Deletion of murine Arv1 results in a lean phenotype with increased energy expenditure.

BACKGROUND: ACAT-related enzyme 2 required for viability 1 (ARV1) is a putative lipid transporter of the endoplasmic reticulum that is conserved across eukaryotic species. The ARV1 protein contains a conserved N-terminal cytosolic zinc ribbon motif known as the ARV1 homology domain, followed by multiple transmembrane regions anchoring it in the ER. Deletion of ARV1 in yeast results in defective sterol trafficking, aberrant lipid synthesis, ER stress, membrane disorganization and hypersensitivity to fatty acids (FAs). We sought to investigate the role of Arv1 in mammalian lipid metabolism. METHODS: Homologous recombination was used to disrupt the Arv1 gene in mice. Animals were examined for alterations in lipid and lipoprotein levels, body weight, body composition, glucose tolerance and energy expenditure. RESULTS: Global loss of Arv1 significantly decreased total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the plasma. Arv1 knockout mice exhibited a dramatic lean phenotype, with major reductions in white adipose tissue (WAT) mass and body weight on a chow diet. This loss of WAT is accompanied by improved glucose tolerance, higher adiponectin levels, increased energy expenditure and greater rates of whole-body FA oxidation. CONCLUSIONS: This work identifies Arv1 as an important player in mammalian lipid metabolism and whole-body energy homeostasis.

Homoeostatic systems for sterols and other lipids.

Fatty acids and sterols are vital components of all eukaryotic cells. Both are used as building blocks for numerous cellular processes such as membrane biosynthesis or hormone production (sterols). Furthermore, these compounds elicit a variety of effects intracellularly as they can act as signalling molecules and regulate gene expression. The metabolism of fatty acids and sterols represents a very intricate network of pathways that are regulated in a precise manner in order to maintain lipid homoeostasis within a cell. Using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, we touch upon some of the aspects of achieving and maintaining this lipid homoeostasis.

HIV protease inhibitors protect apolipoprotein B from degradation by the proteasome: a potential mechanism for protease inhibitor-induced hyperlipidemia.

Highly active anti-retroviral therapies, which incorporate HIV protease inhibitors, resolve many AIDS-defining illnesses. However, patients receiving protease inhibitors develop a marked lipodystrophy and hyperlipidemia. Using cultured human and rat hepatoma cells and primary hepatocytes from transgenic mice, we demonstrate that protease inhibitor treatment inhibits proteasomal degradation of nascent apolipoprotein B, the principal protein component of triglyceride and cholesterol-rich plasma lipoproteins. Unexpectedly, protease inhibitors also inhibited the secretion of apolipoprotein B. This was associated with inhibition of cholesteryl-ester synthesis and microsomal triglyceride transfer-protein activity. However, in the presence of oleic acid, which stimulates neutral-lipid biosynthesis, protease-inhibitor treatment increased secretion of apolipoprotein B-lipoproteins above controls. These findings suggest a molecular basis for protease-inhibitor-associated hyperlipidemia, a serious adverse effect of an otherwise efficacious treatment for HIV infection.

Identification of potential substrate-binding sites in yeast and human acyl-CoA sterol acyltransferases by mutagenesis of conserved sequences.

In mammals, the esterification of sterols by ACAT plays a critical role in eukaryotic lipid homeostasis. Using the predominant isoform of the yeast ACAT-related enzyme family, Are2p, as a model, we targeted phylogenetically conserved sequences for mutagenesis in order to identify functionally important motifs. Deletion, truncation, and missense mutations implicate a regulatory role for the amino-terminal domain of Are2p and identified two carboxyl-terminal motifs as required for catalytic activity. A serine-to-leucine mutation in the (H/Y)SF motif (residues 338-340), unique to sterol esterification enzymes, nullified the activity and stability of yeast Are2p. Similarly, a tyrosine-to-alanine change in the FYxDWWN motif of Are2p (residues 523-529) produced an enzyme with decreased activity and apparent affinity for oleoyl-CoA. Mutagenesis of the tryptophan residues in this motif completely abolished activity. In human ACAT1, mutagenesis of the corresponding motifs (residues 268-270, and 403-409, respectively) also nullified enzymatic activity. On the basis of their critical roles in enzymatic activity and their sequence conservation, we propose that these motifs mediate sterol and acyl-CoA binding by this class of enzymes.

