Long-term regulation by theophylline of fatty acid synthetase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and lipid synthesis in cultured glial cells.

The long-term regulation of fatty acid synthetase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase and of fatty acid and sterol synthesis was studied in C-6 glial cells in culture. When theophylline (10(-3) M) was added to the culture medium of these cells, rates of lipid synthesis from acetate and activities of synthetase and carboxylase became distinctly lower than in cells that were untreated. This effect appeared after approximately 12 h, and after 48 h enzymatic activities were reduced approx. 2-fold and rates of lipid synthesis from acetate 3- to 4-fold. The likelihood that the decrease in fatty acid synthesis from acetate was caused by the decrease in activities of fatty acid synthetase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase was established by several observations. These indicated that the locus of the effect probably did not reside at the level of acetate uptake into the cell, alterations in acetate pool sizes or conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA. Moreover, de novo fatty acid synthesis was found to be the predominant pathway in these glial cells, whether treated with theophylline or not. The mechanism of the effect of theophylline on fatty acid synthetase was shown by immunochemical techniques to involve an alteration in content of enzyme rather than in catalytic efficiency. The change in content of fatty acid synthetase was shown by isotopic-immunochemical experiments to involve a decrease in synthesis of the enzyme. The mechanism whereby theophylline leads to a decrease in lipogenesis and in the synthesis of fatty acid synthetase may not be mediated entirely by inhibition of phosphodiesterase and an increase in cyclic AMP levels, because dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-3) M) only partially reproduced the effect.     

Lack of coordinated regulation of lipogenic enzymes in a human breast cell line, SKBr3

A human breast cell line has been identified which contains prodigious levels of fatty acid synthetase but has a very low capacity for lipogenesis from glucose, lactate or acetate. The fatty acid synthetase from this cell line appears to be structurally and functionally normal, and the low lipogenic capacity of the cells appears to be due to the low activities of other lipogenic enzymes, notably acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Thus, the SKBr3 cell line appears to lack the long-term coordinated control of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase commonly observed in normal lipogenic tissues.     

Stimulation of hepatic lipogenesis and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase by vasopressin.

The effect of vasopressin on the short-term regulation of fatty acid synthesis was studied in isolated hepatocytes from rats fed ad libitum. Vasopressin stimulates fatty acid synthesis by 30-110%. This increase is comparable with that obtained with insulin. Angiotensin also stimulates fatty acid synthesis, whereas phenylephrine does not. The dose-response curve for vasopressin-stimulated lipogenesis is similar to the dose-response curve for glycogenolysis and release of lactate plus pyruvate. Vasopression also stimulates acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Vasopressin does not relieve glucagon-inhibited lipogenesis, whereas insulin does. The action of vasopressin on hepatic lipogenesis is decreased, but not suppressed, in Ca2+-depleted hepatocytes. The results suggest that vasopressin acts on lipogenesis by increasing availability of lipogenic substrate (lactate + pyruvate) and by activating acetyl-CoA carboxylase.     

De novo fatty acid synthesis by freshly isolated alveolar type II epithelial cells

Fatty acid synthesis was studied in freshly isolated type II pneumocytes from rabbits by 3H2O and (U-14C)-labeled glucose, lactate and pyruvate incorporation and the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The rate of lactate incorporation into fatty acids was 3-fold greater than glucose incorporation; lactate incorporation into the glycerol portion of lipids was very low but glucose incorporation into this fraction was approximately equal to incorporation into fatty acids. The highest rate of de novo fatty acid synthesis (3H2O incorporation) required both glucose and lactate. Under these circumstances lactate provided 81.5% of the acetyl units while glucose provided 5.6%. Incubations with glucose plus pyruvate had a significantly lower rate of fatty acid synthesis than glucose plus lactate. The availability of exogenous palmitate decreased de novo fatty acid synthesis by 80% in the isolated cells. In a cell-free supernatant, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was almost completely inhibited by palmitoyl-CoA; citrate blunted this inhibition. These data indicate that the type II pneumocyte is capable of a high rate of de novo fatty acid synthesis and that lactate is a preferred source of acetyl units. The type II pneumocyte can rapidly decrease the rate of fatty acid synthesis, probably by allosteric inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, if exogenous fatty acids are available.     

