Molecular biology of acetyl-CoA metabolism

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Nikolau ◽  
D. J. Oliver ◽  
P. S. Schnable ◽  
E. S. Wurtele

We have characterized the expression of potential acetyl-CoA-generating genes (acetyl-CoA synthetase, pyruvate decarboxylase, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, plastidic pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and ATP-citrate lyase), and compared these with the expression of acetyl-CoA-metabolizing genes (heteromeric and homomeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase). These comparisons have led to the development of testable hypotheses as to how distinct pools of acetyl-CoA are generated and metabolized. These hypotheses are being tested by combined biochemical, genetic and molecular biological experiments, which is providing insights into how acetyl-CoA metabolism is regulated.

Insulin stimulates fatty acid synthesis in white and brown fat cells as well as in liver and mammary tissue. Hormones that increase cellular cyclic AMP concentrations inhibit fatty acid synthesis, at least in white adipose tissue and liver. These changes in fatty acid synthesis occur within minutes. In white fat cells, they are brought about not only by changes in glucose transport but also changes in the activities of pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The basis of the alterations in pyruvate kinase activity in fat cells is not understood. Unlike the liver isoenzyme, the isoenzyme present in fat cells does not appear to be phosphorylated either in the absence or presence of hormones. The changes in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in fat cells are undoubtedly due to changes in phosphorylation of the α subunits. Insulin appears to act by causing the parallel dephosphorylation of all three sites. The persistence of the effect of insulin during the preparation and subsequent incubation of mitochondria has allowed the demonstration that insulin acts mainly by stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase rather than inhibiting the kinase. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase within fat cells is phosphorylated on a number of different sites. The exposure of cells to insulin leads to activation of the enzyme and this is associated with increased phosphorylation of a specific site on the enzyme. Exposure to adrenalin, which results in a marked diminution in activity, also causes a small increase in the overall level of phosphorylation, but this increase is due to an enhanced phosphorylation of different sites; probably those phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is one of a number of proteins in fat cells that exhibit increased phosphorylation with insulin. Others include ATP-citrate lyase, the ribosomal protein S 6 , the β subunit of the insulin receptor and a heat and acid stable protein of M r 22 000. Changes in phosphorylation of ATP-citrate lyase do not appear to result in any appreciable changes in catalytic activity. A central aspect of insulin action may be the activation and perhaps release of a membrane-associated protein kinase. Plasma membranes from fat cells have been shown to contain a cyclicnucleotide-independent kinase able to phosphorylate and activate acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Furthermore, high-speed supernatant fractions from cells previously exposed to insulin contain elevated levels of the same or similar kinase activity capable of phosphorylating both ATP-citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase.


1998 ◽  
Vol 329 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa M. BOWKER-KINLEY ◽  
I. Wilhelmina DAVIS ◽  
Pengfei WU ◽  
A. Robert HARRIS ◽  
M. Kirill POPOV

Tissue distribution and kinetic parameters for the four isoenzymes of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1, PDK2, PDK3 and PDK4) identified thus far in mammals were analysed. It appeared that expression of these isoenzymes occurs in a tissue-specific manner. The mRNA for isoenzyme PDK1 was found almost exclusively in rat heart. The mRNA for PDK3 was most abundantly expressed in rat testis. The message for PDK2 was present in all tissues tested but the level was low in spleen and lung. The mRNA for PDK4 was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart. The specific activities of the isoenzymes varied 25-fold, from 50 nmol/min per mg for PDK2 to 1250 nmol/min per mg for PDK3. Apparent Ki values of the isoenzymes for the synthetic analogue of pyruvate, dichloroacetate, varied 40-fold, from 0.2 mM for PDK2 to 8 mM for PDK3. The isoenzymes were also different with respect to their ability to respond to NADH and NADH plus acetyl-CoA. NADH alone stimulated the activities of PDK1 and PDK2 by 20 and 30% respectively. NADH plus acetyl-CoA activated these isoenzymes nearly 200 and 300%. Under comparable conditions, isoenzyme PDK3 was almost completely unresponsive to NADH, and NADH plus acetyl-CoA caused inhibition rather than activation. Isoenzyme PDK4 was activated almost 2-fold by NADH, but NADH plus acetyl-CoA did not activate above the level seen with NADH alone. These results provide the first evidence that the unique tissue distribution and kinetic characteristics of the isoenzymes of PDK are among the major factors responsible for tissue-specific regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity.


1992 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1313-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
J.-L. Shi ◽  
B. W. Beehler ◽  
B. Beck

The activities of key enzymes that are members of D-glucose metabolic pathways in Schizosaccharomyces pombe undergoing respirative, respirofermentative, and fermentative metabolisms are monitored. The steady-state activities of glycolytic enzymes, except phosphofructokinase, decrease with a reduced efficiency in D-glucose utilization by yeast continuous culture. On the other hand, the enzymic activities of pentose monophosphate pathway reach the maximum when the cell mass production of the cultures is optimum. Enzymes of tricarboxylate cycle exhibit the maximum activities at approximately the washout rate. The steady-state activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex increases rapidly when D-glucose is efficiently utilized. By comparison, the activity of pyruvate decarboxylase begins to increase only when ethanol production occurs. Depletion of dissolved oxygen suppresses the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex but facilitates that of pyruvate decarboxylase. Acetate greatly enhances the acetyl CoA synthetase activity. Similarly, ethanol stimulates alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities. Evidence for the existence of alcohol dehydrogenase isozymes in the fission yeast is presented. Key words: yeast, glucose-metabolizing enzymes.