Transcriptional regulation of the two sterol esterification genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcribes two genes, ARE1 and ARE2, that contribute disproportionately to the esterification of sterols. Are2p is the major enzyme isoform in a wild-type cell growing aerobically. This likely results from a combination of differential transcription initiation and transcript stability. By using ARE1 and ARE2 promoter fusions to lacZ reporters, we demonstrated that transcriptional initiation from the ARE1 promoter is significantly reduced compared to that from the ARE2 promoter. Furthermore, the half-life of the ARE2 mRNA is approximately 12 times as long as that of the ARE1 transcript. We present evidence that the primary role of the minor sterol esterification isoform encoded by ARE1 is to esterify sterol intermediates, whereas the role of the ARE2 enzyme is to esterify ergosterol, the end product of the pathway. Accordingly, the ARE1 promoter is upregulated in strains that accumulate ergosterol precursors. Furthermore, ARE1 and ARE2 are oppositely regulated by heme. Under heme-deficient growth conditions, ARE1 was upregulated fivefold while ARE2 was down-regulated. ARE2 requires the HAP1 transcription factor for optimal expression, and both ARE genes are derepressed in a rox1 (repressor of oxygen) mutant genetic background. We further report that the ARE genes are not subject to end product inhibition; neither ARE1 nor ARE2 transcription is altered in an are mutant background, nor does overexpression of either ARE gene alter the response of the ARE-lacZ reporter constructs. Our observations are consistent with an important physiological role for Are1p during anaerobic growth when heme is limiting and sterol precursors may accumulate. Conversely, Are2p is optimally required during aerobiosis when ergosterol is plentiful.

Differential modulation of ACAT1 and ACAT2 transcription and activity by long chain free fatty acids in cultured cells.

Fatty acyl CoA and cholesterol are the substrates for cholesteryl ester synthesis by acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). Two ACAT genes have been identified; ACAT1 is expressed ubiquitously while ACAT2 is primarily expressed in intestine and liver. We tested effects of different free fatty acids (FFAs) on ACAT1 and ACAT2 expression and activity in HepG2 human hepatocytes and THP1 human macrophages. Incubation of oleic acid, arachidonic acid, or eicosapentaenoic acid, but not 25-hydroxycholesterol, induced ACAT1 mRNA levels 1.5--2-fold in HepG2, with no affect on ACAT2 mRNA. FFA had no affect on ACAT1 mRNA in THP1 cells. To determine if FFAs affect ACAT1 or ACAT2 posttranscriptionally, cells were labeled with [(3)H]cholesterol in the presence of the different FFAs for 1--5 h. Both HepG2 and THP1 cells showed the greatest cholesteryl ester production with oleic acid. This was also confirmed by the observation that more [(3)H]oleic acid incorporated into CE compared to [(3)H]eicosapentaenoic acid, even though there was no difference in the total uptake of these FFAs. In ACAT-deficient SRD4, CHO cells stably transfected with human ACAT1 or ACAT2, ACAT1 expressing cells showed a strong preference for oleic acid while ACAT2 expressing cells utilized unsaturated FFAs. Acyl CoA substrate specificity was further tested in microsomes isolated from these cells as well as HepG2 and THP1. THP1 and ACAT1 cells utilized oleoyl CoA preferentially. In contrast, HepG2 and ACAT2 microsomes utilized linolenoyl CoA as well. We conclude that FFAs increase ACAT1 mRNA levels in a cell specific manner, and furthermore that the ACAT reactions exhibit differential FFA utilization.

Hyperlipidemia and inhibitors of HIV protease.

