Escherichia coli as a model for the regulation of dissociable (type II) fatty acid biosynthesis

Silica instillation causes lung surfactant accumulation as well as hyperplasia and hypertrophy of type II pneumocytes. Two populations of type II cells can be isolated from silica-treated rats: type IIA, which are similar to type II cells from normal animals and type IIB, which are larger and have a higher rate of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. We have compared fatty acid biosynthesis and phosphatidylcholine secretion in types IIA and IIB cells and in type II cells from control rats. The cells were isolated by elastase digestion and panning on immunoglobulin G-coated plates and fractionated into types IIA and IIB by centrifugal elutriation. Type IIB cells contained more phospholipid and had an enhanced rate of [3H]choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine. The activity of choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase was elevated in the type IIB cells and the extent of the increase was diminished when phosphatidylglycerol was included in the assay, suggesting that the enhanced activity was due to enzyme activation rather than protein synthesis. The basal rate of phosphatidylcholine secretion was the same in all three groups as was the response to a variety of secretagogues. Incorporation of [3H]acetate into fatty acids was elevated in type IIB cells and the activity of fatty acid synthase was eightfold greater than in control cells. These data show that de novo fatty acid biosynthesis is increased in hypertrophic type II cells and that surfactant secretion is not elevated.

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Mechanistic diversity and regulation of Type II fatty acid synthesis

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst0301050 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 1050-1055 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

H. Marrakchi ◽

Y.-M. Zhang ◽

C. O. Rock

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Synthesis ◽

Unsaturated Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Synthase ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Specific Interaction ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Protein Crystal ◽

Type Ii ◽

Acid Biosynthesis

Fatty acid biosynthesis is catalysed in most bacteria by a group of highly conserved proteins known as the Type II fatty acid synthase (FAS) system. The Type II system organization is distinct from its mammalian counterpart and offers several unique sites for selective inhibition by antibacterial agents. There has been remarkable progress in the understanding of the genetics, biochemistry and regulation of Type II FASs. One important advance is the discovery of the interaction between the fatty acid degradation regulator, FadR, and the fatty acid biosynthesis regulator, FabR, in the transcriptional control of unsaturated fatty acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. The availability of genomic sequences and high-resolution protein crystal structures has expanded our understanding of Type II FASs beyond the E. coli model system to a number of pathogens. The molecular diversity among the pathway enzymes is illustrated by the discovery of a new type of enoyl-reductase in Streptococcus pneumoniae [enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase II, FabK], the presence of two enoyl-reductases in Bacillus subtilis (enoyl-ACP reductases I and III, FabI and FabL), and the use of a new mechanism for unsaturated fatty acid formation in S. pneumoniae (trans-2-cis-3-enoyl-ACP isomerase, FabM). The solution structure of ACP from Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed features common to all ACPs, but its extended C-terminal domain may reflect a specific interaction with very-long-chain intermediates.

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