Coordination of Gene Expression of Arachidonic and Docosahexaenoic Acid Cascade Enzymes during Human Brain Development and Aging

BACKGROUND: The polyunsaturated arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids (AA and DHA) participate in cell membrane synthesis during neurodevelopment, neuroplasticity, and neurotransmission throughout life. Each is metabolized via coupled enzymatic reactions within separate but interacting metabolic cascades. HYPOTHESIS: AA and DHA pathway genes are coordinately expressed and underlie cascade interactions during human brain development and aging. METHODS: The BrainCloud database for human non-pathological prefrontal cortex gene expression was used to quantify postnatal age changes in mRNA expression of 34 genes involved in AA and DHA metabolism. RESULTS: Expression patterns were split into Development (0 to 20 years) and Aging (21 to 78 years) intervals. Expression of genes for cytosolic phospholipases A(2) (cPLA(2)), cyclooxygenases (COX)-1 and -2, and other AA cascade enzymes, correlated closely with age during Development, less so during Aging. Expression of DHA cascade enzymes was less inter-correlated in each period, but often changed in the opposite direction to expression of AA cascade genes. Except for the PLA2G4A (cPLA(2) IVA) and PTGS2 (COX-2) genes at 1q25, highly inter-correlated genes were at distant chromosomal loci. CONCLUSIONS: Coordinated age-related gene expression during the brain Development and Aging intervals likely underlies coupled changes in enzymes of the AA and DHA cascades and largely occur through distant transcriptional regulation. Healthy brain aging does not show upregulation of PLA2G4 or PTGS2 expression, which was found in Alzheimer's disease.