Acss2 Deletion Reveals Functional Versatility via Tissue-Specific Roles in Transcriptional Regulation.

The coordination of cellular biological processes is regulated in part via metabolic enzymes acting to match cellular metabolism to current conditions. The acetate activating enzyme, acyl-coenzyme A synthetase short-chain family member 2 (Acss2), has long been considered to have a predominantly lipogenic function. More recent evidence suggests that this enzyme has regulatory functions in addition to its role in providing acetyl-CoA for lipid synthesis. We used Acss2 knockout mice (Acss2-/-) to further investigate the roles this enzyme plays in three physiologically distinct organ systems that make extensive use of lipid synthesis and storage, including the liver, brain, and adipose tissue. We examined the resulting transcriptomic changes resulting from Acss2 deletion and assessed these changes in relation to fatty acid constitution. We find that loss of Acss2 leads to dysregulation of numerous canonical signaling pathways, upstream transcriptional regulatory molecules, cellular processes, and biological functions, which were distinct in the liver, brain, and mesenteric adipose tissues. The detected organ-specific transcriptional regulatory patterns reflect the complementary functional roles of these organ systems within the context of systemic physiology. While alterations in transcriptional states were evident, the loss of Acss2 resulted in few changes in fatty acid constitution in all three organ systems. Overall, we demonstrate that Acss2 loss institutes organ-specific transcriptional regulatory patterns reflecting the complementary functional roles of these organ systems. Collectively, these findings provide further confirmation that Acss2 regulates key transcription factors and pathways under well-fed, non-stressed conditions and acts as a transcriptional regulatory enzyme.

Enhanced Ganoderic Acids Accumulation and Transcriptional Responses of Biosynthetic Genes in Ganoderma lucidum Fruiting Bodies by Elicitation Supplementation.

Ganoderic acids (GAs) are a type of highly oxygenated lanostane-type triterpenoids that are responsible for the pharmacological activities of Ganoderma lucidum. They have been investigated for their biological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-HIV-1, antioxidation, and cholesterol reduction functions. Inducer supplementation is viewed as a promising technology for the production of GAs. This study found that supplementation with sodium acetate (4 mM) significantly increased the GAs content of fruiting bodies by 28.63% compared to the control. In order to explore the mechanism of ganoderic acid accumulation, the transcriptional responses of key GAs biosynthetic genes, including the acetyl coenzyme A synthase gene, and the expression levels of genes involved in calcineurin signaling and acetyl-CoA content have been analyzed. The results showed that the expression of three key GAs biosynthetic genes (hmgs, fps, and sqs) were significantly up-regulated. Analysis indicated that the acetate ion increased the expression of genes related to acetic acid assimilation and increased GAs biosynthesis, thereby resulting in the accumulation of GAs. Further investigation of the expression levels of genes involved in calcineurin signaling revealed that Na+ supplementation and the consequent exchange of Na+/Ca2+ induced GAs biosynthesis. Overall, this study indicates a feasible new approach of utilizing sodium acetate elicitation for the enhanced production of valuable GAs content in G. lucidum, and also provided the primary mechanism of GAs accumulation.

Isolation of RNA from milk somatic cells as an alternative to biopsies of mammary tissue for nutrigenomic studies in dairy ewes.

Nutrigenomic studies of mammary lipogenesis in ruminants often rely on the use of mammary tissue (MT) collected either by biopsy or at slaughter. However, isolating RNA from milk would be a useful and cost-effective technique that may avoid distress to the animal and facilitate the collection of samples in time series experiments. This assay was therefore conducted to test the hypothesis that RNA extracted from milk somatic cells (MSC) in dairy sheep would be a feasible alternative to the performance of MT biopsies for nutrigenomic analyses. To meet this objective, 8 lactating Assaf ewes were divided in 2 groups and offered a total mixed ration without supplementation (control) or supplemented with 2.4% dry matter of fish oil, which was known not only to elicit milk fat depression but also to downregulate the expression of some candidate genes involved in mammary lipogenesis. Total RNA was extracted from MSC and biopsied MT to examine whether the potential changes in the abundance of transcripts was similarly detected with both RNA sources. Milk fatty acid profile was also analyzed by gas chromatography, and variations in mRNA abundance were determined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Values of RNA integrity number were always ≥7.7. The expected and designed decrease of milk fat concentration with fish oil (-29%), was associated with a lower transcript abundance of genes coding for enzymes involved in fatty acid activation (ACSS1), de novo synthesis (ACACA and FASN), uptake from plasma lipids (LPL), and esterification of fatty acids to glycerol (LPIN1), as well as of a transcription factor that may regulate their expression (INSIG1). Stable mRNA levels were showed in other candidate genes, such as FABP3, GPAT4, or SCD. Changes due to the dietary treatment were similarly detected with both RNA sources (MSC and MT biopsies), which supports the initial hypothesis and would validate the use of milk as an alternative RNA source for nutrigenomic analyses in dairy sheep.

