In mammals, a family of five acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs), each the product of a separate gene, activates long chain fatty acids to form acyl-CoAs. Because the ACSL isoforms have overlapping preferences for fatty acid chain length and saturation and are expressed in many of the same tissues, the individual function of each isoform has remained uncertain. Thus, we constructed a mouse model with a liver-specific knock-out of ACSL1, a major ACSL isoform in liver. Eliminating ACSL1 in liver resulted in a 50% decrease in total hepatic ACSL activity and a 25-35% decrease in long chain acyl-CoA content. Although the content of triacylglycerol was unchanged in Acsl1 L؊/؊ liver after mice were fed either low or high fat diets, in isolated primary hepatocytes the absence of ACSL1 diminished the incorporation of [ 14 C]oleate into triacylglycerol. Further, small but consistent increases were observed in the percentage of 16:0 in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine and of 18:1 in phosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylcholine, whereas concomitant decreases were seen in 18:0 in phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and lysophosphatidylcholine. In addition, decreases in long chain acylcarnitine content and diminished production of acid-soluble metabolites from [ 14 C]oleate suggested that hepatic ACSL1 is important for mitochondrial -oxidation of long chain fatty acids. Because the Acsl1 L؊/؊ mice were not protected from developing either high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis or insulin resistance, our study suggests that lowering the content of hepatic acyl-CoA without a concomitant decrease in triacylglycerol and other lipid intermediates is insufficient to protect against hepatic insulin resistance. Acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL)3 activates long chain fatty acid (FA) to acyl-CoA, thereby enhancing vectorial FA transport across the plasma membrane (1) and providing substrates for most downstream pathways that metabolize FA. ACSL1 is one of five ACSL isoforms, each encoded by a separate gene. Its mRNA expression is highest in adipose tissue, liver, and heart (2); and because Acsl1 mRNA and total ACSL1 activity increase 160-fold (3) and 100-fold (4), respectively, in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes, ACSL1 has been thought to be important in activating FA destined for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. In support of this idea, overexpressing ACSL1 in mouse heart increases cardiac myocyte TAG accumulation 12-fold and induces apoptotic pathways, cardiac hypertrophy, left ventricular dysfunction, and heart failure (5). However, Acsl1 mRNA expression is up-regulated in liver and adipose tissue by activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated factor ␣ (PPAR␣) (6, 7) via a PPAR response element in the promoter region of Acsl1 (8), suggesting a possible function related to the -oxidation of fatty acids. Moreover, overexpression of ACSL1 in rat primary hepatocytes increases oleate incorporation into diacylglycerol (DAG) but does not increase TAG mass (9). Thus, the exact role of ACSL1 ...
Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting step in glycerolipid synthesis. Several mammalian GPAT activities have been recognized, including Nethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive isoforms in microsomes and mitochondria and an NEM-resistant form in mitochondrial outer membrane (GPAT1). We have now cloned a second mitochondrial isoform, GPAT2 from mouse testis. The open reading frame encodes a protein of 798 amino acids with a calculated mass of 88.8 kDa and 27% amino acid identity to GPAT1. Testis mRNA expression was 50-fold higher than in liver or brown adipose tissue, but the specific activity of NEM-sensitive GPAT in testis mitochondria was similar to that in liver. When Cos-7 cells were transiently transfected with GPAT2, NEM-sensitive GPAT activity increased 30%. Confocal microscopy confirmed a mitochondrial location. Incubation of GPAT2-transfected Cos-7 cells with trace (3 μM; 0.25μCi) [1-14 C]oleate for 6 h increased incorporation of [ 14 C]oleate into TAG 84%. In contrast, incorporation into phospholipid species was lower than in control cells. Although a polyclonal antibody raised against full-length GPAT1 detected an ∼89 kDa band in liver and testis from GPAT1 null mice and both 89 and 80 kDa bands in BAT from the knockout animals, the GPAT2 protein expressed in Cos-7 cells was only 80 kDa. In vitro translation showed a single product of 89 kDa. Unlike GPAT1, GPAT2 mRNA abundance in liver was not altered by fasting or refeeding. GPAT2 is likely to have a specialized function in testis.The synthesis of triacylglycerol and all glycerophospholipids begins with the acylation of glycerol-3-phosphate with long-chain fatty acyl-CoA to produce 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate. This reaction is catalyzed by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT 1 ; EC 3.1.3.9) which exhibits the lowest specific activity of all enzymes in the glycerol-3-phosphate pathway, suggesting that it is the rate limiting step [1].Three mammalian GPAT activities have been differentiated based on their subcellular location and biochemical properties [2,3]. GPAT activity is present in microsomal and mitochondrial Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. fractions. In most tissues, 90% of the activity is attributed to a microsomal GPAT which is sensitive to inactivation by sulfhydryl reagents such as NEM. Microsomal GPAT3, prominent in adipose tissue, has been cloned [4]. Microsomal GPAT activity does not appear to be regulated in liver. In contrast, the mitochondrial isoform (GPAT1) 2 that has been purified [5] and cloned [6,7], is highly regulated by i...
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