is in agreement with the reported time course of fatty acid α-hydroxylase activity in the developing brain. In situ hybridization of brain sections showed expression of FA2H in the white matter. Our results thus strongly suggest that FA2H is the enzyme responsible for the formation of α-hydroxylated ceramide in oligodendrocytes of the mammalian brain. Its further characterization will provide insight into the functional role of α-hydroxylation modification in myelin, skin and other organs.