3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) deficiency replaces short-chain hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD) deficiency as well as medium- and short-chain hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (M/SCHAD) deficiency as the consensus name of this fatty acid oxidation disorder

How lipid transfer proteins and the mitochondrial membrane shape the kinetics of β-oxidation the liver

The mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation (mFAO) is important for producing ATP under conditions of energetic stress, such as fasting and cold exposure. The regulation of this pathway is dependent on the kinetic properties of the enzymes involved. To better understand pathway behaviour, accurate enzyme kinetics is required. Setting up and interpreting such proper assays requires a good understanding of what influences the enzymes' kinetics. Often, knowing the buffer composition, pH, and temperature is considered to be sufficient. Many mFAO enzymes are membrane-bound, however, and their kinetic properties depend on the composition and curvature of the mitochondrial membranes. These properties are, in turn, affected by metabolite concentrations, but are rarely accounted for in kinetic assays. Especially for carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), this has been shown to be of great consequence. Moreover, the enzymes of the mFAO metabolise water-insoluble acyl-CoA derivatives, which become toxic at high concentrations. In vivo, these are carried across the cytosol by intracellular lipid transfer proteins (iLTPs), such as the fatty-acid and acyl-CoA-binding proteins (FABP and ACBP, respectively). In vitro, this is often mimicked by using bovine serum albumin (BSA), which differs from the iLPTs in terms of its binding behaviour and subcellular localisation patterns. In this review, we argue that the iLTPs and membrane properties cannot be ignored when measuring or interpreting the kinetics of mFAO enzymes. They should be considered fundamental to the activity of mFAO enzymes just as pH, buffer composition, and temperature are.

Involvement of Type 10 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase in the Pathogenesis of Infantile Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's Disease

Type 10 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD10) is the HSD17B10 gene product playing an appreciable role in cognitive functions. It is the main hub of exercise-upregulated mitochondrial proteins and is involved in a variety of metabolic pathways including neurosteroid metabolism to regulate allopregnanolone homeostasis. Deacetylation of 17β-HSD10 by sirtuins helps regulate its catalytic activities. 17β-HSD10 may also play a critical role in the control of mitochondrial structure, morphology and dynamics by acting as a member of the Parkin/PINK1 pathway, and by binding to cyclophilin D to open mitochondrial permeability pore. 17β-HSD10 also serves as a component of RNase P necessary for mitochondrial tRNA maturation. This dehydrogenase can bind with the Aβ peptide thereby enhancing neurotoxicity to brain cells. Even in the absence of Aβ, its quantitative and qualitative variations can result in neurodegeneration. Since elevated levels of 17β-HSD10 were found in brain cells of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and mouse AD models, it is considered to be a key factor in AD pathogenesis. Since data underlying Aβ-binding-alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) were not secured from reported experiments, ABAD appears to be a fabricated alternative term for the HSD17B10 gene product. Results of this study would encourage researchers to solve the question why elevated levels of 17β-HSD10 are present in brains of AD patients and mouse AD models. Searching specific inhibitors of 17β-HSD10 may find candidates to reduce senile neurodegeneration and open new approaches for the treatment of AD.

Recent developments in the analytical approaches of acyl-CoAs to assess their role in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders

Fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAOD) are inborn errors of metabolism that occur due to deficiency of specific enzyme activities and transporter proteins involved in the mitochondrial metabolism of fatty acids, causing a deficiency in ATP production. The identification of suitable biomarkers plays a crucial role in predicting the future risk of disease and monitoring responses to therapies. Acyl-CoAs are directly involved in the steps of fatty acid oxidation and are the primary biomarkers associated with FAOD. However, acyl-CoAs are not used as diagnostic biomarkers in hospitals and clinics as they are present intracellularly with low endogenous levels. Additionally, the analytical method development of acyl-CoAs is quite challenging due to diverse physicochemical properties and instability. Hence, secondary biomarkers such as acylcarnitines are used for the identification of FAOD. In this review, the focus is on the analytical techniques that have evolved over the years for the identification and quantitation of acyl-CoAs. Among these techniques, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry clearly has an advantage in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Stable isotope labeling by essential nutrients in cell culture (SILEC) enables the generation of labeled internal standards. Each acyl-CoA species has a distinct pattern of instability and degradation, and the use of appropriately matched internal standards can compensate for such issues. Although significant progress has been made in measuring acyl-CoAs, more efforts are needed for bringing these technical advancements to hospitals and clinics. This review also highlights the difficulties involved in the routine use of acyl-CoAs as a diagnostic biomarker and some of the measures that can be adopted by clinics and hospitals for overcoming these limitations.