1980 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
MC Broome ◽  
MP Thomas ◽  
J Hillier ◽  
GR Jago

Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was detected in whole cells but not in cell-free extracts of Streptococcus lactis. However, the three component enzymes (pyruvate decarboxylase, lipoate acetyltransferase and lipoyl dehydrogenase) of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were identified in the cell-free extracts. Whole cells of the three species of group N streptococci formed acetoin and diacetyl only after the pathway forming acetate had become saturated. S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis DRC2 formed more acetoin and diacetyl and less acetate from pyruvate than did S. lactis CW. Strains CIO and DRC2 were able to form acetoin via a-acetolactate or diacetyl and to convert acetoin to butane-2,3-diol. S. cremoris HP was able to form acetoin only via a-acetolactate and could not convert acetoin to butane-2,3cdiol.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward R. Smith ◽  
Timothy D. Hewitson

Abstract TGF-β1 reprograms metabolism in renal fibroblasts, inducing a switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. However, molecular events underpinning this are unknown. Here we identify that TGF-β1 downregulates acetyl-CoA biosynthesis via regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). Flow cytometry showed that TGF-β1 reduced the PDC subunit PDH-E1α in fibroblasts derived from injured, but not normal kidneys. An increase in expression of PDH kinase 1 (PDK1), and reduction in the phosphatase PDP1, were commensurate with net phosphorylation and inactivation of PDC. Over-expression of mutant PDH-E1α, resistant to phosphorylation, ameliorated effects of TGF-β1, while inhibition of PDC activity with CPI-613 was sufficient to induce αSMA and pro-collagen I expression, markers of myofibroblast differentiation and fibroblast activation. The effect of TGF-β1 on PDC activity, acetyl-CoA, αSMA and pro-collagen I was also ameliorated by sodium dichloroacetate, a small molecule inhibitor of PDK. A reduction in acetyl-CoA, and therefore acetylation substrate, also resulted in a generalised loss of protein acetylation with TGF-β1. In conclusion, TGF-β1 in part regulates fibroblast activation via effects on PDC activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 778-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Hyeong Kim ◽  
Eun-Ryeong Hahm ◽  
Krishna B Singh ◽  
Sruti Shiva ◽  
Jacob Stewart-Ornstein ◽  
...  

Abstract Withaferin A (WA) is a promising phytochemical exhibiting in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities against prostate and other cancers, but the mechanism of its action is not fully understood. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analysis using 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cell line to identify mechanistic targets of WA. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes showed most significant enrichment of genes associated with metabolism. These results were validated using LNCaP and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells and Hi-Myc transgenic mice as models. The intracellular levels of acetyl-CoA, total free fatty acids and neutral lipids were decreased significantly following WA treatment in both cells, which was accompanied by downregulation of mRNA (confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and protein levels of key fatty acid synthesis enzymes, including ATP citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, fatty acid synthase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A. Ectopic expression of c-Myc, but not constitutively active Akt, conferred a marked protection against WA-mediated suppression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 and fatty acid synthase protein expression, and clonogenic cell survival. WA was a superior inhibitor of cell proliferation and fatty acid synthesis in comparison with known modulators of fatty acid metabolism including cerulenin and etomoxir. Intraperitoneal WA administration to Hi-Myc transgenic mice (0.1 mg/mouse, three times/week for 5 weeks) also resulted in a significant decrease in circulating levels of total free fatty acids and phospholipids, and expression of ATP citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, fatty acid synthase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A proteins in the prostate in vivo.


1984 ◽  
Vol 218 (3) ◽  
pp. 733-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
R W Brownsey ◽  
N J Edgell ◽  
T J Hopkirk ◽  
R M Denton

Protein kinase activity in high-speed supernatant fractions prepared from rat epididymal adipose tissue previously incubated in the absence or presence of insulin was investigated by following the incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into phosphoproteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electro-phoresis. Incorporation of 32P into several endogenous proteins in the supernatant fractions from insulin-treated tissue was significantly increased. These included acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP citrate lyase (which exhibit increased phosphorylation within fat-cells exposed to insulin), together with two unknown proteins of subunit Mr 78000 and 43000. The protein kinase activity increased by insulin was distinct from cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, was not dependent on Ca2+ and was not appreciably affected by dialysis or gel filtration. The rate of phosphorylation of added purified fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP citrate lyase was also increased by 60-90% in high-speed-supernatant fractions prepared from insulin-treated tissue. No evidence for any persistent changes in phosphoprotein phosphatase activity was found. It is concluded that insulin action on acetyl-CoA carboxylase, ATP citrate lyase and other intracellular proteins exhibiting increased phosphorylation involves an increase in cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase activity in the cytoplasm. The possibility that the increase reflects translocation from the plasma membrane, perhaps after phosphorylation by the protein tyrosine kinase associated with insulin receptors, is discussed.


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