Pai, Victor J.Wang, BinLi, XiangyongWu, LinKang, Jing2014-07-072014Pai, Victor J., Bin Wang, Xiangyong Li, Lin Wu, and Jing X. Kang. 2014. “Transgenic Mice Convert Carbohydrates to Essential Fatty Acids.” PLoS ONE 9 (5): e97637. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097637. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097637.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12406960Transgenic mice (named “Omega mice”) were engineered to carry both optimized fat-1 and fat-2 genes from the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and are capable of producing essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids from saturated fats or carbohydrates. When maintained on a high-saturated fat diet lacking essential fatty acids or a high-carbohydrate, no-fat diet, the Omega mice exhibit high tissue levels of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, with a ratio of ∼1∶1. This study thus presents an innovative technology for the production of both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as a new animal model for understanding the true impact of fat on human health.en-USBiology and Life SciencesAgricultureAgricultural BiotechnologyGenetically Modified OrganismsBiochemistryLipidsFatsFatty AcidsLipid MetabolismMetabolismBiotechnologyGenetic EngineeringTransgenic EngineeringModel OrganismsAnimal ModelsMouse ModelsJournal Article2014-07-0710.1371/journal.pone.0097637