Oxidation of Long Chain Fatty Acids by Rat Liver Mitochondria

Analysis of the uterine lumen in fertility-classified heifers: II. Proteins and metabolites†

Survival and growth of the bovine conceptus is dependent on endometrial secretions or histotroph. Previously, serial blastocyst transfer was used to classify heifers as high fertile (HF), subfertile (SF), or infertile (IF). Here, we investigated specific histotroph components (proteins and metabolites) in the uterine lumen of day 17 fertility-classified heifers. Interferon tau (IFNT) was more abundant in uterine lumenal fluid (ULF) of pregnant HF than SF animals as the conceptus was longer in HF heifers. However, no differences in endometrial expression of selected classical and nonclassical interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were observed, suggesting that IFNT signaling in the endometrium of pregnant HF and SF heifers was similar. Pregnancy significantly increased the abundance of several proteins in ULF. Based on functional annotation, the abundance of a number of proteins involved in energy metabolism, oxidative stress, amino acid metabolism, and cell proliferation and differentiation were greater in the ULF of pregnant HF than SF heifers. Metabolomics analysis found that pregnancy only changed the metabolome composition of ULF from HF heifers. The majority of the metabolites that increased in the ULF of pregnant HF as compared to SF heifers were associated with energy and amino acid metabolism. The observed differences in ULF proteome and metabolome are hypothesized to influence uterine receptivity with consequences on conceptus development and survival in fertility-classified heifers.

Ketoacidosis - Where Do the Protons Come From?

In extreme conditions ketosis can progress to ketoacidosis, a dangerous and potentially life-threatening condition. Ketoacidosis is most common in new or poorly treated type 1 diabetes. The acidosis is usually attributed to the 'acidic' nature of the ketone bodies (acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone). However, acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate are produced not as acids but as their conjugate bases, and acetone is neither an acid nor a base. This raises the question of why severe ketosis is accompanied by acidosis. Here, we analyze steps in ketogenesis and identify four potential sources: adipocyte lipolysis, hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate generated during synthesis of fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA), the reaction catalyzed by an enzyme in the β-oxidation pathway (3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase), and increased synthesis of CoA.

The oxidation of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids by isolated rat liver mitochondria as a function of substrate concentration

1. The oxidation of linoleate by rat-liver mitochondria has been studied as a function of substrate concentration. The oxidation of other long-chain unsaturated fatty acids shows similar characteristics. 2. At low concentrations, linoleate is readily oxidized in the absence of carnitine. Its rate of activation by the intramitochondrial acyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.2) and subsequent oxidation is limited by the availability of intra-mitochondrial ATP. 3. A gradual increase of the linoleate concentration leads to (i) a strong depression of the rate of linoleate oxidation, and (ii) uncoupling of respiratory-chain phosphorylation together with induction of a mitochondrial ATPase activity. At still higher linoleate concentrations this ATPase activity is lowered rather than further stimulated and, concomitantly, the rate of linoleate oxidation increases again. 4. Evidence is presented that the inhibition by linoleate of the ATPase activity occurs at the level of the ATPase complex itself. This oligomycin-like effect of linoleate allows intramitochondrial linoleate activation to take place at the expense of ATP derived from substrate-level phosphorylation. 5. At very high concentrations of linoleate, its detergent action predominates and causes a complete inhibition of respiration as well as an extensive stimulation of an oligomycin-insensitive, Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity. 6. Measurement of the binding of radioactively labelled linoleate by isolated mitochondria shows that, at a given ratio of linoleate to mitochondrial protein, the ratio of bound to added linoleate is dependent on the concentration of the mitochondria.

Aspects of long-chain acyl-COA metabolism

1. Long-chain acid: CoA ligase (AMP-forming) (trivial name acyl-CoA synthetase; EC 6.2.1.3) is located at the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and the outer membrane of the mitochondria. The latter membrane has by far the highest specific activity. 2. GTP-dependent synthesis of acyl-CoA has a very low activity in liver mitochondria (about 5% of the activity measured with ATP). CTP, ITP, UTP and GTP may all provide energy for fatty acid activation in sonicated mitochondria by formation of ATP from endogenous ADP and AMP. 3. In rat liver palmitoyl-CoA: L-carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase (trivial name carnitine palmitoyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.21) is located at the microsomal membranes and in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. Its activity is increased, in both membranes, during fasting and in thyroxine-treated rats. The extramitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase may capture part of the acyl CoA formed at the endoplasmic reticulum as acyl-carnitine, especially during fasting and other metabolic conditions of high fatty acid turnover. This transport form of activated fatty acid can penetrate the inner mitochondrial membrane (the acyl-CoA barrier) where it can be reconverted to acyl-CoA, providing the substrate for beta-oxidation in the inner membrane-matrix compartment. The small part of the mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase, described to be present at the external surface of the mitochondrial inner membrane, may have the same function in the transport of acyl-CoA formed at the mitochondrial outer membrane. 4. Isolated rat liver mitochondria can oxidize high concentrations of palmitate or oleate in the absence of carnitine. In this case the fatty acids are activated in the inner membrane-matrix compartment of the mitochondria, probably by a medium-chain acyl-CoA synthetase with wide substrate specificity. Because this enzyme is less active in heart and absent in skeletal muscle, these tissues oxidize long-chain fatty acids in an obligatory carnitine-dependent fashion. Also the liver oxidizes long-chain fatty acids in a carnitine-dependent way if lower fatty acid concentrations are used. In this tissue carnitine stimulates specifically the partial oxidation of fatty acids to beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate. 5. The activities of acyl-CoA: sn-glycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase (trivial name glycerophosphate acyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.15) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase change in opposite directions during fasting. These activity changes, together with the measured kinetic properties of the enzymes in mitochondria and microsomes, allow a switch (relatively) from lipid synthesis to ketogenesis during fasting. This switch may occur at the level of long-chain acyl-CoA both in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the mitochondria.