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J Ericsson

Publications and source records attributed to J Ericsson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Role for sterol regulatory element binding protein in the regulation of farnesyl diphosphate synthase and in the control of cellular levels of cholesterol and triglyceride: evidence from sterol regulation-defective cells.

In order to define the factors involved in the regulation of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase, we used sterol regulation-defective (SRD) cell lines that constitutively express either high (SRD-2) or low (SRD-6) levels of transcriptionally active sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP). FPP synthase mRNA levels were high in SRD-2 cells and low in SRD-6 cells and were unaffected by the addition or removal of sterols from the media. In contrast, the mRNA levels in parental CHO-7 cells were regulated by sterols. SRD-2, SRD-6, and CHO-7 cells were also transiently transfected with plasmids containing FPP synthase promoter-reporter genes. Reporter gene activity was significantly higher in SRD-2 cells than in either SRD-6 or CHO-7 cells, consistent with a higher rate of transcription of the reporter gene in SRD-2 cells. The high expression of the reporter gene in SRD-2 cells was not observed when the FPP synthase promoter contained a three base pair mutation within an SREBP binding site, termed sterol regulatory element-3 (SRE-3). These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that high levels of transcription of the FPP synthase gene are dependent on the availability of transcriptionally active SREBP. We also demonstrate that the incorporation of radioactive acetate into both cholesterol and fatty acids was enhanced in SRD-2 cells as compared to CHO-7 or SRD-6 cells. Finally, we demonstrate that the concentrations of cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, and triglyceride were all significantly elevated in SRD-2 cells. We conclude that SREBP is involved not only in the regulation of FPP synthase and cholesterogenesis but also in fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis.

Acetates↗
PubMed1995

NF-Y has a novel role in sterol-dependent transcription of two cholesterogenic genes.

The transcription of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase is regulated up to 30-fold by the sterol status of the cell. Point mutations in a 6-base pair ATTGGC sequence in the promoter disrupt both sterol-dependent transcription in vivo as well as binding of the transcription factor NF-Y in vitro. Co-transfection of cells with NF-YA29, a dominant negative form of NF-Y, and various promoter-reporter genes specifically inhibits the sterol-dependent regulation of FPP synthase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase. In contrast, NF-YA29 does not affect the regulation of reporter genes under the control of promoters derived from either the HMG-CoA reductase or the low density lipoprotein receptor gene. Transient expression of the 68-kDa transcriptionally active fragment of sterol regulatory element-binding protein in cells stimulates an HMG-CoA synthase-reporter gene over 90-fold. This induction is blocked in cells co-expressing NF-YA29. We hypothesize that NF-Y plays a novel role in sterol-dependent regulation of two key genes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and that this role requires a specific interaction with the sterol regulatory element-binding protein or related transcription factors.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Digestive organs.

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Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Urinary tract.

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Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Effect of squalestatin 1 on the biosynthesis of the mevalonate pathway lipids.

The effects of squalestatin 1 on rat brain and liver homogenates and on Chinese hamster ovary tissue culture cells have been investigated. This compound effectively inhibits squalene biosynthesis in a highly selective manner. Cytoplasmic farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthases are not affected, which is also the case for microsomal cis-prenyltransferase. In tissue culture cells, squalestatin 1 inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis completely, but does not alter dolichol synthesis or protein isoprenylation to a great extent. Incorporation of [3H]mevalonate into ubiquinone-9 and -10 increases 3-4-fold, probably as a result of increased synthesis of this lipid. Squalestatin 1 appears not only to be an effective inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, but also to be more specific than other inhibitors used earlier in various in vitro and in vivo systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Age-dependent changes in rat liver prenyltransferases.

Mevalonate pathway lipids including cholesterol, ubiquinone and dolichol, are of great importance for cellular function. Many of the enzymes of this pathway are thus strictly regulated. During development of the rat, the cellular levels of certain of these lipids vary. Prenyltransferases have been investigated and it is reported here that farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase activity in rat liver cytosol decreases after birth to a lower, steady level. This decrease is not paralleled by the level of synthase protein, which shows two maxima, one immediately after birth and the other 30 days later. cis-Prenyltransferase activity is low after birth, increases continuously up to day-54 and then decreases to a low level which was maintained throughout the remainder of the study (365 days). Squalene synthase exhibits high activity after birth, but decreases during the first 100 days thereafter, and subsequently remains at the low level thus reached. In contrast to these changes in the activities of the prenyltransferases, the level of cholesterol is constant and the dolichol concentration increases continuously throughout the entire period studied.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

Identification of a 6-base pair element involved in the sterol-mediated transcriptional regulation of farnesyl diphosphate synthase.