Characterization and expression of AMP-forming Acetyl-CoA Synthetase from Dunaliella tertiolecta and its response to nitrogen starvation stress.

AMP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) catalyzes the formation of acetyl-CoA. Here, a cDNA of ACS from Dunaliella tertiolecta (DtACS) was isolated using RACEs. The full-length DtACS cDNA (GenBank: KT692941) is 2,464 bp with a putative ORF of 2,184 bp, which encodes 727 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 79.72 kDa. DtACS has a close relationship with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Volvox carteri f. nagariensis. ACSs existing in Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota share ten conserved motifs (A1-A10) and three signature motifs (I-III) of the acyl-adenylate/thioester forming enzyme superfamily. DtACS was expressed in E. coli BL21 as Trx-His-tagged fusion protein (~100 kDa) and the enzymatic activity was detected. The recombinant DtACS was purified by HisTrap(TM) HP affinity chromatography to obtain a specific activity of 52.873 U/mg with a yield of 56.26%, which approached the specific activity of ACS isolated from other eukaryotes. Kinetic analysis indicated that the Km of DtACS was 3.59 mM for potassium acetate, and the purified DtACS exhibited a temperature optimum of 37 °C and a pH optimum of 8.0. In addition, the expression levels of DtACS were increased after nitrogen starvation cultivation, indicating that ACS activity may be related to the lipid accumulation under nitrogen deficient condition.

Capsaicin, nonivamide and trans-pellitorine decrease free fatty acid uptake without TRPV1 activation and increase acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase activity in Caco-2 cells.

Red pepper and its major pungent component, capsaicin, have been associated with hypolipidemic effects in rats, although mechanistic studies on the effects of capsaicin and/or structurally related compounds on lipid metabolism are scarce. In this work, the effects of capsaicin and its structural analog nonivamide, the aliphatic alkamide trans-pellitorine and vanillin as the basic structural element of all vanilloids on the mechanisms of intestinal fatty acid uptake in differentiated intestinal Caco-2 cells were studied. Capsaicin and nonivamide were found to reduce fatty acid uptake, with IC50 values of 0.49 µM and 1.08 µM, respectively. trans-Pellitorine was shown to reduce fatty acid uptake by 14.0±2.14% at 100 µM, whereas vanillin was not effective, indicating a pivotal role of the alkyl chain with the acid amide group in fatty acid uptake by Caco-2 cells. This effect was associated neither with the activation of the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) or the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) nor with effects on paracellular transport or glucose uptake. However, acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase activity increased (p<0.05) in the presence of 10 µM capsaicin, nonivamide or trans-pellitorine, pointing to an increased fatty acid biosynthesis that might counteract the decreased fatty acid uptake.

Biochemical characterization of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis in Schizochytrium: release of the products as free fatty acids.

In marine bacteria and some thraustochytrids (marine stramenopiles) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are produced de novo by PUFA synthases. These large, multi-domain enzymes carry out the multitude of individual reactions required for conversion of malonyl-CoA to the final LC-PUFA products. Here we report on the release of fatty acids from the PUFA synthase found in Schizochytrium, a thraustochytrid that has been developed as a commercial source for DHA-enriched biomass and oil. Data from in vitro activity assays indicate that the PUFAs are released from the enzyme as free fatty acids (FFAs). Addition of ATP and Mg(2+) to in vitro assays facilitates appearance of radiolabel from (14)C-malonyl-CoA in a triacylglycerol fraction, suggesting the involvement of acyl-CoA synthetases (ACS). Furthermore, addition of triascin C, an inhibitor of ACSs, to the assays blocks this conversion. When the Schizochytrium PUFA synthase is expressed in Escherichia coli, the products of the enzyme accumulate as FFAs, suggesting that the thioesterase activity required for fatty acid release is an integral part of the PUFA synthase.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor using propionate as the sole carbon source.

An enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system was developed in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using propionate as the sole carbon source. The microbial community was followed using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques and Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' were quantified from the start up of the reactor until steady state. A series of SBR cycle studies was performed when 55% of the SBR biomass was Accumulibacter, a confirmed polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO) and when Candidatus 'Competibacter phosphatis', a confirmed glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO), was essentially undetectable. These experiments evaluated two different carbon sources (propionate and acetate), and in every case, two different P-release rates were detected. The highest rate took place while there was volatile fatty acid (VFA) in the mixed liquor, and after the VFA was depleted a second P-release rate was observed. This second rate was very similar to the one detected in experiments performed without added VFA.A kinetic and stoichiometric model developed as a modification of Activated Sludge Model 2 (ASM2) including glycogen economy, was fitted to the experimental profiles. The validation and calibration of this model was carried out with the cycle study experiments performed using both VFAs. The effect of pH from 6.5 to 8.0 on anaerobic P-release and VFA-uptake and aerobic P-uptake was also studied using propionate. The optimal overall working pH was around 7.5. This is the first study of the microbial community involved in EBPR developed with propionate as a sole carbon source along with detailed process performance investigations of the propionate-utilizing PAOs.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal from wastewater by biomass with different phosphorus contents, Part II: Anaerobic adenosine triphosphate utilization and acetate uptake rates.

Data from laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors operated in an anaerobic-aerobic cycle showed that a low influent phosphorus/chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratio feed favored a glycogen-accumulating metabolism (GAM)-dominated culture and that a high influent phosphorus/COD ratio feed favored a polyphosphate-accumulating metabolism (PAM)-dominated culture. The PAM-dominated culture anaerobically took up acetate approximately 7 times faster than the GAM-dominated culture. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) balances were performed assuming eight different metabolic scenarios that included the Entner-Doudoroff or the Embden-Myerhof glycolytic pathway, acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthase or the acetate kinase-phospho-transacetylase (AK-PTA) system for acetyl-CoA synthesis, and ATP synthesis or no ATP synthesis during fumarate reduction. The ATP available for transport of acetate into the cell (2) was calculated using these balances. The assumed quantity of ATP produced during fumarate reduction had a relatively small effect on alpha, particularly when PAM was dominant. When GAM was dominant, little or no ATP was available for acetate transport depending on the assumed scenario, and the Embden-Myerhof pathway was more feasible. The value of alpha increased with increasing PAM dominance for all eight metabolic pathways. The maximum calculated alpha value of 0.5 mol ATP/C-mol acetate uptake occurred at maximum PAM dominance and when the Embden-Myerhof pathway was active, when ATP was produced during fumarate reduction, and when the AK-PTA system was active. This value of alpha was higher than previously calculated values with the same metabolic assumptions. An acetate uptake mechanism was suggested that included acetyl-CoA synthetase and direct regeneration of the proton motive force by a proton-translocating pyrophosphatase. Polyphosphate-accumulating metabolism may have a competitive advantage over GAM through a higher anaerobic acetate uptake rate made possible by a greater use of energy for acetate uptake, by use of a different acetate uptake mechanism, or both.

The ethanolic fermentation pathway supports respiration and lipid biosynthesis in tobacco pollen.

Rapid pollen tube growth requires a high rate of sugar metabolism to meet energetic and biosynthetic demands. Previous work on pollen sugar metabolism showed that tobacco pollen carry out efficient ethanolic fermentation concomitantly with a high rate of respiration (Bucher et al., 1995). Here we show that the products of fermentation, acetaldehyde and ethanol, are further metabolised in a pathway that bypasses mitochondrial PDH. The enzymes involved in this pathway are pyruvate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and acetyl-CoA synthetase. Radiolabelling experiments show that during tobacco pollen tube growth label of 14C-ethanol is incorporated into CO2 as well as into lipids and other higher molecular weight compounds. A role for the glyoxylate cycle appears unlikely since activity of malate synthase, a key enzyme of the glyoxylate cycle, could not be detected.

On the assay of acetyl-CoA synthetase activity in chloroplasts and leaf extracts.

