The differential effect of polymyxin B1 on guinea pig lung mitochondrial and microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase

Mice deficient in glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-1 have a reduced susceptibility to liver cancer

The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma increases with the persistence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Triacylglycerol synthesis is initiated by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT). Of four isoforms, GPAT1 contributes 30-50% of total liver GPAT activity, and we hypothesized that it might influence liver susceptibility to tumorigenesis. C57Bl/6 mice deficient in GPAT1 were backcrossed 6 times to C3H mice. After exposure to the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and the tumor promoter phenobarbital, male Gpat1⁻/⁻ mice, compared with controls (Gpat1⁺/⁺), had 93% fewer macroscopically visible nodules per liver at 21 weeks of age and 39% fewer at 34 weeks of age. Microscopically, control mice had increased numbers of foci of altered hepatocytes, particularly the basophilic subtype, as well as more, and malignant, liver neoplasms than did the Gpat1⁻/⁻ mice. At 21 weeks of age, 50% (4/8) of control mice (50%) had hepatocellular adenomas with an average multiplicity (tumors per tumor-bearing-animal) of 4.3, while none occurred in 8 Gpat1⁻/⁻ mice. At 34 weeks of age, all 15 control mice (100%) had hepatocellular adenomas with an average multiplicity of 5.2 compared to an incidence of 93% in Gpat1⁻/⁻ mice and multiplicity of 3.1. HCCs were observed in 13% of control mice and in only 6% of Gpat1⁻/⁻ mice. These data show that alterations in the formation of complex lipids catalyzed by Gpat1 reduce susceptibility to DEN-induced liver tumorigenesis.

Identification of a new glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase isoenzyme, mtGPAT2, in mitochondria

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting step of glycerolipid synthesis. Two distinct GPAT isoenzymes had been identified in mammalian tissues, an N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive isoform in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane (microsomal GPAT) and an NEM-resistant form in the outer mitochondrial membrane (mtGPAT). Although only mtGPAT has been cloned, the microsomal and mitochondrial GPAT isoforms can be distinguished, because they differ in acyl-CoA substrate preference, sensitivity to inhibition by dihydroxyacetone phosphate and polymixin B, temperature sensitivity, and ability to be activated by acetone. The preponderance of evidence supports a role for mtGPAT in synthesizing the precursors for triacylglycerol synthesis. In mtGPAT(-/-) mice, PCR genotyping and Northern analysis showed successful knockout of mtGPAT; however, we detected a novel NEM-sensitive GPAT activity in mitochondrial fractions and an anti-mtGPAT immunoreactive protein in liver mitochondria, but not in microsomes. Rigorous analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the anti-mtGPAT immunoreactive proteins in wild type and mtGPAT(-/-) liver mitochondria have different isoelectric points. These results suggested the presence of a second GPAT in liver mitochondria from mtGPAT(-/-) mice. Characterization of this GPAT activity in liver from mtGPAT null mice showed that, unlike the mtGPAT activity in wild type samples, activity in mtGPAT knockout mitochondria did not prefer palmitoyl-CoA, was sensitive to inactivation by NEM, was inhibited by dihydroxyacetone phosphate and polymixin B, was temperature-sensitive, and was not activated by acetone. We conclude that a novel GPAT (mtGPAT2) with antigenic epitopes similar to those of mtGPAT is detectable in mitochondria from the livers of mtGPAT(-/-) mice.

Stimulation of rat liver mitochondrial sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltrasferase by polymyxin B via enhanced extraction of lysophosphatidic acid

The purpose of this investigation was to determine how polymyxin B stimulates the activity of mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase. Polymyxin B did not change the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane as judged by testing the latency (>80%) of cytochrome oxidase activity. The stimulation totally disappeared when polymyxin B-treated mitochondria were washed. The FA side chain in polymyxin B was unnecessary for stimulation, as the nonapeptide was as effective as the whole antibiotic. The stimulation by polymyxin B or the nonapeptide was observed only in the presence of BSA. Cytochrome c, when added to the incubation medium instead of albumin, did not stimulate the mitochondrial enzyme, but did produce a stimulatory effect of polymyxin B on the mitochondrial acyltransferase. As reported earlier for the bacterial and microsomal acyltransferase, other polycationic compounds such as spermine and spermidine stimulated mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase. The stimulation of the mitochondrial acyltransferase by spermine and spermidine also occurred only in the presence of BSA. The analysis of the products of esterification demonstrated the presence of more lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the polymyxin B- and polyamine-stimulated assays in comparison to their respective control. Furthermore, in comparison to the albumin-treated control, there was 60% more LPA present in the assay supernatant fractions of polymyxin B-treated samples. Our results suggest that polymyxin B stimulates the mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity by enhancing the extraction of more LPA from the mitochondria to the supernatant fraction.