Previous studies identified a 115-base pair (bp) region of the farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase promoter which is involved in the transcriptional regulation of this gene by sterols (Spear, D. H., Kutsunai, S. Y., Correll, C. C., and Edwards, P. A. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 14462-14469). In the current study we fused a 117-bp fragment, containing this region of interest, upstream of the heterologous minimal promoter of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were stably transfected with this fusion gene and incubated in the absence or presence of sterols. Analysis of CAT mRNA by primer extension indicated that transcription of the fusion gene was under sterol-mediated control. Thus, when cellular sterols were present, the CAT mRNA levels were reduced 2-4-fold. To further localize the FPP synthase sterol-responsive element(s), additional promoter-reporter gene constructs containing either deletions or mutations were constructed and transfected into CHO or CV-1 cells. These studies localized a 6-bp region (ATTGGC) that is required for both transcriptional induction in the absence of sterols and transcriptional repression in the presence of sterols. Gel shift and footprinting analyses demonstrated that nuclear proteins isolated from CHO cells bound to six distinct regions of the promoter between nucleotides -293 to -47. Taken together, these results further define both the cis-acting elements controlling normal transcription of the FPP synthase gene and identify a novel sequence involved in sterol regulation.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1994

Modulations in hepatic branch-point enzymes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis upon dietary and drug treatments of rats.

Three branch-point enzymes of the mevalonate pathway, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, cis-prenyltransferase and squalene synthase were characterized in rat hepatic cytosol, microsomes and peroxisomes isolated from rats after treatment with peroxisome proliferators, inducers of the endoplasmic reticulum or modulators of lipid metabolism. Cholestyramine and phenobarbital induced primarily the cytosolic farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, whereas clofibrate and phthalates elevated the corresponding peroxisomal activity. cis-Prenyltransferase activities in microsomes were induced 4-5-fold after clofibrate, phthalate and phenobarbital administration, but these same treatments affected the peroxisomal activity to only a limited extent. Squalene synthase activity in microsomes was completely abolished, but the peroxisomal activity was unaffected after administration of cholesterol. On the other hand, clofibrate and phthalate induced only the microsomal activities. Mevinolin treatment greatly increased peroxisomal and cytosolic farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase activities, but not the mitochondrial activity, and the cis-prenyltransferase activities were elevated in peroxisomes, but not in microsomes. These results demonstrate that the branch-point enzymes in cholesterol and dolichol biosynthesis at various cellular locations are regulated differentially and that the capacities of peroxisomes and the endoplasmic reticulum to participate in the synthesis of polyisoprenoid lipids is affected profoundly by treatment with different xenobiotics.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Farnesyl-diphosphate synthase is localized in peroxisomes.

In this study, we have investigated the subcellular localization of farnesyl-diphosphate synthase (FPP synthase). FPP synthase produces FPP, which is utilized in the synthesis of squalene, cholesterol, farnesylated and geranylgeranylated proteins, dolichols, coenzyme Q, and the isoprenoid moiety of heme a. This enzyme is found in the 100,000 x g supernatant fraction of cells or tissues and has been considered to be a cytoplasmic protein. In this study, analysis of FPP synthase activity and protein in fractionated rat liver together with immunofluorescent and immunoelectron microscopy studies demonstrated unequivocally that FPP synthase is largely localized in peroxisomes. These data, in combination with the previous observation that mevalonate kinase is predominantly localized in peroxisomes, suggest that peroxisomes are the major site of synthesis of FPP from mevalonate. We also demonstrate that in liver tissue obtained from patients with peroxisomal deficiency diseases (Zellweger syndrome and neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy), the activities of five enzymes involved in isoprenoid synthesis, namely mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, mevalonate-diphosphate decarboxylase, isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase, and FPP synthase, are significantly reduced, consistent with a peroxisomal localization of these enzymes.

Adrenoleukodystrophy↗
PubMed1994

Isoprenoid biosynthesis in rat liver mitochondria. Studies on farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase and trans-prenyltransferase.

Mevalonate pathway enzyme activities in rat liver mitochondria were investigated, and it was found that isopentenyl pyrophosphate can be utilized for the synthesis of all-trans-polyprenyl pyrophosphates in vitro. In this reaction sequence intermediate formation of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) predominates, and the FPP synthase activity was studied in more detail. The mitochondrial activity constitutes 13% of the total hepatic capacity for FPP synthesis, exceeding the corresponding microsomal, nuclear, and peroxisomal activities by 10-fold. Mitochondrial FPP synthase exhibits trypsin sensitivity only after sonication of intact mitochondria and upon subfractionation the activity is found localized in the matrix. FPP synthase activities at different locations responded distinctly when rats were treated with a diet enriched in cholesterol or containing mevinolin or cholestyramine. With the high cholesterol diet, mitochondrial FPP synthase activity increased 2-fold, while the cytosolic activity was slightly decreased. Both mevinolin and cholestyramine treatment resulted in 3-fold increases in cytosolic FPP synthase activities, without altering the mitochondrial activity. FPP was utilized as substrate for trans-prenyltransferase activity in the inner mitochondrial membrane. The products formed in this reaction were identified as nona- and decaprenyl-PP, and the reaction was influenced by changes in both substrate and Mg2+ concentration, giving more decaprenyl-PP when the concentrations of these substances were increased. These results demonstrate that mitochondria utilize endogenously produced FPP for isoprenoid biosynthesis and that the biosynthetic steps in mitochondria are regulated independently from those occurring in other subcellular compartments.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Distribution of prenyltransferases in rat tissues. Evidence for a cytosolic all-trans-geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase.