Metabolic pathways involved in lipogenesis from lactate and acetate in bovine adipose tissue: Effects of metabolic inhibitors

Metabolic inhibitors were used in vitro in an attempt to elucidate the biochemical pathways by which lactate is converted to fatty acids by bovine adipose tissue. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were obtained by biopsy techniques from steers fed a high-energy ration. Kynurenate (α-2-diamino-γ-oxabenzenebutanoic acid) (5–10 mm), an inhibitor of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and cerulenin (2,3-epoxy-4-oxo-7,10-dodecadienamide) (20–100 μg/ml), an inhibitor of the fatty acid synthetase enzyme complex, inhibited fatty acid synthesis from both acetate and lactate. The hydrogen acceptor, N-methylphenazonium methosulfate (10 μm) inhibited acetate but not lactate incorporation into fatty acids. α-Cyanohydroxycinnamate (5 mm) and phenylpyruvate (10 mm), which inhibit pyruvate entry into the mitochondria and pyruvate carboxylase, respectively, decreased lipogenesis from both acetate and lactate. The effects of phenylpyruvate on lipogenesis from acetate were greater in the presence of glucose plus insulin. Agaric acid (2-hydroxy-1,2,3-nonadecanetricarboxylic acid) (0.2 and 1.0 mm), which inhibits citrate efflux from the mitochondria also decreased lipogenesis from both acetate and lactate. Fluoroacetate (2.5 mm), an inhibitor of aconitate hydratase, had no effect on lipogenesis from acetate; but, in the presence of glucose or pyruvate, decreased lactate incorporation into fatty acids. n-Butylmalonate (5 mm), which blocks malate transport across the mitochondrial membrane, decreased lipogenesis from lactate but not acetate. Malate transport during lipogenesis is not associated with an operative malate:asparate shuttle in bovine adipose tissue, as indicated by the lack of effect of either 0.2 or 1.0 mm aminooxyacetate, a transaminase inhibitor, on lipogenesis from acetate or lactate. The results suggest a functional ATP-citrate lyase:NADP-malate dehydrogenase pathway in bovine subcutaneous adipose tissue and that this pathway may be involved in lipogenesis from acetate as well as lactate.     

Induction of lipogenesis during differentiation in a "preadipocyte" cell line.

3T3-L1 fibroblasts differentiate in culture into cells having adipocyte character. This transition is accompanied by a 40- to 50-fold rise in the incorporation of [14C]acetate into triglyceride. The increase in lipogenic rate is exactly parallel to a coordinate rise in the activities of the key enzymes of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway (ATP-citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthetase). Immunological studies indicate that the elevated acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity is the product of an increased cellular enzyme level.     

Time course of hormonal effects on acetyl-CoA carboxylase as measured in digitonin-permeabilized rat hepatocytes

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was measured in digitonin-permeabilized rat hepatocytes by coupling the carboxylase reaction to the fatty acid synthase reaction. Using this assay the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was covariant with the rate of fatty acid synthesis. Insulin and the tumor promotor phorbol myristate acetate were found to stimulate, and glucagon and noradrenaline to inhibit both cellular parameters. The stimulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by insulin developed slowly (15 to 30 min) whereas the phorbol myristate acetate effect developed faster (within 15 min). The inhibition of the enzyme caused by glucagon was already apparent within 1 min after hormone addition. Inhibition by noradrenaline, in the presence of propranolol, was also quite rapid and occurred within 2 min after addition of the agonist.     

Acute control of fatty acid synthesis by cyclic AMP in the chick liver cell: possible site of inhibition of citrate formation.