HIV protease inhibitors have been successfully incorporated into therapy for patients with HIV. These otherwise efficacious treatments present with multiple metabolic side-effects and body habitus changes known as the lipodystrophy syndrome. Direct associations of the lipid abnormalities with protease inhibitor use have been described, and ongoing studies are focused on describing mechanisms for future intervention. Mechanisms based on the molecular identity of the protease inhibitor target with human proteins, interference with aspects critical to lipoprotein production, and interference with adipocyte differentiation have been described. This review highlights the complexities of this syndrome, and discusses putative mechanisms whereby protease inhibitors cause hyperlipidemia.

Conservation of eukaryotic sterol homeostasis: new insights from studies in budding yeast.

The model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) has provided significant insight into sterol homeostasis. The study of sterol metabolism in a genetically amenable model organism such as yeast is likely to have an even greater impact and relevance to human disease with the advent of the complete human genome sequence. In addition to definition of the sterol biosynthetic pathway, almost to completion, the remarkable conservation of other components of sterol homeostasis are described in this review.

Mutations in yeast ARV1 alter intracellular sterol distribution and are complemented by human ARV1.

Intracellular cholesterol redistribution between membranes and its subsequent esterification are critical aspects of lipid homeostasis that prevent free sterol toxicity. To identify genes that mediate sterol trafficking, we screened for yeast mutants that were inviable in the absence of sterol esterification. Mutations in the novel gene, ARV1, render cells dependent on sterol esterification for growth, nystatin-sensitive, temperature-sensitive, and anaerobically inviable. Cells lacking Arv1p display altered intracellular sterol distribution and are defective in sterol uptake, consistent with a role for Arv1p in trafficking sterol into the plasma membrane. Human ARV1, a predicted sequence ortholog of yeast ARV1, complements the defects associated with deletion of the yeast gene. The genes are predicted to encode transmembrane proteins with potential zinc-binding motifs. We propose that ARV1 is a novel mediator of eukaryotic sterol homeostasis.

A lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase-like gene mediates diacylglycerol esterification in yeast.

The terminal step in triglyceride biosynthesis is the esterification of diacylglycerol. To study this reaction in the model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we investigated five candidate genes with sequence conservation to mammalian acyltransferases. Four of these genes are similar to the recently identified acyl-CoA diacylglycerol acyltransferase and, when deleted, resulted in little or no decrease in triglyceride synthesis as measured by incorporation of radiolabeled oleate or glycerol. By contrast, deletion of LRO1, a homolog of human lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase, resulted in a dramatic reduction in triglyceride synthesis, whereas overexpression of LRO1 yielded a significant increase in triglyceride production. In vitro microsomal assays determined that Lro1 mediated the esterification of diacylglycerol using phosphatidylcholine as the acyl donor. The residual triglyceride biosynthesis that persists in the LRO1 deletion strain is mainly acyl-CoA-dependent and mediated by a gene that is structurally distinct from the previously identified mammalian diacylglycerol acyltransferase. These mechanisms may also exist in mammalian cells.

Endogenously expressed apolipoprotein E has different effects on cell lipid metabolism as compared to exogenous apolipoprotein E carried on triglyceride-rich particles.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) on model triglyceride-rich particles (TGRP) increases triglyceride (TG) utilization and cholesteryl ester (CE) hydrolysis, independent of its effect on enhancing particle uptake. We questioned whether, under physiological concentrations, endogenously expressed apoE has similar effects on cellular lipid metabolism as compared to exogenous apoE. J774 macrophages, which do not express apoE, were engineered to express endogenous apoE by transfection of human apoE3 cDNA expression constructs (E(+)) or control vectors (E(-)) into the cells. To compare the effects of exogenous apoE and endogenous apoE on TGRP uptake, cells were incubated with or without apoE associated with (3)H-cholesteryl ether-labeled TGRP. Exogenous apoE enhanced TGRP uptake in both E(-) and E(+) cells. E(-) cells displayed significantly higher TGRP uptake than E(+) cells. Sodium chlorate, which inhibits cell proteoglycan synthesis, markedly diminished differences in TGRP uptake between E(-) and E(+) cells, suggesting that endogenous apoE-proteoglycan interaction contributes to differences in uptake between the two cell types. Particle uptake by the LDL receptor, by the LDL receptor related protein, or by scavenger receptors were similar between E(-) and E(+) cells indicating that endogenous apoE expression does not have a general effect on endocytic pathways. Exogenous apoE carried on TGRP stimulated TG utilization and CE hydrolysis in both cell types. However, TG utilization and CE hydrolysis were not affected by endogenous apoE expression. In conclusion, macrophage expression of apoE has very different effects on TGRP metabolism than exogenously supplied apoE. The fluorescence microscopy results in this study showing that exogenous apoE and endogenous apoE were confined in separate cellular compartments support the hypothesis that these differences resulted from distinct intracellular trafficking pathways followed by exogenous apoE bound to TGRP as compared to endogenous cell-expressed apoE.

