Membrane permeation and intracellular trafficking of long chain fatty acids: insights from Escherichia coli and 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Long chain fatty acids alter the interactive binding of ligands to the two principal drug binding sites of human serum albumin

A wide variety of drugs bind to human serum albumin (HSA) at its two principal sites, namely site I and site II. A number of reports indicate that drug binding to these two binding sites are not completely independent, and that interactions between ligands of these two discrete sites can play a role. In this study, the effect of the binding of long-chain fatty acids on the interactive binding between dansyl-L-asparagine (DNSA; site I ligand) and ibuprofen (site II ligand) at pH6.5 was examined. Binding experiments showed that the binding of sodium oleate (Ole) to HSA induces conformational changes in the molecule, which, in turn, changes the individual binding of DNSA and ibuprofen, as well as the mode of interaction between these two ligands from a ‘competitive-like’ allosteric interaction in the case of the defatted HSA conformer to a ‘nearly independent’ binding in the case of non-defatted HSA conformer. Circular dichroism measurements indicated that ibuprofen and Ole are likely to modify the spatial orientation of DNSA at its binding site. Docking simulations suggest that the long-distance electric repulsion between DNSA and ibuprofen on defatted HSA contributes to a ‘competitive-like’ allosteric interaction, whereas extending the distance between ligands and/or increasing the flexibility or size of the DNSA binding site in fatted HSA evokes a change in the interaction mode to ‘nearly independent’ binding. The present findings provide further insights into the structural dynamics of HSA upon the binding of fatty acids, and its effects on drug binding and drug-drug interactions that occur on HSA.

Cell specific effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on 5-aminolevulinic acid based photosensitization

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the dietary components n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may potentiate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in human cancer cell lines by enhancing the lipid peroxidation. The effects of the porphyrin precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and light (320 < lambda < 440 nm, 33 W m(-2)), with or without docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or arachidonic acid (AA), were tested in the colon carcinoma cell lines SW480 and WiDr, the glioblastoma cell line A-172 and the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A-427. The production of endogenous protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) varied substantially between the cell lines and was approximately 4-fold higher in WiDr as compared with SW480. Cell killing by 5-ALA-PDT also varied between the cell lines, but without clear correlation with PpIX levels. Treatment with DHA or AA (10 or 70 microM, 48 or 72 h) in combination with 5-ALA-PDT (1 or 2 mM) enhanced the cytotoxic effect in A-172 and A-427 cells, but not in SW480 and WiDr cells. While 5-ALA-PDT alone increased the lipid peroxidation in A-172 and WiDr cells only, 5-ALA-PDT plus PUFAs increased the lipid peroxidation substantially in all four cell lines. Interestingly, alpha-tocopherol (50 microM, 48 h) strongly reduced lipid peroxidation after all treatments in all cell lines, while cytotoxicity was only reduced substantially in A-427 cells. This demonstrates that induction of lipid peroxidation is not a general mechanism responsible for the cytotoxicity of 5-ALA-PDT, although it may be important in cell lines with an inherent sensitivity to lipid peroxidation products. Thus, the mechanisms of cell growth inhibition/cell killing by PDT are complex and cell specific.

Fatty acid cytotoxicity to human lens epithelial cells

Data obtained with the neutral red cytotoxicity assay reveal that human lens epithelial cells in culture are highly sensitive to low micromolar concentrations of unsaturated, cis-configured fatty acids in the following order: arachidonic acid>linolenic acid=linoleic acid=oleic acid, whereas the saturated fatty acids are much less effective. Though the cytotoxic effects of the unsaturated fatty acids could not be discerned from effects of their oxidation products, the fact that oleic acid is equally cytotoxic as linoleic acid or linolenic acid as well as previously reported findings with bovine lens epithelial cells support the idea that the unsaturated fatty acid molecules directly account for the cytotoxicity and not their products of lipid peroxidation. Bleb formation and cell retraction are early morphological signs of fatty acid-induced lens cell damage. These cellular alterations are accompanied by an aggregation of intermediate filaments in a first step, whereas the disorganization of microfilaments occurs at a later time and only at higher fatty acid concentrations. Measurements of protein-, RNA- and DNA-synthesis turned out to be much less sensitive parameters for the fatty acid-induced damage of lens cells. The uptake rate of linoleic acid by human lens cells is relatively high (4.35 fmol sec(-1) per 1000 cells), 30 and 50% higher as compared with diploid human embryonal lung fibroblasts and chemically transformed mouse fibroblasts, respectively. Saturation kinetics in combination with competition between linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid on one hand and ineffectiveness of trypsin and DIDS treatment on the other hand hint at cytoplasmic fatty acid binding proteins as receptors with high binding affinity (5.55 micromol l(-1), calculated for the linoleic acid-albumin complex) to be involved in the fatty acid uptake in human lens cells. Cellular fatty acid uptake is mainly influenced by the albumin concentrations present in physiological solutions. Albumin determinations in aqueous humor from 177 cataract patients reveal an age-dependent, statistically significant albumin rise with average values below 2 micromol l(-1) up to the age of 40 years to about 4 micromol l(-1) at the age between 80 and 90 years with single values up to 10 micromol l(-1). Using physiological fatty acid mixtures it is demonstrated that fatty acid-induced lens cell damage is strongly increased by elevated albumin concentrations found in aqueous humor of the elderly, who already have cataracts. Free fatty acid induced lens cell damage as a possible cause for age-dependent cataracts as well as a molecular link between systemic diseases such as diabetes and cataract formation is discussed.