Glucagon and N,(6)O(2)-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (Bt(2)cAMP) inhibit fatty acid synthesis from acetate by more than 90% and prevent citrate formation in chick hepatocytes metabolizing glucose. With substrates that enter glycolysis at or below triose-phosphates, e.g., fructose, lactate, or pyruvate, Bt(2)cAMP has no effect on the citrate level and its inhibitory effect on fatty acid synthesis is substantially reversed. Because acetyl-CoA carboxylase requires a tricarboxylic acid activator for activity, it is proposed that regulation of fatty acid synthesis by Bt(2)cAMP is due, in part, to changes in the citrate level. Reduced citrate formation appears to result from a cAMP-induced inhibition of glycolysis. Bt(2)cAMP inhibits (14)CO(2) production from [1-(14)C]-, [6-(14)C]-, and [U-(14)C]glucose and has little effect on (14)CO(2) formation from [1-(14)C]- or [2-(14)C]pyruvate or from [1-(14)C]fructose. [(14)C]Lactate formation from glucose is depressed 50% by Bt(2)cAMP. In the presence of an inhibitor of mitochondrial pyruvate transport lactate accumulation is enhanced, but continues to be lowered 50% by Bt(2)cAMP. The activity of phosphofructokinase is greatly decreased in Bt(2)cAMP-treated cells while the activities of pyruvate kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase are unaffected. It appears that decreased glycolytic flux and decreased citrate formation result from depressed phosphofructokinase activity. Fatty acid synthesis from [(14)C]acetate is partially inhibited by Bt(2)cAMP in the presence of fructose, lactate, and pyruvate despite a high citrate level. Incorporation of [(14)C]fructose, [(14)C]pyruvate, or [(14)C]lactate into fatty acids is similarly depressed by Bt(2)cAMP. Synthesis of cholesterol from [(14)C]acetate or [2-(14)C]pyruvate is unaffected by Bt(2)cAMP. These results implicate a second site of inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by Bt(2)cAMP that involves the utilization, but not the production, of cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA.-Clarke, S. D., P. A. Watkins, and M. D. Lane. Acute control of fatty acid synthesis by cyclic AMP in the chick liver cell: possible site of inhibition of citrate formation.     

Estrogen regulation of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in xenopus laevis

Administration of estradiol-17 beta to male Xenopus laevis evokes the proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus and the synthesis and secretion by the liver of massive amounts of the egg yolk precursor phospholipoglycoprotein, vitellogenin. We have investigated the effects of estrogen on three key regulatory enzymes in lipid biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase, the major regulatory enzyme in cholesterol and isoprenoid synthesis, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase, which regulate fatty acid biosynthesis. HMG-CoA reductase activity and cholesterol synthesis increase in parallel following estrogen administration. Reductase activity in estrogen stimulated Xenopus liver cells peaks at 40-100 times the activity observed in control liver cells. The increased rate of reduction of HMG-CoA to mevalonic acid is not due to activation of pre-existing HMG-CoA reductase by dephosphorylation, as the fold induction is unchanged when reductase from control and estrogen-stimulated animals is fully activated prior to assay. The estrogen-induced increase of fatty acid synthesis is paralleled by a 16- to 20-fold increase of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, indicating that estrogen regulates fatty acid synthesis at the level of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Fatty acid synthetase activity was unchanged during the induction of fatty acid biosynthesis by estrogen. The induction of HMG-CoA reductase and of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by estradiol-17 beta provides a useful model for regulation of these enzymes by steroid hormones.     

Regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis by hydrocarbon substrates in Mycobacterium convolutum.

When Mycobacterium convolutum R22 was grown on the n-alkanes C13 through C16, the predominant fatty acids were of the same chain length as the growth substrate. Cells grown on C13 through C16 n-alkanes incorporated between 15 and 85 pmol of acetate per microgram of lipid into the fatty acids, whereas acetate- or propane-grown cells incorporated 280 and 255 pmol of acetate per microgram of lipid, respectively. In vivo experiments demonstrated that hexadecane, hexadecanoic acid, and hexadecanoylcoenzyme A (CoA) all inhibited de novo fatty acid synthesis. Hexadecanoyl-CoA was the most potent inhibitor. Hexadecane and hexadecanoic acid inhibited acetyl-CoA carboxylase by up to 37 and 39%, respectively, at 1 mM. Hexadecanoyl-CoA inhibited the enzyme activity by 65% at 50 micrometer. Cells that were grown on C14 through C16 n-alkanes had about 25 times less acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity than did cells grown on acetate or propane, suggesting repressed levels of the enzyme. Hexadecane- or pentadecane-grown cells were found to have 5 to 10 times more intracellular free fatty acid than cells grown on acetate, propane, or ethane.     

