# Detailed composition of wax esters in mouse sebum and the involvement of FAR2 and AWAT2 **Authors:** Karin Kuribayashi, Keisuke Jojima, Moe Yamamoto, Mirei Takeda, Akio Kihara PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.114836 · iScience · 2026-01-29 ## TL;DR The study identifies the detailed composition of wax esters in mouse sebum and shows that the enzymes FAR2 and AWAT2 are involved in their synthesis. ## Contribution The study reveals the structural diversity of wax esters in mouse sebum and identifies the specific roles of FAR2 and AWAT2 in their synthesis. ## Key findings - Mouse sebum contains type 2α and type 2ω wax diesters along with wax monoesters. - FAR2 is involved in the synthesis of wax esters with very-long-chain fatty alcohols. - AWAT2 is involved in the synthesis of wax monoesters and type 2ω wax diesters with long-chain fatty acids. ## Abstract Wax esters (WEs) are lipids characteristic of sebaceous glands and are classified into wax monoesters (WmEs) and wax diesters (WdiEs). Here, we analyzed WEs in mouse sebum via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to characterize their composition and structural diversity. We found that mouse sebum contained type 2α and type 2ω WdiEs and revealed the detailed species composition of these WdiEs together with WmEs. In knockout mice of the acyl-CoA reductase Far2, the quantities of WEs with very-long-chain fatty alcohols were reduced relative to wild-type mice. In knockout mice of the acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase Awat2, the quantities of many WmEs and type 2ω WdiEs containing long-chain fatty acids were decreased. Sebum WEs were substantially more diverse than meibum WEs. These findings reveal that mouse sebum contains WEs comprising a variety of fatty acids and fatty alcohols and provide clues to the molecular mechanism of their production. •Mouse sebum is composed of a variety of wax esters (WEs)•Mouse sebum contains 2α- and 2ω-type wax diesters•Far2 and Awat2 are involved in the synthesis of specific WE species Mouse sebum is composed of a variety of wax esters (WEs) Mouse sebum contains 2α- and 2ω-type wax diesters Far2 and Awat2 are involved in the synthesis of specific WE species Natural sciences; Biological sciences; Biochemistry; Physiology ## Linked entities - **Genes:** FAR2 (fatty acyl-CoA reductase 2) [NCBI Gene 55711], AWAT2 (acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase 2) [NCBI Gene 158835] - **Species:** Mus musculus (taxon 10090) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** Far (first arch) [NCBI Gene 109584], Hprt1 (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 15452] {aka HPGRT, Hprt}, Fut4 (fucosyltransferase 4) [NCBI Gene 14345] {aka CD15, FAL, FucT-IV, LeX, SSEA-1, Ssea1}, Awat2 (acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase 2) [NCBI Gene 245532] {aka 9430062J17Rik, ARAT, Dgat2l4, WS}, Dgat2l6 (diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2-like 6) [NCBI Gene 668257] {aka 9930021F22Rik}, Far2 (fatty acyl CoA reductase 2) [NCBI Gene 330450] {aka A230046P18, Mlstd1}, Far1 (fatty acyl CoA reductase 1) [NCBI Gene 67420] {aka 2600011M19Rik, 2900034E22Rik, 3732409C05Rik, Mlstd2}, Awat1 (acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 245533] {aka Dgat2l3}, Dgat2 (diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2) [NCBI Gene 67800] {aka 0610010B06Rik, ARAT, DGAT-2} - **Diseases:** seborrheic dermatitis (MESH:D012628), skin disorders (MESH:D012871), alopecia (MESH:D000505), hair (MESH:D006201), dry eye (MESH:D015352), acne (MESH:D000152) - **Chemicals:** Lipid (MESH:D008055), C18:0 (MESH:C031183), fatty alcohol (MESH:D005233), zirconia (MESH:C028541), -unsaturated FA (MESH:D005231), silica (MESH:D012822), C26:0 (MESH:C017364), hexane (MESH:D006586), chloroform (MESH:D002725), ammonium formate (MESH:C030544), diol (MESH:D011276), water (MESH:D014867), deuteriums (MESH:D003903), C17:0 FAs (-), methanol (MESH:D000432), Chol-E (MESH:D002788), cholesterol (MESH:D002784), wax (MESH:D014885), acetonitrile (MESH:C032159), ethanol (MESH:D000431), ester (MESH:D004952), FA (MESH:D005227), mono-unsaturated FA (MESH:D005229), carbon (MESH:D002244), lauryl oleate (MESH:C079166), ammonium (MESH:D064751), acyl-CoA (MESH:D000214), toluene (MESH:D014050), 2-propanol (MESH:D019840) - **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090] - **Cell lines:** C57BL/6J — Mus musculus (Mouse), Transformed cell line (CVCL_C0MW) ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12915242/full.md ## Figures 10 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12915242/full.md ## References 37 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12915242/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12915242