The present study describes the presence of two different geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) synthase activities, one cytosolic and one membrane-associated, in a number of rat tissues. Both enzymes utilize farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) as substrates, but they give rise to different products. The membrane-associated activity produces trans,trans,cis-(E,E,Z)-GGPP, involved in the biosynthesis of long-chain polyprenols. The cytosolic activity produces only the all-trans-(E,E,E) isomer of GGPP, which is utilized as substrate in cytosolic protein prenylation reactions. All-trans-GGPP synthase activity was recovered in the cytosolic fraction from all tissues investigated, but the specific activities varied. The highest specific activities were found in brain, spleen, and testis, followed by kidney and liver. The enzyme activity in rat brain cytosol was further characterized and found to exhibit a narrow pH optimum around 5.0-6.0 and to be highly stimulated by Zn2+. Maximal stimulation was attained with 1 mM Zn2+, whereas Mg2+ had no effect on the enzyme activity. The all-trans-GGPP synthase activity exhibited high affinities for its substrates, i.e. the apparent Km values for FPP and IPP were found to be 0.6 and 3.5 microM, respectively. When rats were fed mevinolin (lovastatin), FPP and all-trans-GGPP synthase activities were affected differently in certain tissues. Mevinolin treatment resulted in an increase in FPP but a decrease in all-trans-GGPP synthase activity in rat liver and kidney. In spleen mevinolin treatment caused a greater than 70% decrease in all-trans-GGPP synthase activity, while FPP synthase was almost unaffected. The presence of two different GGPP synthase activities in the cell, together with the fact that FPP and all-trans-GGPP synthesis in the cytosol are regulated independently, may be of significance in the regulation of isoprenoid biosynthesis, as well as of protein isoprenylation.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1993

Biosynthesis of dolichol and cholesterol in rat liver peroxisomes.

Isolated rat liver peroxisomes contain the complete enzymatic machinery required for the synthesis of both cholesterol and dolichol from farnesyl pyrophosphate. Additionally, the whole or part of the initial portion of the mevalonate pathway between acetyl-CoA and farnesyl pyrophosphate is also present in peroxisomes. Cholesterol and dolichol biosynthesis in peroxisomes is more complete than in ER since peroxisomes contain high concentrations of sterol carrier protein-2, a protein that stimulates both dolichol and cholesterol biosynthesis. Approximately 50 and 20% of the total hepatic dolichol and cholesterol biosynthesis is associated with rat liver peroxisomes, respectively. Upon dietary and drug treatments the synthesis of these lipids displays different regulation in peroxisomes and ER.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Substrate specificity of cis-prenyltransferase in rat liver microsomes.

Long chain cis-prenyltransferase in rat liver microsomes was studied using various allylic isoprenoid substrates. Microsomes could utilize trans-geranyl pyrophosphate, but not cis-geranyl pyrophosphate for polyprenyl pyrophosphate synthesis. Both trans, trans-farnesyl pyrophosphate and trans,cis-farnesyl pyrophosphate were used as substrates with Km values of 24 and 5 microM, respectively. trans,trans,cis-Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate could be used as substrate with an apparent Km of 36 microM. trans,trans,trans-Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate was also utilized as substrate, but with a very low affinity. After pulse labeling for 4 min, using [3H]isopentenyl pyrophosphate and trans,trans-farnesyl pyrophosphate, the only product formed was trans,trans,cis-geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, which, upon chasing, yielded polyprenyl pyrophosphate. Independent of the nature of the substrate used, even in the case of polyprenyl 12-pyrophosphate and all-trans-nonaprenyl pyrophosphate, the chain lengths of the products were identical, i.e. polyprenyl pyrophosphates with 15-18 isoprene residues. Microsomes were able to synthesize trans,trans-farnesyl pyrophosphate using trans-geranyl pyrophosphate as substrate. The results indicate that rat liver microsomes contain a farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase activity and that the reaction catalyzed by cis-prenyltransferase may consist of two individual steps, i.e. synthesis of trans,trans,cis-geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and elongation of this product to long chain polyprenyl pyrophosphates.

Animals↗