Expression in yeast and tobacco of plant cDNAs encoding acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase.

During the course of a search for cDNAs encoding plant sterol acyltransferases, an expressed sequence tag clone presenting substantial identity with yeast and animal acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferases was used to screen cDNA libraries from Arabidopsis and tobacco. This resulted in the isolation of two full-length cDNAs encoding proteins of 520 and 532 amino acids, respectively. Attempts to complement the yeast double-mutant are1 are2 defective in acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase were unsuccessful, showing that neither gene encodes acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase. Their deduced amino acid sequences were then shown to have 40 and 38% identity, respectively, with a murine acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase and their expression in are1 are2 or wild-type yeast resulted in a strong increase in the incorporation of oleyl CoA into triacylglycerols. Incorporation was 2-3 times higher in microsomes from yeast transformed with these plant cDNAs than in yeast transformed with the void vector, clearly showing that these cDNAs encode acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferases. Moreover, during the preparation of microsomes from the Arabidopsis DGAT-transformed yeast, a floating layer was observed on top of the 100 000 g supernatant. This fraction was enriched in triacylglycerols and exhibited strong acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity, whereas almost no activity was detected in the corresponding clear fraction from the control yeast. Thanks to the use of this active fraction and dihexanoylglycerol as a substrate, the de novo synthesis of 1,2-dihexanoyl 3-oleyl glycerol by AtDGAT could be demonstrated. Transformation of tobacco with AtDGAT was also performed. Analysis of 19 primary transformants allowed detection, in several individuals, of a marked increase (up to seven times) of triacylglycerol content which correlated with the AtDGAT mRNA expression. Furthermore, light-microscopy observations of leaf epidermis cells, stained with a lipid-specific dye, showed the presence of lipid droplets in the cells of triacylglycerol-overproducer plants, thus illustrating the potential application of acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-transformed plants.

A molecular target for viral killer toxin: TOK1 potassium channels.

Killer strains of S. cerevisiae harbor double-stranded RNA viruses and secrete protein toxins that kill virus-free cells. The K1 killer toxin acts on sensitive yeast cells to perturb potassium homeostasis and cause cell death. Here, the toxin is shown to activate the plasma membrane potassium channel of S. cerevisiae, TOK1. Genetic deletion of TOK1 confers toxin resistance; overexpression increases susceptibility. Cells expressing TOK1 exhibit toxin-induced potassium flux; those without the gene do not. K1 toxin acts in the absence of other viral or yeast products: toxin synthesized from a cDNA increases open probability of single TOK1 channels (via reversible destabilization of closed states) whether channels are studied in yeast cells or X. laevis oocytes.

Translocation efficiency, susceptibility to proteasomal degradation, and lipid responsiveness of apolipoprotein B are determined by the presence of beta sheet domains.