Acetyl-CoA synthetase activity in vitro is assayed quickly and conveniently by incubating whole chloroplasts, chloroplast extracts, or leaf extracts with labeled acetate, CoA, ATP, and Mg and transferring aliquots of the reaction mixture to pieces of either Whatman No. 1 or DE81 filter paper. Unreacted acetate is quantitatively washed from the papers while the acetyl-CoA, which binds quantitatively, is determined by scintillation counting. Enzyme activity is absolutely dependent upon the presence of CoA, ATP, and Mg in reaction mixtures. The reaction has a broad pH optimum around pH 8.5. Potassium is required for maximum activity, and lithium strongly inhibits the reaction. The product retained on the papers was characterized as acetyl-CoA by several methods. On a chlorophyll basis, acetyl-CoA synthetase activities were about 25% higher in leaf homogenates than in intact chloroplasts isolated from similar leaves. Enzyme activities in the optimized assay were three- to fourfold greater than previously reported.

Physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in anaerobic glucose-limited chemostat cultures.

The physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CBS 8066 was studied in anaerobic glucose-limited chemostat cultures in a mineral medium supplemented with ergosterol and Tween 80. The organism had a mu max of 0.31 h-1 and a Ks for glucose of 0.55 mM. At a dilution rate of 0.10 h-1, a maximal yield of 0.10 g biomass (g glucose)-1 was observed. The yield steadily declined with increasing dilution rates, so a maintenance coefficient for anaerobic growth could not be estimated At a dilution rate of 0.10 h-1, the yield of the S. cerevisiae strain H1022 was considerably higher than for CBS 8066, despite a similar cell composition. The major difference between the two yeast strains was that S. cerevisiae H1022 did not produce acetate, suggesting that the observed difference in cell yield may be ascribed to an uncoupling effect of acetic acid. The absence of acetate formation in H1022 correlated with a relatively high level of acetyl-CoA synthetase. The uncoupling effect of weak acids on anaerobic growth was confirmed in experiments in which a weak acid (acetate or propionate) was added to the medium feed. This resulted in a reduction in yield and an increase in specific ethanol production. Both yeasts required approximately 35 mg oleic acid (g biomass)-1 for optimal growth. Lower or higher concentrations of this fatty acid, supplied as Tween 80, resulted in uncoupling of dissimilatory and assimilatory processes.

[The protective effect of pantothenic acid derivatives and changes in the system of acetyl CoA metabolism in acute ethanol poisoning]. / Zashchitnyi éffekt proizvodnykh pantotenovoi kisloty i izmeneniia sistemy metabolizma atsetil-KoA pri ostroi intoksikatsii étanolom.

Calcium pantothenate (CaP), calcium 4'-phosphopantothenate (CaPP), pantethine, panthenol, sulfopantetheine and CoA decrease acute toxicity of acetaldehyde in mice. All studied compounds diminish duration of the narcotic action of ethanol--ET (3.5 g/kg intraperitoneally) in mice and rats. In the latter this effect is realized at the expense of "long sleeping" and "middle sleeping" animals. CaP (150 mg/kg subcutaneously) and CaPP (100 mg/kg subcutaneously) prevent hypothermia and a decrease of oxygen consumption in rats induced by ET administration. Combined administration of ET, CaP and CaPP leads to a characteristic increase of acid-soluble CoA fractions in the rat liver and a relative decrease of acetyl CoA synthetase and N-acetyltransferase reactions. The antitoxic effect of preparations of pantothenic acid is not mediated by CoA-dependent reactions of detoxication, but most probably is due to intensification of ET oxidation and perhaps to its elimination from the organism.

Effect of dietary fats on ovine adipose tissue metabolism.

The effects of different dietary fats on ovine adipose tissue metabolism have been investigated. Six-month old sheep were fed for 6 weeks a control diet or diets supplemented with either tallow or a mixture of sunflower seed oil and soybean oil, treated to protect the fats from hydrolysis and hydrogenation in the rumen, or with maize oil. The rates of fatty acid, glyceride glycerol, and CO2 formation were measured in perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissue slices by following the incorporation of either 14C from labeled acetate or glucose, or 3H from tritiated water into the appropriate product. Feeding protected tallow or maize oil but not protected sunflower seed oil plus soybean oil resulted in reduced rates of fatty acid biosynthesis in both perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissue slices and CO2 formation in perirenal adipose tissue. Feeding the fat-supplemented diets had no effect on the rate of glyceride glycerol formation. The fat-supplemented diets also resulted in reduced activities of various enzymes, thought to be involved in lipogenesis, measured in 105,000 x g supernatant fractions from adipose tissue homogenates. The results suggested that ovine adipose tissue lipogenesis is sensitive to both the amount and the nature of dietary fat.