To determine the influence of dietary fatty acids on tissue very long-chain fatty acid (VLFA) composition, mice were fed four diets containing 15 g fat/100 g diet derived largely from either safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil or glycerol trioleate oil. The diets varied widely in the composition of VLFA and other fatty acids. Digestibility of total dietary VLFA ranged from 84.6% in mice fed the glycerol trioleate diet to 96.7% in those fed the safflower oil diet. After 3 mo, the saturated VLFA composition of liver total lipids and sphingomyelin was lower in animals fed the glycerol trioleate oil diet than in mice fed most other diets. Although the saturated VLFA content of the peanut oil diet was more than 15-fold greater than that of the other diets, animals fed the peanut oil diet showed little or no selective increase in liver saturated VLFA. The VLFA composition of brain was comparable in all dietary groups. After 8 mo of feeding, the liver saturated VLFA composition tended to increase and differences between groups disappeared. Liver peroxisomal beta-oxidation of lignocerate (24:0) was similar among all dietary groups. These results demonstrate that dietary fatty acids shorter than VLFA temporarily influence the saturated VLFA composition of liver.