Abstract
Eicosanoids are an important class of signalling molecules derived from essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Some recent research had started to investigate the eicosanoid pathway in Daphnia magna, but focussed mostly on the role of omega-6 PUFAs, rather than on the nutritionally important omega-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which is known to determine the trophic transfer efficiency from phytoplankton to cladoceran zooplankton in freshwater foodwebs. To test for the relevance of EPA for the expression of genes in the eicosanoid pathway, we conducted highly controlled feeding experiments with D. magna under two temperature conditions and supplemented diets differing only in their EPA contents. Some, but not all genes previously reported to be related to the eicosanoid metabolism of D. magna, were significantly upregulated when EPA was available in the diet. Other genes from the eicosanoid pathway and two control genes not related to eicosanoid metabolism were unaffected by dietary EPA availability. Our data demonstrate that dietary omega-3 PUFA availability affects the expression of some genes typically considered to be part of the omega-6 PUFA-dependent eicosanoid metabolism. These findings may thus advance our understanding of the biochemical physiology of this essential dietary compound and its role for zooplankton nutrition.
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