Linoleic acid (LA) metabolism

Linoleic acid (LA, 18:2(n-6)) is an omega-6 fatty acid obtained through diet, mainly from vegetable oils. Omega-6 fatty acids helps stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system. All the desaturation and elongation steps occur in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) except for the final step which requires translocation to peroxisomes for partial beta-oxidation. The linoleic acid pathway involves the following steps: 18:2(n-6)-->18:3(n-6)--> 20:3(n-6)-->20:4(n-6)-->22:4(n-6)-->24:4(n-6)-->24:5(n-6)-->22:5(n-6). Two desaturation enzymes are involved in this process: delta-6 desaturase which converts 18:2(n-6) to 18:3 (n-6) and 24:4(n-6) to 24:5(n-6) respectively, and delta-5 desaturase which converts 20:3(n-6) to 20:4(n-6)..

Summary from Reactome (R-HSA-2046105), read 2026-09-23.