Insulin and phorbol ester stimulate phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase at similar sites in isolated adipocytes. Lack of correspondence with sites phosphorylated on the purified enzyme by protein kinase C

1. The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) stimulates fatty acid synthesis from glucose in isolated adipocytes with a half-maximal effect at 0.72 microM. In seven batches of cells, the maximal effects of TPA and insulin were 8.5 +/- 1.1-fold and 27.1 +/- 2.1-fold respectively. Insulin also stimulated fatty acid synthesis from acetate 8.9 +/- 0.5-fold (three experiments), but TPA did not significantly increase fatty acid synthesis from this precursor. 2. In contrast to insulin, TPA treatment of isolated adipocytes did not produce an activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase which was detectable in crude cell extracts. 3. The total phosphate content of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, isolated from adipocytes in the presence of protein phosphatase inhibitors, was estimated by 32P-labelling experiments to be 2.6 +/- 0.1 (5), 3.4 +/- 0.2 (5), and 3.8 +/- 0.2 (3) mol/mol subunit for enzyme from control, insulin- and TPA-treated cells respectively. Insulin and TPA stimulated phosphorylation within the same two tryptic peptides. 4. Purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase is phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C at serine residues which are recovered in three tryptic peptides, i.e. peptide T1, which appears to be identical with the peptide Ser-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Gly-Leu-His-Leu-Val-Lys phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase, and peptides Ta and Tb, which have the sequences Ile-Asp-Ser(P)-Gln-Arg and Lys-Ile-Asp-Ser(P)-Gln-Arg respectively, and which appear to be derived from a single site by alternative cleavages. None of these correspond to the peptides whose 32P-labelling increase in response to insulin or TPA. Peptides Ta/Tb are not significantly phosphorylated in isolated adipocytes, even after insulin or TPA treatment. Peptide T1 is phosphorylated in isolated adipocytes, but this phosphorylation is not altered by insulin or TPA. 5. These results show that TPA mimics the effect of insulin on phosphorylation, but not activation, of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, i.e. that these two events can be dissociated. In addition, phorbol ester stimulates phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in isolated adipocytes, but this is not catalyzed directly by protein kinase C, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase does not appear to be a physiological substrate for this kinase.     

Effect of a hypolipidemic drug, Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, on mRNA-expression associated fatty acid and acetate metabolism in rat tissues

Di (2-ehtylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a peroxisome proliferator and a drug having a hypolipidemic effect. The body-weight change of rats treated with DEHP was lower than that of rats in an untreated control group. Expressions of long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase, which are involved in fatty acid oxidation and acetate formation in mitochondria, showed an increase in the liver and testes of rats treated with DEHP. The expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase 1 was significantly decreased in the testes and relatively decreased in the liver, while the expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 was significantly increased in the heart. Furthermore, the expressions of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in heart and testes showed a tendency to decrease. From these results, it is suggested that DEHP-treatment increased fatty acid oxidation and acetate formation in liver and testes, and that acetate utilization was increased in peripheral tissues such as the heart.     

Fatty acid inhibition of hormonal induction of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase in hepatocyte monolayers

Primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes were utilized to ascertain the impact of free fatty acids on the insulin plus dexamethasone induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Lipogenesis was induced threefold by the combination of insulin and dexamethasone. The rise in fatty acid synthesis was accompanied by a comparable increase in the rate-determining enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Dexamethasone was required for the insulin induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Under the permissive action of glucocorticoid, 10(-7) M insulin maximally increased enzyme activity. Half-maximum stimulation occurred with 5 X 10(-9) M insulin. Media containing 0.2 mM palmitate, oleate, linoleate, arachidonate, or docosahexaenoate significantly suppressed the hormonal induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The extent of suppression was only 30-35% and did not vary with chain length or degree of unsaturation. Carboxylase activity was not suppressed further by raising the concentration of linoleate to 0.5 mM; however, 0.5 mM palmitate depleted the cells of ATP and abolished acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity. Therefore, based upon the inhibitory characteristics of the various fatty acids and the lack of a concentration dependency of the fatty acid inhibition, it would appear that fatty acid inhibition of the induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity may not be a direct, physiological regulatory mechanism.     