Biochemical demonstration of the involvement of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase in fatty acid translocation across the plasma membrane

Fatty acyl-CoA synthetase, the first enzyme of the beta-oxidation pathway, has been proposed to be involved in long chain fatty acid translocation across the plasma membrane of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. To test this proposal, we used an in vitro system consisting of Escherichia coli inner (plasma) membrane vesicles containing differing amounts of trapped fatty acyl-CoA synthetase and its substrates CoA and ATP. This system allowed us to investigate the involvement of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase independently of other proteins that are involved in fatty acid translocation across the outer membrane and in downstream steps in beta-oxidation, because these proteins are not retained in the inner membrane vesicles. Fatty acid uptake in vesicles containing fatty acyl-CoA synthetase was dependent on the amount of exogenous ATP and CoASH trapped by freeze-thawing. The uptake of fatty acid in the presence of non-limiting amounts of ATP and CoASH was dependent on the amount of endogenous fatty acyl-CoA synthetase either retained within vesicles during isolation or trapped within vesicles after isolation by freeze-thawing. Moreover, the fatty acid taken up by the vesicles was converted to fatty acyl-CoA. These data are consistent with the proposal that fatty acyl-CoA synthetase facilitates long chain fatty acid permeation of the inner membrane by a vectorial thioesterification mechanism.

New insights into the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) family in the small intestine

The fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) superfamily is constituted by 14-15 kDa soluble proteins which bind with a high affinity either long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), bile acids (BAs) or retinoids. In the small intestine, three different FABP isoforms exhibiting a high affinity for LCFAs and/or BAs are expressed: the intestinal and the liver-type (I-FABP and L-FABP) and the ileal bile acid-binding protein (I-BABP). Despite of extensive investigations, their respective physiological function(s) are not clearly established. In contrast to the I-FABP, L-FABP and I-BABP share several common structural features (shape, size and volume of the hydrophobic pocket). Moreover, L-FABP and I-BABP genes are also specifically regulated by their respective preferential ligands through a very similar molecular mechanism. Although, they exhibit differences in their binding specificities and location along the small intestine supporting a specialization, it is likely that L-FABP and I-BABP genes exert the same type of basic function(s) in the enterocyte, in contrast to I-FABP.

Effects of C18 long chain fatty acids on glucose, butyrate and hydrogen degradation

The effects of linoleic (C18:2), oleic (C18:1), and stearic (C18:0) acids on glucose, butyrate and hydrogen degradation were investigated at 21 degrees C using a culture unacclimated to long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Diethyl ether was used to facilitate precise addition of LCFAs and provide adequate dispersion in cultures. Butyrate degradation was affected by diethyl ether but minimal effects were observed on hydrogen and glucose consumption. In the presence of oleic and stearic acids, the glucose consumption rate was similar but was approximately 50% lower in the presence of linoleic acid. The effect of a mixture of 100 mg l(-1) of each individual LCFA (300 mg l(-1) total LCFA) was approximately the same as 100 mg l(-1) linoleic acid alone, suggesting no synergistic inhibition of glucose degradation. Butyric acid degradation was more severely inhibited by the LCFAs with inhibition becoming more severe with the addition of double bonds to the LCFA. Furthermore, mixtures of LCFAs synergistically inhibited butyric acid degradation compared to the results with individual LCFAs. In contrast, although lower hydrogen consumption rates were observed in cultures receiving oleic and linoleic acids compared to cultures receiving stearic acid, inhibition by all three acids individually or in mixture was limited. The introduction of LCFAs into a system may severly inhibit intermediate acid degradation while having little effect on acid production.

Determination of the native form of FadD, the Escherichia coli fatty acyl-CoA synthetase, and characterization of limited proteolysis by outer membrane protease OmpT

Several studies have described FadD, the Escherichia coli fatty acyl-CoA synthetase [also known as fatty acid:CoA ligase (AMP-forming); EC 6.2.1.3], as a 42-50 kDa enzyme. Based on sequencing and expression data from the fadD gene, other reports have suggested that FadD is a 62 kDa protein and represents the sole fatty acyl-CoA synthetase in E. coli. We report that the 62 kDa FadD enzyme is a substrate for the outer membrane protease OmpT in vitro, producing a 43 kDa C-terminal fragment and a 19 kDa N-terminal fragment. Immunoblotting with a FadD antibody revealed that only the 62 kDa form of the enzyme is present in vivo, but we utilized the proteolytic sensitivity of FadD to investigate its structure. Photoaffinity labelling experiments revealed that both intact FadD and the 43 kDa fragment bound a long-chain fatty acid. Intact and cleaved FadD were also purified to determine the effect of cleavage on function. When using oleate as a substrate, cleaved FadD displayed 2-fold higher K(m) and V(max) values compared with intact FadD, but the catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) of the two forms were similar. This indicated that cleavage did not adversely affect enzyme activity. Proteolysis of FadD by OmpT was altered by the presence of oleate or ATP, both of which are ligands for the fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. This suggested that FadD undergoes ligand-induced conformational changes and implies that the region surrounding the cleavage site is mobile, a common characteristic of linker domains.

Recent advances in membrane microdomains: rafts, caveolae, and intracellular cholesterol trafficking

Cellular cholesterol homeostasis is a balance of influx, catabolism and synthesis, and efflux. Unlike vascular lipoprotein cholesterol transport, intracellular cholesterol trafficking is only beginning to be resolved. Exogenous cholesterol and cholesterol ester enter cells via the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor/lysosomal and less so by nonvesicular, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor/caveolar pathways. However, the mechanism(s) whereby cholesterol enters the lysosomal membrane, translocates, and transfers out of the lysosome to the cell interior are unknown. Likewise, the steps whereby cholesterol enters the cytofacial leaflet of the plasma membrane caveolae, rapidly translocates, leaves the exofacial leaflet, and transfers to extracellular HDL are unclear. Increasing evidence obtained with model and isolated cell membranes, transfected cells, genetic mutants, and gene-ablated mice suggests that proteins such as caveolin, sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2), Niemann-Pick C1 protein, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and other intracellular proteins mediate intracellular cholesterol transfer. While these proteins bind cholesterol and/or interact with cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains (e.g., caveolae, rafts, and annuli), their relative contributions to direct molecular versus vesicular cholesterol transfer remain to be resolved. The formation, regulation, and role of membrane microdomains in regulating cholesterol uptake/efflux and trafficking are unclear. Some cholesterol-binding proteins exert opposing effects on cellular cholesterol uptake/efflux, transfer of cholesterol out of the lysosomal membrane, and/or intracellular cholesterol trafficking to select membranous organelles. Resolving these cholesterol pathways and the role of membrane cholesterol microdomains is essential to our understanding not only of processes that affect cholesterol metabolism, but also of the abnormal regulation that may lead to disease (diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, neutral lipid storage, Niemann-Pick C, congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia, etc.).

Identification of caveolin-1 as a fatty acid binding protein

In an attempt to identify high affinity, fatty acid binding proteins present in 3T3-L1 adipocytes plasma membranes, we labeled proteins in purified plasma membranes with the photoreactive fatty acid analogue, 11-m-diazirinophenoxy[11-3H]undecanoate. A single membrane protein of 22 kDa was covalently labeled after photolysis. This protein fractionated with caveolin-1 containing caveolae and was immunoprecipitated by an anti-caveolin-1 monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, 2D-PAGE analysis revealed that both the alpha and beta isoforms of caveolin-1 could be labeled by the photoreactive fatty acid upon photolysis, indicating that both bind fatty acids. The saturable binding of the photoreactive fatty acid suggests caveolin-1 has a lipid binding site that may either operate during intracellular lipid traffic or regulate caveolin-1 function.

Fatty acid binding to rat liver fatty acid-binding protein is modulated by early glycolytic intermediates

Fatty acid binding to rat liver fatty acid binding protein in the presence of glycolytic metabolites and at different pH (optimal 7.2) and ionic strength was studied. Binding decreased logarithmically with ionic strength. Glucose and glucose-6-phosphate increased fatty acid binding significantly with K0.5 within physiological ranges while glucose-1-phosphate and phosphate ion caused no effect.

Association of acyl-CoA synthetase-1 with GLUT4-containing vesicles

GLUT4, the glucose transporter present in insulin-sensitive tissues, resides in intracellular vesicular structures and translocates to the cell surface in response to insulin. In an attempt to identify proteins present in these structures, GLUT4-enriched vesicles prepared from rat adipocytes treated with or without insulin were prepared by sucrose velocity gradient centrifugation and immunoadsorbed with anti-GLUT4 antibody. We report here the sequence identification by high performance liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry of a p75 protein band, long chain acyl-CoA synthetase-1, specifically present in immunoadsorbed GLUT4-containing vesicles but not in vesicles adsorbed by nonimmune serum. Acyl-CoA synthetase activity detected in GLUT4-enriched vesicles prepared by gradient centrifugation from insulin-treated adipocytes was decreased to about the same extent as GLUT4 protein. Additionally, immunoadsorbed GLUT4 vesicles were found to catalyze palmitoylation of proteins when incubated with labeled palmitate, a pathway that requires palmitate esterification with CoA. These data indicate that the insulin-sensitive membrane compartment that sequesters GLUT4 in fat cells contains long chain acyl-CoA synthetase-1 and its product fatty acyl-CoA, shown previously to be required for budding and fusion in membrane trafficking processes.