Subunits of fatty acid synthetase complexes. Enzymatic activities and properties of the half-molecular weight nonidentical subunits of pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase.

The separation of the half-molecular weight, nonidentical subunits (I and II) of the pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase complex has been achieved on a large (20 mg) scale by affinity chromatography on Sepharose epsilon-aminocaproyl pantetheine. This separation requires a careful control of temperature, ionic strength, pH, and column flow rate for success. The yield of subunit II is further improved by transacetylation (with acetyl-CoA) of the dissociated fatty acid synthetase prior to affinity chromatography. The separated subunit I (reductase) contains the 4'-phosphopantetheine (A2) acyl binding site, two NADPH binding sites, and beta-ketoacyl and crotonyl thioester reductases. Subunit II (transacylase) contains the B1 (hydroxyl or loading) and B2 (cysteine) acyl binding sites, and acetyl- and malonyl-CoA: pantetheine transacylases. When subunit I is mixed in equimolar quantities with subunit II, an additional NADPH binding site is found even though subunit II alone shows no NADPH binding. Both subunits contain activities for the partial reactions, beta-hydroxybutyryl thioester dehydrase (crotonase) and palmityl-CoA deacylase. Subunit I has 8 sulfhydryl groups per mol whereas subunit II has 60. Reconstitution of fatty acid synthetase activity to 75% of the control level is achieved on reassociation of subunits I and II.     

Factors affecting the reassociation and reactivation of the half-molecular weight nonidentical subunits of pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase.

The pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase complex (14 S) is dissociated in low ionic strength buffer containing dithiothreitol to form a half-molecular weight subunits (9 S) which are completely inactive for the synthesis of saturated fatty acids. The dithiothreitol-protected (reduced) subunits are rapidly reassociated and reactivated to form the active enzyme complex, not only by an increase in salt concentration but also by micromolar concentrations of NADP+ or NADPH. Increases in KCl or NADPH concentration result in an increase in the extent of reactivation (equilibrium) with no change in the over-all rate of the reaction or the half-life ofreactivation of the enzyme. The extent (equilibrium) of reactivation of the enzyme is the same in 0.2 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0; 0.2 M KCl in 5 mM Tris-35 mM glycine buffer, PH 8.3; and 50 muM NADP+ or NADPH in the Tris-glycine buffer. The extent and rate of reactivation of the enzyme is dependent not only on ionic strength and NADPH concentration, but also on pH and temperature. Reactivation with 0.2 M KCl is optimal between pH 7.3 and 8.5. At higher and lower pH values the rate and extent of reactivation are lowered. The rate and extent of reactivation are also decreased as the temperature is lowered below 10 degrees. At 0 degrees there is little reactivation of enzyme activity. However, in the presence of 0.2 M KCl containing 15 to 40% glycerol at 0 degrees, reactivation of the enzyme is about 50% complete. The rate of reactivation of enzyme in the presence of KCl or NADPH conforms to first order kinetics. This result suggests that the subunits first combine to form an inactive complex which is subsequently transformed to an enzymatically active complex. Evidence for the presence of inactive complex was obtained in experiments carried out in 0.2 M KCl at pH 6.0, and in 0.2 M KCl at pH 8.3, at both 6 and 3 degrees. Under these conditions the amount of complex observed upon ultracentrifugation was greater than expected from determinations of enzyme activity. The above findings suggest that ionic and hydrophobic interactions, and possibly the water structure surrounding the interacting sites, are of prime importance in reassociation and reactivation of enzyme. In addition, NADP+ and NADPH have very specific effects in bringing about reassociation and in maintaining the structural integrity of the multienzyme complex.     

Separation of active enzyme components from the fatty acid synthetase of chicken liver.

Fatty acid synthetase (EC 6.2.1.-) of chicken liver was dissociated into half-size subcomplexes and then separated into three protein fractions by the preparative disc-gel electrophoresis technique. The anodal protein (Fa) of a molecular weight of approx. 6000 contains the prosthetic group, 4'-phosphopantetheine. It binds acetyl group from acetyl-CoA and is identified as the acyl carrier protein component. The slower moving proteins (FI and FII) correspond to the subcomplexes resolved by the analytical method (Y.n, S.L. and Hsu, R.Y. (1972) J. Biol. Chem 247, 2689--2698). Both contain acetyl transacylase and palmityl-CoA deacylase activities, but only FI contains beta-ketoacyl reductase activity. Active acetyl transacylase and palmityl-CoA deacylase components were obrained by the sucrose density centrifugation technique in a broad 3 S protein band from the FI fraction, following dissociation at 4 degrees C for 12 days. Slight modification of the electrophoresis conditions yields a homogeneous 1.55 S beta-ketoacyl reductase component.     

The isolation of the two subunits of yeast fatty acid synthetase.

The two subunits that comprise the yeast fatty acid synthetase (designated α and β) have been isolated. The separation was performed using DEAE Biogel A chromatography after first treating yeast fatty acid synthetase with 3,4,5,6 tetrahydrophthalic anhydride. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the fractions eluted from the ion exchange column indicated that the separation of the subunits was essentially complete. It was possible to remove the 3,4,5,6 tetrahydrophthalate derivative from the subunits and regenerate certain of the partial activities. The α subunit was found to have the β-keto reductase activity as well as the acyl carrier protein component associated with it. The β subunit had the acetyl and malonyl transacylases and the palmitoyl transferase activity associated with it. The different extent to which the malonyl and acetyl transacylase activities were regained indicated that these two catalytic sites have separate domains in the β subunit.     

delta-Aminolevulinic acid synthetase from rat liver mitochondria. Purification and properties.

delta-Aminolevulinic acid synthetase has been purified from liver mitochondria of young, uninduced rats. After nonionic detergent solubilization of mitochondrial inner membrane-matrix fractions, the enzyme was purified to a specific activity of approximately 2,000 nmol of delta-aminolevulinic acid formed/h/mg of protein at 30 degrees C, by means of ammonium sulfate precipitation, diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography, Sephacryl chromatography, and preparative gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme preparation thus obtained was apparently homogeneous as judged by its migration as a single band with a molecular weight of 58,000 +/- 6,000 upon electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. The native enzyme probably exists as a dimer with a molecular weight of approximately 120,000. A pH optimum of 7.5 and an isoelectric point of 4.5 were also determined. Both monovalent cations and hemin strongly inhibited the activity of the purified enzyme.     

Purification and crystallization of rat liver fatty acid synthetase

A purification procedure for rat liver fatty acid synthetase has been developed using polyethylene glycol. This procedure results in high yields of the enzyme which is essentially free of endogenous proteolytic nicking and also free of any contaminating proteases. The fatty acid synthetase obtained has a specific activity range of 1.8–2.1 measured at 25 °C and is stable at 4 °C for a few weeks and indefinitely when frozen. Approximately 1 mg of enzyme can be obtained per gram of induced rat liver. The enzyme is pure as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, sedimentation velocity, and immunoelectrophoresis. The first crystallization of rat liver fatty acid synthetase is also reported.     

Pig liver fatty acid synthetase: purification and physicochemical properties.

This paper reports the first detailed study of the physicochemical properties of a fatty acid synthetase multienzyme complex from a mammalian liver. Fatty acid synthetase from pig liver was purified by a procedure including the following main steps: (i) preparation of a clarified supernatant solution (50,000 g), (ii) ammonium sulfate fractionation, (iii) DEAE-cellulose chromatography to separate 11 S catalase from the 13 S fatty acid synthetase, (iv) a preparative sucrose density gradient step to remove a 7 S impurity, and (v) a calcium phosphate gel step to remove an unusual yellow 16 S heme protein to yield a colorless preparation. The purified fatty acid synthetase was colorless and showed a single symmetrical peak in sucrose density gradient and conventional sedimentation velocity experiments. Fatty acid synthetase was very stable at 4 °C in the presence of 1 mm dithiothreitol and 25% sucrose. Extrapolation to zero protein concentration yielded values of S^o_20,w = 13.3 S and D^o_20,w = 2.60 × 10^?7cm²/s for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients of the enzyme. Frictional coefficient values of 1.55 and 1.56 × 10^?7 cm, respectively, were calculated from the values for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients. Based on these frictional coefficient values, the Stokes radius of the enzyme was calculated to be 82.4 Å. Sedimentation and diffusion coefficient data yielded a molecular weight value of $\text{M}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>w</mtext>}}\text{(}\text{s}\text{D}\text{) = 478,000}$ and sedimentation equilibrium data yielded a value of M_w = 476,000. Preliminary intrinsic viscosity measurements at 20 °C gave a value of 7.3 ml/g, indicating that the enzyme is somewhat asymmetric. This is supported by the value of 1.58 calculated for the frictional ratio and by the fact that the values for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients are both slightly lower than expected for a globular protein of molecular weight 478,000. The enzyme possesses about 90 SH groups per molecule, assuming a molecular weight of 478,000. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the enzyme shows a maximum at 280 nm and an unusual shoulder at 290 nm. The fluorescence spectrum of the enzyme is dominated by tryptophan fluorescence and, over the excitation range of 260–300 nm, there is a single emission maximum at 344 nm.     

Isolation,purification, and properties of mammalian and avian liver and yeast fatty acid synthetase acyl carrier proteins

Acyl carrier proteins were isolated from rat, human, pigeon, and chicken liver and yeast fatty acid synthetase complexes. These proteins were separated from the other proteins of subunit I of each complex by ultrafiltration after dialysis of subunit I for 3 h against low ionic strength buffer [Qureshi et al. (1974) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.60, 158–165]. Subunit I of each fatty acid synthetase was previously separated from subunit II by affinity chromatography on Sepharose ?-aminocaproyl pantetheine and subsequent sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The separated acyl carrier proteins were then subjected to gel filtration on a Sephadex G-50 column. The proteins obtained from each fatty acid synthetase were homogeneous with respect to size and charge on gel filtration, paper and disc gel electrophoresis, and chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-cellulose. The physical properties and the ability to accept acetyl and malonyl groups from acetyl- and malonyl-CoA in the presence of transacylase were similar to those of Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein. These proteins ranged in molecular weight from 7500 to 10,000. Each of the acyl carrier proteins showed the presence of β-alanine and each yielded acetyl- and malonyl-A₁ and A₂ peptic peptides, thus indicating the presence of a 4′-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group in each. They differed somewhat from each other in amino acid composition, but each had a high number of negatively charged (aspartate and glutamate) amino acid residues.     

Studies on the synthesis of rat liver fatty acid synthetase.

The synthesis of the multienzyme complex rat liver fatty acid synthetase was investigated utilizing modifications of methods developed in the laboratory of Schimke (Schimke, R. T. (1964) J. Biol. Chem. 239, 3808-3817 and Arias, I. M., Doyle, D., and Schimke, R. T. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 3303-3315). The relative amounts of radioactivity from a pulse of labeled lysine appearing in polypeptides derived from purified synthetase complex can be measured compensating for the varying amounts of lysine per polypeptide chain. The results show that labeled amino acid is incorporated into polypeptides derived from the complex at heterogeneous rates. However, 10 to 15 hours after the administration of a pulse, the amount of label per lysine residue in these polypeptides is identical. The results support the previously proposed model of this multienzyme complex (Tweto, J., Dehlinger, P., and Larrabee, A. R. (1972) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 48, 1371-1377). The previous work and that reported here suggests the existence of a pool of synthetase subunits which is an obligatory intermediate in both synthesis and turnover of the complex. The results obtained in this work are consistent with this model if the exchange of subunits into the intact complex is a relatively slow process requiring several hours to reach equilibrium.     

Stoichiometry of substrate binding to rat liver fatty acid synthetase.

Two rat liver fatty acid synthetase preparations, containing 1.6 and 2.0 mol of 4'-phosphopantetheine/mol of synthetase, showed specific activity of 2006 and 2140 nmol of NADPH oxidized/min per mg of protein respectively. The two synthetase preparations could be loaded with either 3.3-4.4 mol of [1-14] acetate or 2.9-3.7 mol of [2-14C]malonate, by incubation with either [1-14C] acetyl-CoA or [2-14C]malonyl-CoA. The 4'-phosphopantetheine site could be more than 90% saturated and the serine site about 80% saturated with malonate derived from malonyl-CoA. However, with acetyl-CoA as substrate, binding at both the 4'-phosphopantetheine and cysteine thiol sites did not reach saturation. We interpret these results to indicate that, whereas the equilibrium constant for transfer of substrates between the serine loading site and the 4'-phosphopantetheine site is close to unity, that for transfer of acetyl moieties between the 4'-phosphopantetheine and cysteine sites favours formation of the 4'-phosphopantetheine thioester. Thus, despite the apparent sub-stoichiometric binding of acetate, the results are consistent with a functionally symmetrical model for the fatty acid synthetase which permits simultaneous substrate binding at two separate active centres.     

The palmityl binding sites of fatty acid synthetase from yeast.

Fatty acid synthetase was covalently labelled with [14C]palmitic acid from [14C]palmityl-CoA. Tryptic and peptic digestion of the [14C]palmityl enzyme resulted in the formation of radioactive palmityl peptides carrying the long-chain acyl residue both in oxygen-ester and thio-ester linkage. The lipophilic palmityl peptides were purified by column and thin-layer chromatography using organic lolvent systems. Peptides arising from the acyl carrier protein, the condensing enzyme and the palmityl transferase were identified and characterized. The amino acid sequence of a 4'-phosphopant-etheine-containing peptide was established. It comprises 13 residues and shows a high degree of homology with the acyl carrier protein from Escherichia coli. A heptapeptide and an octapeptide from the palmityl transferase active site were partially sequenced. The identical amino acid composition of palmityl transferase and malonyl transferase core peptides is briefly discussed.