Mevalonic acid-derived intermediates in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway have been recognized as being critical to the isoprenylation of a variety of growth-regulating proteins, including those of the RAS superfamily. Treatment of cells with lovastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, depletes cells of mevalonic acid and thus blocks the isoprenylation of proteins in the RAS superfamily. In NIH3T3 cells pretreated with lovastatin, subsequent addition of farnesol (FOH), but not geranylgeraniol (GGOH), reverses lovastatin's block of RAS isoprenylation. Neither FOH nor GGOH prevents lovastatin-induced inhibition of RAS isoprenylation when added to cells concurrently with lovastatin. In intact cells, 167 microM FOH and 125 microM GGOH decrease incorporation of [14C]acetate into cholesterol by approximately 50 and 75%, respectively. Results suggest that the radio-label from either [3H]FOH or [3H]GGOH is incorporated into cholesterol. Co-treatment of cells with lovastatin or mevalonic acid did not significantly alter [3H]FOH or [3H]GGOH incorporation into cholesterol. Lovastatin induces cell rounding; GGOH, but not FOH, both prevents and reverses lovastatin-induced cell rounding. These results provide additional evidence for the existence of a novel "isoprenoid shunt" that differentially utilizes FOH and GGOH as metabolic precursors for isoprenoids that have been depleted by lovastatin treatment.
Mevalonic acid derivatives are required for the isoprenylation of a variety of growth-regulating proteins. Treatment of NIH3T3 cells with lovastatin (LOV), an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, depletes cells of these derivatives and impairs isoprenylation of RAS and RAS-related proteins. In LOV-treated cells, farnesol (FOH) and geranylgeraniol (GGOH) restore RAS and Rap1 isoprenylation, respectively. In this study, we further characterize the manner in which these isoprenoid alcohols are utilized for protein isoprenylation. Over a 48-h time span, FOH is unable to maintain RAS isoprenylation in the continuing presence of LOV, whereas GGOH is able to maintain Rap1 isoprenylation in the presence of LOV at all times tested. When cells are pretreated with LOV, the ability of both FOH and GGOH to restore protein isoprenylation is time dependent; as the LOV pretreatment time increases, the time required for FOH and GGOH to restore isoprenylation also increases. Despite this time dependence, the ability of FOH and GGOH to restore protein isoprenylation is not dependent on new protein synthesis and does not require alcohol dehydrogenase. These data support the existence of and further characterize the isoprenoid shunt, a novel metabolic pathway that utilizes FOH and GGOH for protein isoprenylation. The enzymes of the isoprenoid shunt are constitutively expressed, their activity may be modulated by isoprenoid depletion, and they are differentially regulated.
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