Characterization of liver cholic acid coenzyme A ligase activity. Evidence that separate microsomal enzymes are responsible for cholic acid and fatty acid activation.

Investigations on the cholic acid CoA ligase activity of rat liver microsomes were made possible by the development of a rapid, sensitive radiochemical assay based on the conversion of [3H]choloyl-CoA. More than 70% of the rat liver cholic acid CoA ligase activity was associated with the microsomal subcellular fraction. The dependencies of cholic acid CoA ligase activity on pH, ATP, CoA, Triton WR-1339, acetone, ethanol, magnesium, and salts were investigated. The hypothesis that the long chain fatty acid CoA ligase activity and the cholic acid CoA ligase activity are catalyzed by a single microsomal enzyme was investigated. The ATP, CoA, and cholic (palmitic) acid kinetics neither supported nor negated the hypothesis. Cholic acid was not an inhibitor of the fatty acid CoA ligase and palmitic acid was not a competitive inhibitor of the cholic acid CoA ligase. The cholic acid CoA ligase activity utilized dATP as a substrate more effectively than did the fatty acid CoA ligase activity. The cholic acid and fatty acid CoA ligase activities appeared to have different pH dependencies, differed in thermolability at 41 degrees, and were differentially inactivated by phospholipase C. Moreover, fatty acid CoA ligase activity was present in microsomal fractions from all rat organs tested while cholic acid CoA ligase activity was detected only in liver microsomes. The data suggest that separate microsomal enzymes are responsible for the cholic acid and the fatty acid CoA ligase activities in liver.     

Subcellular distribution of cholic acid:coenzyme a ligase and deoxycholic acid:Coenzyme a ligase activities in rat liver

Cholic acid:CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.7, choloyl-CoA synthetase) and deoxycholic acid:CoA ligase catalyze the synthesis of choloyl-CoA and deoxycholoyl-CoA from their respective bile acids in rat liver. A modification of the phase partition assay was introduced which yields significantly (3-fold) higher specific activities for cholic acid:CoA ligase than previously reported. An independent method of separating choloyl-CoA from the substrates by high-pressure liquid chromatography was also developed and validates the modification. Both enzymic activities were found to be localized predominantly in the endoplasmic reticulum of rat liver. The level of either ligase in other purified, active subcellular fractions is consistent with the level of contamination by endoplasmic reticulum, estimated by using marker enzymes. Hence, the ligase assay can be used as a sensitive enzymic marker for endoplasmic reticulum in rat liver. The kinetic parameters of both enzymic activities were determined by using purified rough endoplasmic reticulum from rat liver. While the apparent maximal velocities for the two substrates are similar, the Michaelis constant for deoxycholate is significantly lower than that for cholate. Taurocholate and deoxycholate are shown to be competitive inhibitors of cholic acid:CoA ligase. The inhibition constant of deoxycholate is similar to its Michaelis constant for the deoxycholoyl-CoA-synthesizing reaction, suggesting that the same enzyme is responsible for both ligase activities.     

Enzymic mechanisms involving concomitant transfer and hydrolysis reactions

The kinetic parameters of ten different enzymic mechanisms in which bimolecular transfer reactions occur concomitantly with the hydrolysis of the donor molecule have been studied. The usefulness of these parameters for making a choice of mechanism is discussed. The analysis has been extended to the use of alternative substrates in bimolecular transfer reactions that proceed without the hydrolysis of the donor molecule.     

Anodic electrochemical oxidation of cholic acid

Regioselectivity in the anodic electrochemical oxidation of cholic acid with different anodes is described. The oxidation with PbO(2) anode affords the dehydrocholic acid in quantitative yield after 22 h. 3alpha,12alpha-Dihydroxy-7-oxo-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (59%) and 3alpha-hydroxy-7,12-dioxo-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (51%) are obtained stopping the reaction at lower time. The rate of the OH-oxidation is C7 > C12 > C3. The electro-oxidation with platinum foil anode gives selectively the 7-ketocholic acid in 40% yield. On the other hand, the graphite plate anode, varying the reaction conditions, produces selectively the dehydrocholic acid in quantitative yield or the 3alpha,12alpha-dihydroxy-7-oxo-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (96%) while the 3alpha,7alpha-dihydroxy-12-oxo-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (34%) is obtained together with the other oxo acids.     

Synthesis of biological precursors of cholic acid

This paper describes a new and convenient procedure for the synthesis of 5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24-tetrol(24R and 24 S) and 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 26-tetrol starting from 5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,25-tetrol. Dehydration of the 25-hydroxytetrol with glacial acetic acid and acetic anhydride yielded a mixture of 5β-cholest-24-ene-3α,7α,12α-triol and the corresponding Δ²⁵ compound. Hydroboration and oxidation of the mixture of Δ²⁴ and Δ²⁵ unsaturated bile alcohols resulted in the formation of 5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,24ξ-tetrol and 5β-cholestane-3α,7α,12α,26-tetrol. In addition, smaller amounts of 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 23ξ-tetrol and 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α-triol were also obtained.The bile alcohols epimeric at C-24 were resolved by analytical and preparative TLC, characterized by gas-liquid chromatography and mass-spectrometry. Tentative assignments of the 24R and 24S configuration was made on the basis of molecular rotation differences. These compounds will be useful for biological studies of cholic acid biosynthesis.