Roles of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 in neurodegenerative disorders

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 (17β-HSD10) is encoded by the HSD17B10 gene mapping at Xp11.2. This homotetrameric mitochondrial multifunctional enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of neuroactive steroids and the degradation of isoleucine. This enzyme is capable of binding to other peptides, such as estrogen receptor α, amyloid-β, and tRNA methyltransferase 10C. Missense mutations of the HSD17B10 gene result in 17β-HSD10 deficiency, an infantile neurodegeneration characterized by progressive psychomotor regression and alteration of mitochondria morphology. 17β-HSD10 exhibits only a negligible alcohol dehydrogenase activity, and is not localized in the endoplasmic reticulum or plasma membrane. Its alternate name - Aβ binding alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) - is a misnomer predicated on the mistaken belief that this enzyme is an alcohol dehydrogenase. Misconceptions about the localization and function of 17β-HSD10 abound. 17β-HSD10's proven location and function must be accurately identified to properly assess this enzyme's important role in brain metabolism, especially the metabolism of allopregnanolone. The brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and of animals in an AD mouse model exhibit abnormally elevated levels of 17β-HSD10. Abnormal expression, as well as mutations of the HSD17B10 gene leads to impairment of the structure, function, and dynamics of mitochondria. This may underlie the pathogenesis of the synaptic and neuronal deficiency exhibited in 17β-HSD10 related diseases, including 17β-HSD10 deficiency and AD. Restoration of steroid homeostasis could be achieved by the supplementation of neuroactive steroids with a proper dosing and treatment regimen or by the adjustment of 17β-HSD10 activity to protect neurons. The discovery of this enzyme's true function has opened a new therapeutic avenue for treating AD.

Measurement of tissue acyl-CoAs using flow-injection tandem mass spectrometry: acyl-CoA profiles in short-chain fatty acid oxidation defects

The primary accumulating metabolites in fatty acid oxidation defects are intramitochondrial acyl-CoAs. Typically, secondary metabolites such as acylcarnitines, acylglycines and dicarboxylic acids are measured to study these disorders. Methods have not been adapted for tissue acyl-CoA measurement in defects with primarily acyl-CoA accumulation. Our objective was to develop a method to measure fatty acyl-CoA species that are present in tissues of mice with fatty acid oxidation defects using flow-injection tandem mass spectrometry. Following the addition of internal standards of [(13)C(2)] acetyl-CoA, [(13)C(8)] octanoyl-CoA, and [C(17)] heptadecanoic CoA, acyl-CoA's are extracted from tissue samples and are injected directly into the mass spectrometer. Data is acquired using a 506.9 neutral loss scan and multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM). This method can identify all long, medium and short-chain acyl-CoA species in wild type mouse liver including predicted 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA species. We validated the method using liver of the short-chain-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) knock-out mice. As expected, there is a significant increase in [C(4)] butyryl-CoA species in the SCAD -/- mouse liver compared to wild type. We then tested the assay in liver from the short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD) deficient mice to determine the profile of acyl-CoA accumulation in this less predictable model. There was more modest accumulation of medium chain species including 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA's consistent with the known chain-length specificity of the SCHAD enzyme.

Comments on 'Significance of developmental expression of amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri and zebrafish Danio rerio Hsd17b10 in biological and medical research'

The reported data on the developmental expression of Hsd17b10 gene in Danio rerio is crucial to the utilization of the D. rerio embryo as an animal model for human developmental disorders caused either by mutations on HSD17B10 (formerly HADH2) or by defective expression of the gene. Related diseases were summarized, and it was noticed that hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia is not linked to HSD17B10. This inherited disease is actually caused by a deletion in the HADH gene on chromosome 4. Moreover, it was found by a revision of the reported phylogenetic tree that hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase II or rather hydroxysteroid (17beta) dehydrogenase 10 (HSD10) of amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri-occupies a transition position from HSD10 orthologs of invertebrates to those of vertebrates.

HSD17B10: a gene involved in cognitive function through metabolism of isoleucine and neuroactive steroids

The HSD17B10 gene maps on chromosome Xp11.2, a region highly associated with X-linked mental retardation. This gene encodes HSD10, a mitochondrial multifunctional enzyme that plays a significant part in the metabolism of neuroactive steroids and the degradation of isoleucine. The HSD17B10 gene is composed of six exons and five introns. Its exon 5 is an alternative exon such that there are several HSD17B10 mRNA isoforms in brain. A silent mutation (c.605C-->A) and three missense mutations (c.395C-->G; c.419C-->T; c.771A-->G), respectively, cause the X-linked mental retardation, choreoathetosis, and abnormal behavior (MRXS10) and the hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase II deficiency. The latter condition seems to be a multifactorial disease due to the disturbance of more than one metabolic pathway by the HSD10 deficiency. HSD10 inactivates the positive modulators of GABAA receptors, and plays a role in the maintenance of GABAergic neuronal function. This working model may account for the mental retardation of these patients. The dehydrogenase activity is slightly inhibited by the binding of amyloid-beta peptide to the loop D of HSD10. Elevated levels of HSD10 were observed in hippocampi of Alzheimer disease patients so this multifunctional enzyme may be related to Alzheimer disease pathogenesis; however, the molecular mechanism of its involvement remains to be ascertained.