Acyltransferases

All of the other enzymes of the /3-oxidation pathway are located in the mitochondrial matrix. Short-chain fatty acids, as already mentioned, are transported into the matrix as free acids and form the acyl-CoA derivatives there. However, long-chain fatty acyl-CoA derivatives cannot be transported into the matrix directly. These long-chain derivatives must first be converted to acylearnitine derivatives, as shown in Figure 24.9. Carnitine acyltransferase I, located on the outer side of the inner mitochondrial membrane, catalyzes the formation of... 

FIGURE 25.20 Triacylglycerols are formed primarily by the action of acyltransferases on mono- and diacylglycerol. Acyltransferase in E. coli is an integral membrane protein (83 kD) and can utilize either fatty acyl-CoAs or acylated acyl carrier proteins as substrates. It shows a particular preference for palmitoyl groups. Eukaryotic acyltransferases nse only fatty acyl-CoA molecnles as substrates. 

Although lanosterol may appear similar to cholesterol in structure, another 20 steps are required to convert lanosterol to cholesterol (Figure 25.35). The enzymes responsible for this are all associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. The primary pathway involves 7-dehydroeholesterol as the penultimate intermediate. An alternative pathway, also composed of many steps, produces the intermediate desmosterol. Reduction of the double bond at C-24 yields cholesterol. Cholesterol esters—a principal form of circulating cholesterol—are synthesized by acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferases (ACAT) on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum. 

FIGURE 25.39 Endocytosis and degradation of lipoprotein particles. (ACAT is acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase.)... 

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) have much longer life spans in the body (5 to 6 days) than other lipoproteins. Newly formed HDL contains virtually no cholesterol ester. However, over time, cholesterol esters are accumulated through the action of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), a 59-kD glycoprotein associated with HDLs. Another associated protein, cholesterol ester transfer protein, transfers some of these esters to VLDL and LDL. Alternatively, HDLs function to return cholesterol and cholesterol esters to the liver. This latter process apparently explains the correlation between high HDL levels and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. (High LDL levels, on the other hand, are correlated with an increased risk of coronary artery and cardiovascular disease.)... 

Different strains of micro-organisms are responsible for the production of either penicillins or cephalosporins. In penicillin-producing strains, an acyltransferase enzyme system is present which can remove the side chain from isopenirillin N to give 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA), and which can subsequently acylate 6-APA to generate various penicillins, the most important ones being penicillin G and V(see section 6.3, Table 6.2). 

From what you read in Section 6.3, does the enzyme IPN-acyltransferase exhibit a high degree of specificity Given reasons for your answer. 

Although a range of penicillins could be produced by directed biosynthesis using precursor feeding, this approach is limited by the toxicity of the precursors, the ability of the penicillin producing cells to take up the precursor and by the capability of the acyltransferase to transfer the acyl groups onto the 6-aminopenicillanic add moiety. 

Nakagawa M, Uchiyama M. 1974. Effect of organophosphate pesticides on lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in human plasma. Biochem Pharmacol 23 1641-1645. 

Mitochondria have an outer membrane that is permeable to most metabohtes, an inner membrane that is selectively permeable, and a matrix within (Figure 12-1). The outer membrane is characterized by the presence of various enzymes, including acyl-CoA synthetase and glycerolphosphate acyltransferase. Adenylyl kinase and creatine kinase are found in the intermembrane space. The phospholipid cardiolipin is concentrated in the inner membrane together with the enzymes of the respiratory chain. 

Lysolecithin (lysophosphatidylcholine) may be formed by an alternative route that involves lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT). This enzyme. 

Apohpoproteins carry out several roles (1) they can form part of the stmcture of the hpoprotein, eg, apo B (2) they are enzyme cofactors, eg, C-11 for lipoprotein hpase, A-1 for lecithinicholesterol acyltransferase, or enzyme inhibitors, eg, apo A-11 and apo C-111 for lipoprotein hpase, apo C-1 for cholesteryl ester transfer protein and (3) they act as hgands for interaction with lipopro-... 

HDL is synthesized and secreted from both liver and intestine (Figure 25—5). However, apo C and apo E are synthesized in the liver and transferred from fiver HDL to intestinal HDL when the latter enters the plasma. A major function of HDL is to act as a repository for the apo C and apo E required in the metabohsm of chylomicrons and VLDL. Nascent HDL consists of discoid phosphohpid bilayers containing apo A and free cholesterol. These hpoproteins are similar to the particles found in the plasma of patients with a deficiency of the plasma enzyme lecithimcholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and in the plasma of patients with obstructive jaundice. LCAT—and the LCAT activator apo A-I— bind to the disk, and the surface phosphohpid and free cholesterol are converted into cholesteryl esters and... 

Figure 25-5. Metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in reverse cholesteroi transport. (LCAT, lecithinxholesterol acyltransferase C, cholesterol CE, cholesteryl ester PL, phospholipid A-l, apolipoprotein A-l SR-Bl, scavenger receptor B1 ABC-1, ATP binding cassette transporter 1.) Prep-HDL, HDLj, HDL3—see Table 25-1. Surplus surface constituents from the action of lipoprotein lipase on chylomicrons and VLDL are another source of preP-HDL. Hepatic lipase activity is increased by androgens and decreased by estrogens, which may account for higher concentrations of plasma HDLj in women.

Figure 26-5. Factors affecting cholesterol balance at the cellular level. Reverse cholesterol transport may be initiated by pre 3 HDL binding to the ABC-1 transporter protein via apo A-l. Cholesterol is then moved out of the cell via the transporter, lipidating the HDL, and the larger particles then dissociate from the ABC-1 molecule. (C, cholesterol CE, cholesteryl ester PL, phospholipid ACAT, acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase LCAT, lecithinicholesterol acyltransferase A-l, apolipoprotein A-l LDL, low-density lipoprotein VLDL, very low density lipoprotein.) LDL and HDL are not shown to scale.

Familial lecithimcholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency Absence of LCAT leads to block in reverse cholesterol transport. HDL remains as nascent disks incapable of taking up and esterifying cholesterol. Plasma concentrations of cholesteryl esters and lysolecithin are low. Present is an abnormal LDL fraction, lipoprotein X, found also in patients with cholestasis. VLDL is abnormal ( 3-VLDL). 

ABA-l-GAT Arsanilic acid conjugated with the synthetic polypeptide l-GAT AC Adenylate cyclase ACAT Acyl-co-enzyme-A acyltransferase... 

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