Apolipoprotein (apo) B100 is an atypical secretory protein in that its translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane is inefficient, resulting in the partial translocation and exposure of apoB100 on the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum. Cytosolic exposure leads to the association of nascent apoB with heat shock protein 70 and to its predisposition to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The basis for the inefficient translocation of apoB100 remains unclear and controversial. To test the hypothesis that beta sheet domains present in apoB100 contribute to its inefficient translocation, we created human apoB chimeric constructs apoB13,16 and apoB13,13,16, which contain amino-terminal alpha globular domains but no beta sheet domains, and apoB13,16,beta, which has an amphipathic beta sheet domain of apoB100 inserted into apoB13,16. These constructs, along with carboxyl-terminal truncations of apoB100, apoB34 and apoB42, were used to transfect HepG2 and Chinese hamster ovary cells. In contrast to the lack of effect of proteinase K on apoB13,16 and apoB13,13,16, the levels of apoB34, apoB42, and apoB13,16,beta were decreased by 70-85% after proteinase K-induced proteolysis in both HepG2 and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Either oleic acid or proteasomal inhibitors (N-acetyl-leucinyl-leucinyl-norleucinal and lactacystin) significantly increased the cell levels of apoB13,16,beta, apoB34, apoB42, and full-length apoB100 but had no effect on the cell levels of apoB13,16 and apoB13,13,16. When HepG2 cells were incubated with a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, the cellular levels of apoB13,16,beta, apoB34, and apoB42 were decreased by 70-80%, whereas the levels of apoB13,16 and apoB13,13,16 were unaffected. The effects of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition were reversed by lactacystin. Our results clearly demonstrate that the translocation efficiency, susceptibility to proteasomal degradation, and lipid responsiveness of apoB were determined by the presence of a lipid binding beta sheet domain. It is possible that beta sheet domains may at least transiently facilitate the interaction of apoB with the lipid bilayer surrounding the translocation channel.

Characterization of two human genes encoding acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase-related enzymes.

The enzyme acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) mediates sterol esterification, a crucial component of intracellular lipid homeostasis. Two enzymes catalyze this activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), and several lines of evidence suggest multigene families may also exist in mammals. Using the human ACAT1 sequence to screen data bases of expressed sequence tags, we identified two novel and distinct partial human cDNAs. Full-length cDNA clones for these ACAT related gene products (ARGP) 1 and 2 were isolated from a hepatocyte (HepG2) cDNA library. ARGP1 was expressed in numerous human adult tissues and tissue culture cell lines, whereas expression of ARGP2 was more restricted. In vitro microsomal assays in a yeast strain deleted for both esterification genes and completely deficient in sterol esterification indicated that ARGP2 esterified cholesterol while ARGP1 did not. In contrast to ACAT1 and similar to liver esterification, the activity of ARGP2 was relatively resistant to a histidine active site modifier. ARGP2 is therefore a tissue-specific sterol esterification enzyme which we thus designated ACAT2. We speculate that ARGP1 participates in the coenzyme A-dependent acylation of substrate(s) other than cholesterol. Consistent with this hypothesis, ARGP1, unlike any other member of this multigene family, possesses a predicted diacylglycerol binding motif suggesting that it may perform the last acylation in triglyceride biosynthesis.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease expression of promoters with sterol regulatory elements by decreasing levels of mature sterol regulatory element-binding protein.

Membrane physiology, plasma lipid levels, and intracellular sterol homeostasis are regulated by both fatty acids and cholesterol. Sterols regulate gene expression of key enzymes of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism through proteolysis of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), which binds to sterol regulatory elements (SRE) contained in promoters of these genes. We investigated the effect of fatty acids on SRE-dependent gene expression and SREBP. Consistent results were obtained in three different cell lines (HepG2, Chinese hamster ovary, and CV-1) transfected with SRE-containing promoters linked to the luciferase expression vector. We show that micromolar concentrations of oleate and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (C18:2-C22:6) dose-dependently (0.075-0.6 mmol) decreased transcription of SRE-regulated genes by 20-75%. Few or no effects were seen with saturated free fatty acids. Fatty acid effects on SRE-dependent gene expression were independent and additive to those of exogenous sterols. Oleate decreased levels of the mature sterol regulatory element-binding proteins SREBP-1 and -2 and HMG-CoA synthase mRNA. Oleate had no effect in sterol regulation defective Chinese hamster ovary cells or in cells transfected with mutant SRE-containing promoters. We hypothesize that unsaturated fatty acids increase intracellular regulatory pools of cholesterol and thus affect mature SREBP levels and expression of SRE-dependent genes.