Identification of two transmembrane regions and a cytosolic domain of rat mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase

The topography of rat glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GAT) in the transverse plane of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) was investigated. Computer analysis of the amino acid (aa) sequence derived from rat mitochondrial GAT cDNA (GenBanktrade mark accession nos. and ) predicts the presence of two possible transmembrane domains (aa 473-493 and 574-594) separated by an 80-aa stretch (aa 494-573). To determine the actual orientation of the native protein, we prepared anti-peptide antibodies to three regions: one in between (aa 543-559) and the other two (aa 420-435 and 726-740) flanking the two putative transmembrane regions. Both immunoreaction and immunoprecipitation experiments employing intact and solubilized mitochondria indicate that regions on the N- and C-terminal sides of the transmembrane regions are sequestered on the inner surface of the MOM, while the region between the transmembrane domains is present on the cytosolic face of the MOM. Additionally, two green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins consisting of full-length GAT fused to GFP at either the C terminus or inserted 115 amino acids from the N terminus were also constructed to determine the orientation of the N and C termini. COS-1 cells expressing these fusion proteins were fractionated to obtain mitochondria. Protease digestion of intact and solubilized COS-1 cell mitochondria revealed that the GFP domains of these fusion proteins are sequestered on the inner side of the MOM. The present findings indicate that GAT is a dual-spanning, transmembrane protein adopting an inverted "U" conformation in the transverse plane of the MOM, where the N and C termini are sequestered on the inner surface of the MOM, while aa 494-573 are exposed on the cytosolic surface of the MOM.

Phosphatidic acid synthesis in mitochondria. Topography of formation and transmembrane migration

The topography of formation and migration of phosphatidic acid (PA) in the transverse plane of rat liver mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) were investigated. Isolated mitochondria and microsomes, incubated with sn-glycerol 3-phosphate and an immobilized substrate palmitoyl-CoA-agarose, synthesized both lyso-PA and PA. The mitochondrial and microsomal acylation of glycerophosphate with palmitoyl-CoA-agarose was 80-100% of the values obtained in the presence of free palmitoyl-CoA. In another series of experiments, both free polymyxin B and polymyxin B-agarose stimulated mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity approximately 2-fold. When PA loaded mitochondria were treated with liver fatty acid binding protein, a fifth of the phospholipid left the mitochondria. The amount of exportable PA reduced with the increase in the time of incubation. In another approach, PA-loaded mitochondria were treated with phospholipase A(2). The amount of phospholipase A(2)-sensitive PA reduced when the incubation time was increased. Taken together, the results suggest that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and PA are synthesized on the outer surface of the MOM and that PA moves to the inner membrane presumably for cardiolipin formation.

Gestational variation of glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity in maternal guinea pig lung and possible role of thyroid hormone in its de novo synthesis

We have observed earlier that the pattern of gestational variation of microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GAT) activity is similar in maternal and fetal guinea pig lung. Furthermore, there is a close resemblance between these patterns and that of the gestational variation of fetal plasma thyroid hormone. It is known that triiodothyronine (T3) injected to pregnant rats can cross the placenta to some extent and cause an increase in phosphatidylcholine synthesis in fetal lung. It is possible, therefore, that the gestational increase of GAT activity in maternal and fetal lung is associated with an increase in maternal plasma thyroid hormone. The objective of this study was to investigate whether intramuscular injection of T3 to adult guinea pig causes any change in the activity of GAT in lung and, if so, to determine the mechanistic basis. The results indicated that T3 significantly increased the GAT activity in the microsomes but not in the mitochondria. Actinomycin D or cycloheximide abolished the hormone-mediated stimulation of the enzyme in the microsomes, suggesting that T3 is involved in both transcriptional and translational pathways of GAT synthesis. We also confirmed our previous preliminary finding that there is a gestational variation of GAT activity in maternal guinea pig lung and furthermore the increase in GAT activity during pregnancy is predominantly in the microsomes.