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase in maize leaves

Purified chloroplasts from mesophyll and bundle sheath cells of maize leaves have been shown to be the location of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In disrupted chloroplasts the enzyme was recovered in the stromal fraction, along with protein-bound biotin; acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity did not require a membrane component. Mg²⁺ and ATP are required for activity and sulfhydryl protecting agents enhance stability of the enzyme. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was independent of leaf development in cell-free extracts of maize. Comparison of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity with [¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into lipids, in isolated chloroplasts from developing leaves of maize, indicate that acetyl-CoA carboxylase is not limiting fatty acid synthesis.     

The sensitivity of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase to citrate stimulation in a homogenate of rat liver containing subcellular particles

1. Although citrate is known to activate purified preparations of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, it had no stimulatory effect on the incorporation of [¹⁴C]acetate into long-chain fatty acids in a whole homogenate of rat liver (S_0.7) under conditions in which the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was rate-limiting for fatty acid synthesis. 2. The rate of incorporation of acetyl carbon into fatty acids was estimated in S_0.7 preparations incubated with [¹⁴C]acetate, by measuring the specific radioactivity of the acetyl carbon of acetyl-CoA and the incorporation of ¹⁴C into fatty acids. These estimates were compared with estimates of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in the S_0.7 preparation obtained by direct assay in conditions in which the enzyme was in the fully activated state. 3. In the absence of citrate, incorporation of acetyl carbon into fatty acids was about 75% of the value expected if the acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the S_0.7 preparation were in the fully activated state. 4. Incorporation of acetyl carbon into fatty acids in the S_0.7 preparation was stimulated by citrate, but the effect was many times less than the stimulation of [¹⁴C]acetate incorporation by citrate in particle-free preparations. 5. When the mitochondria and microsomes were removed from the S_0.7 preparation, [¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into fatty acids fell to a negligible value and the preparation became highly sensitive to stimulation by citrate. 6. It is suggested that in the presence of mitochondria and microsomes, and in the intact liver cell, the degree of activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase is such that citrate activation may not be of physiological significance.     

Fine-tuning acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity through localization: functional genomics reveals a role for the lysine acetyltransferase NuA4 and sphingolipid metabolism in regulating Acc1 activity and localization

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, the committed step of de novo fatty acid synthesis. As a master regulator of lipid synthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 has been proposed to be a therapeutic target for numerous metabolic diseases. We have shown that acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity is reduced in the absence of the lysine acetyltransferase NuA4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This change in acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity is correlated with a change in localization. In wild-type cells, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 is localized throughout the cytoplasm in small punctate and rod-like structures. However, in NuA4 mutants, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 localization becomes diffuse. To uncover mechanisms regulating acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 localization, we performed a microscopy screen to identify other deletion mutants that impact acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 localization and then measured acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity in these mutants through chemical genetics and biochemical assays. Three phenotypes were identified. Mutants with hyper-active acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 form 1 or 2 rod-like structures centrally within the cytoplasm, mutants with mid-low acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity displayed diffuse acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, while the mutants with the lowest acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity (hypomorphs) formed thick rod-like acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 structures at the periphery of the cell. All the acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 hypomorphic mutants were implicated in sphingolipid metabolism or very long-chain fatty acid elongation and in common, their deletion causes an accumulation of palmitoyl-CoA. Through exogenous lipid treatments, enzyme inhibitors, and genetics, we determined that increasing palmitoyl-CoA levels inhibits acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 activity and remodels acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 localization. Together this study suggests yeast cells have developed a dynamic feed-back mechanism in which downstream products of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 can fine-tune the rate of fatty acid synthesis.     

Effects of octanoate and acetate upon hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis

Octanoate and N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic AMP) cause a marked inhibition of net glucose utilization and lactate and pyruvate accumulation by hepatocytes isolated from meal-fed rats. Acetate is much less effective as an inhibitor of glycolysis. Fatty acid synthesis, as measured by tritiated water incorporation, is inhibited by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, whereas it is stimulated by 10 mM acetate and 1 mM octanoate. Stimulation of fatty acid synthesis by 1 mM octanoate, however, is lost paradoxically at higher concentrations of octanoate. Rates of fatty acid synthesis estimated by [1-14C]octanoate incorporation were consistently higher than rates calculated on the basis of tritiated water incorporation, raising the question as to which is the better index of the rate of de novo fatty acid synthesis. The effects of octanoate were studied because it was reasoned that this fatty acid should not inhibit acetyl-CoA carboxylase but should inhibit glycolysis and supply acetyl-CoA for lipogenesis. This was found to be the case, proving that glycolytic activity is not necessary for rapid rates of de novo fatty acid synthesis by liver.     

The interaction between heme and protein in cytochrome c1

The hormonal regulation of two regulatory enzymes of fatty acid synthesis acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49), has been investigated in human diploid fibroblasts. There was a 35% increase in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, 72 h following addition of 10 microU/ml insulin to the culture medium. Addition of 1 microgram/ml of 3,3'5-triiodothyronine for 72 h resulted in an increase in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity to 166% of the controls. The simultaneous addition of 1 microgram/ml triiodothyronine and 10 mU/ml insulin caused the enzyme activity to rise to 240% of the controls. A dose-dependent reduction in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was brought about by 1 X 10(-4) to 1 X 10(-3) M dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The earliest effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was observed within 24 h. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase followed qualitatively the same pattern of response, whereas the constitutive enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), did not show significant changes in these experiments. The data demonstrate common features of hormonal regulation of lipogenesis in human fibroblasts with liver and adipose tissue and substantiate the growing evidence that thyroid hormones are of major importance for the regulation of this process.     

Mechanisms by which tumor necrosis factor stimulates hepatic fatty acid synthesis in vivo

We have previously shown that bolus intravenous administration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to normal rats results in a rapid (within 90 min) stimulation of hepatic fatty acid synthesis, which is sustained for 17 hr. We now demonstrate that TNF stimulates fatty acid synthesis by several mechanisms. Fatty acid synthetase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (measured after maximal stimulation by citrate) were not higher in livers from animals that had been treated with TNF 90 min before study compared to controls. In contrast, 16 hr after treatment with TNF, fatty acid synthetase was slightly elevated (35%) while acetyl-CoA carboxylase was increased by 58%. To explain the early rise in the hepatic synthesis of fatty acids, we examined the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The acute increase in fatty acid synthesis was not due to activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by change in its phosphorylation state (as calculated by the ratio of activity in the absence and presence of 2 mM citrate). However, hepatic levels of citrate, an allosteric activator of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, were significantly elevated (51%) within 90 min of TNF treatment. TNF also induces an acute increase (within 90 min) in the plasma levels of free fatty acids. However, hepatic levels of fatty acyl-CoA, which can inhibit acetyl-CoA carboxylase, did not rise 90 min following TNF treatment and were 35% lower than in control livers by 16 hr after TNF. These data suggest that TNF acutely regulates hepatic fatty acid synthesis in vivo by raising hepatic levels of citrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inactivation of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase by catecholamine and its agonists through the alpha-adrenergic receptors

The effects of adrenergic agonists on acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthesis were studied in isolated rat hepatocytes from mature rats (300 to 350 g). Norepinephrine and phenylephrine inactivate acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity and inhibit fatty acid synthesis. The effects of both norepinephrine and phenylephrine were blocked by the alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers, phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine, and unaffected by the beta-receptor blocker propranolol. This inactivation was not mimicked by the beta-agonist isoproterenol. The measurable increase in cyclic AMP levels caused by norepinephrine and phenylephrine was abolished by the alpha-antagonist phentolamine and diminished by the beta-antagonist propranolol. Calcium depletion potentiated the increase in cyclic AMP levels by phenylephrine but abolished the phenylephrine inactivation of the carboxylase. The inactivation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by phenylephrine was correlated with an increase in the incorporation of [32P]phosphate into the enzyme. Thus, catecholamines and their agonists promote phosphorylation and inactivation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase through the alpha-adrenergic receptor, and the inactivation requires calcium.