A molecular approach to understanding human sterol metabolism using yeast genetics.

The availability of the sequenced genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) has culminated in the use of this model eukaryote to study human diseases at a basic level. This article describes the advantages of studying lipid metabolism in this genetically facile organism, including examples of conserved functions and genetic approaches to identifying new components of cholesterol homeostasis.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycan-mediated uptake of apolipoprotein E-triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles: a major pathway at physiological particle concentrations.

We explored potential mechanisms of non-low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-mediated uptake of triglyceride-rich particles (TGRP) in the presence of apolipoprotein E (apo E). Human fibroblasts were incubated with model intermediate-density lipoprotein- (IDL-) sized TGRP (10-1000 microg of neutral lipid/mL) containing apo E. The extent of receptor-mediated uptake of TGRP was assessed with (a) an anti-apo E monoclonal antibody, which blocks receptor interaction; (b) incubation with heparin; (c) normal vs LDL receptor-negative fibroblasts; and (d) receptor-associated protein (RAP) to determine the potential contribution of LDL receptor-related protein (LRP). Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan- (HSPG-) mediated uptake was examined with or without the addition of heparinase and heparitinase to cell incubation mixtures. At low particle concentrations (250 microg of neutral lipid/mL), most (>/=60%) particle uptake and internalization was via HSPG-mediated pathways. This HSPG pathway did not involve classical lipoprotein receptors, such as LRP or the LDL receptor. These data suggest that in peripheral tissues, such as the arterial wall, apo E may act in TGRP as a ligand for uptake not only via the LDL receptor and LRP pathways but also via HSPG pathways that are receptor-independent. Thus, at physiologic particle concentrations apo E-TGRP can be bound and internalized in certain cells by relatively low affinity but high capacity HSPG-mediated pathways.

Expression and purification of soluble, active heterodimeric guanylyl cyclase from baculovirus.

A method for expression and purification of active cytosolic heterodimeric histidine (His)-tagged guanylyl cyclase of the alpha 1/beta 1 isoform has been developed using recombinant baculovirus-transfected insect cells. Confirmation of expression of active cyclase was obtained by both Western analysis and enzymatic activity. A His tag on the COOH-terminus of the alpha 1 and beta 1 subunits allowed rapid purification of the heterodimeric form of guanylyl cyclase in a single affinity step using a nickel column. A second gel-filtration step was applied to reconstitute into the complex heme, a required cofactor. This was confirmed spectroscopically by absorbance in the Soret region. Like enzyme purified from tissue, the activity of recombinant guanylyl cyclase was increased by protoporphyrin IX and inhibited by both Zn- and Sn-protoporphyrin. The method described here should provide a general approach for the expression and purification of alternate forms of cytosolic guanylyl cyclase and facilitate mechanistic and structural studies of this important family of enzymes. Furthermore, the procedure demonstrates the utility of the His-tag system to purify multimeric proteins.

Niemann-Pick C1 disease gene: homology to mediators of cholesterol homeostasis.

Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease, a fatal neurovisceral disorder, is characterized by lysosomal accumulation of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol. By positional cloning methods, a gene (NPC1) with insertion, deletion, and missense mutations has been identified in NP-C patients. Transfection of NP-C fibroblasts with wild-type NPC1 cDNA resulted in correction of their excessive lysosomal storage of LDL cholesterol, thereby defining the critical role of NPC1 in regulation of intracellular cholesterol trafficking. The 1278-amino acid NPC1 protein has sequence similarity to the morphogen receptor PATCHED and the putative sterol-sensing regions of SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase.