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A study of some enzymes of glycerolipid biosynthesis in rat liver after subtotal hepatectomy.

1. The accumulation of triglyceride in the liver remnant after subtotal hepatectomy (removal of 82% of the liver) exceeded that described for partial hepatectomy (removal of 70% of the liver). 2. Palmitoyl-CoA synthetase, glycerol phosphate acyltransferase and diglyceride acyltransferase activities were measured in the microsomal fraction, and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity was measured in the particle-free supernatant fraction, prepared from the liver remnant at various times after subtotal hepatectomy. 3. The only enzyme showing a significant change in specific activity was phosphatidate phosphohydrolase. The specific activity was approximately fivefold that of the control value at 6h after operation and threefold that of the control at 10, 16 and 24h after operation. A smaller increase in the specific activity of the enzyme in sham-operated animals occurred only at 6h after operation. 4. However, at this time the total phosphohydrolase activity of the remaining liver in the sham-operated rats was approximately threefold that in hepatectomized rats. 5. Injection of actinomycin D prevented the increase in activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase but did not prevent the accumulation of triglyceride.

Acyltransferases↗

Phospholipase D activity of rat brain neuronal nuclei.

Phospholipase D activity of rat brain neuronal nuclei, measured with exogenous phosphatidylcholine as substrate, was characterized. The measured activity of neuronal nuclei was at least 36-fold greater than the activity in glia nuclei. The pH optimum was 6.5, and unsaturated but not saturated fatty acids stimulated the enzyme. The optimal concentration of sodium oleate for stimulation of the enzyme activity was 1.2 mM in the presence of 0.75 mM phosphatidylcholine. This phospholipase D activity was cation independent. In the absence of NaF, used as a phosphatidic acid phosphatase inhibitor, the principal product was diglyceride; whereas in the presence of NaF, the principal product was phosphatidic acid. The phospholipase D, in addition to having hydrolytic activity, was able to catalyze a transphosphatidylation reaction. Maximum phosphatidylethanol formation was seen with 0.2-0.3 M ethanol. GTPgammaS, ATPgammaS, BeF2, AIF3, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylethanol inhibited the neuronal nuclei phospholipase D activity. The addition of the cytosolic fraction of brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and heart to the incubation mixtures resulted in inhibition of the phospholipase D activity. Phospholipase D activity was detectable in nuclei prepared from rat kidney, spleen, heart, and liver.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Fatty acids inhibit intramyocellular triglyceride synthesis and turnover acutely in high fat-fed obese rats.

Obesity is associated with hyperlipidemia and enlarged intramyocellular triglyceride (imcTG) stores. The latter is strongly correlated with muscle insulin resistance. However, whether hyperlipidemia plays a role in imcTG accumulation is unknown. In the present study, the effects of plasma fatty acids on imcTG fractional turnover rate (FTR) and synthesis in skeletal muscle of high fat-fed obese rats have been examined using pulse-chase technique. imcTG was prelabeled (pulse) by continuous infusion of U- (14)Cglycerol and then the loss of (14)C-labels from imcTG was chased while exogenous fatty acids were infused at 0 (saline), 1 (L) or 3 (H) micromol/kg/min. imcTG synthesis was determined using 2- (3)Hglycerol during the chase. L and H fatty acid infusions raised plasma fatty acids by 14% (p=0.02) and 30% (p=0.001), respectively, while plasma insulin and glycerol and the rate of glycerol appearance remained unchanged (p>0.05). imcTG FTR was suppressed by 36-40% and 48% in gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior, respectively (both p<0.05), and imcTG synthesis was suppressed by 50-60% in the same muscles (both p<0.05). In contrast, neither turnover nor synthesis of imcTG in soleus was affected by fatty acid infusion (p>0.05). imcTG content and the activities of diglyceride acyltransferase and hormone sensitive lipase were not affected by fatty acid infusion. The findings suggested that elevated plasma fatty acids suppress imcTG turnover and synthesis simultaneously and thus do not appear to promote imcTG accumulation in this obesity model at least in short term.

Animals↗

Adrenal lipid profiles of chemically sympathectomized normoxic and hypoxic neonatal rats.

Neonatal hypoxia is a common condition that elicits a coordinated endocrine response. In the neonatal rat, hypoxia induces an ACTH-independent increase in corticosterone which can be partially blocked by chemical sympathectomy. The present study sought to characterize the effects of sympathectomy on the adrenal lipid profile, since previous work suggested that augmented plasma corticosterone during hypoxia may be due to changes in adrenal lipid metabolism. Newborn rats were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia from birth to seven days of age, and guanethidine was used to produce the sympathectomy. Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine were not significantly affected by hypoxia, while guanethidine decreased plasma norepinephrine in normoxic and hypoxic pups. Hypoxia alone increased the concentration of cholesterol esters in the adrenal gland; this increase was due to increases in cholesterol ester-associated oleic (18:1n9), docosahexaenoic (22:6n3), arachidonic (20:4n6), and adrenic (22:4n6) acids. Hypoxia also increased diglyceride-associated adrenic acid. Guanethidine treatment attenuated the hypoxia-induced increase in cholesterol ester-bound arachidonic and adrenic acids. Guanethidine also decreased saturated fatty acid concentrations and increased n3 fatty acid-enriched triglycerides. The results support the idea that the ACTH-independent corticosterone response to hypoxia in the neonatal rat is mediated by specific, sympathetically driven alterations in the adrenal lipid profile.

Adrenal Glands↗

Membrane lipid patterns typify distinct anaerobic methanotrophic consortia.

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is one of the major sinks of this substantial greenhouse gas in marine environments. Recent investigations have shown that diverse communities of anaerobic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria are involved in AOM. Most of the relevant archaea are assigned to two distinct phylogenetic clusters, ANME-1 and ANME-2. A suite of specific (13)C-depleted lipids demonstrating the presence of consortia mediating AOM in fossil and recent environments has been established. Here we report on substantial differences in the lipid composition of microbial consortia sampled from distinct compartments of AOM-driven carbonate reefs growing in the northwestern Black Sea. Communities in which the dominant archaea are from the ANME-1 cluster yield internally cyclized tetraether lipids typical of thermophiles. Those in which ANME-2 archaea are dominant yield sn-2-hydroxyarchaeol accompanied by crocetane and crocetenes. The bacterial lipids from these communities are also distinct even though the sulfate-reducing bacteria all belong to the Desulfosarcina/Desulfococcus group. Nonisoprenoidal glycerol diethers are predominantly associated with ANME-1-dominated communities. Communities with ANME-2 yield mainly conventional, ester-linked diglycerides. ANME-1 archaea and associated sulfate-reducing bacteria seem to be enabled to use low concentrations of methane and to grow within a broad range of temperatures. Our results offer a tool for the study of recent and especially of fossil methane environments.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗

Mechanism of the enzymatic synthesis of cardiolipin in Escherichia coli.

In previous studies, the enzymatic conversion of phosphatidylglycerol to cardiolipin (diphosphatidylglycerol) in cell-free preparations from E. coli was shown to be stimulated by the addition of CDP-dipalmitin, suggesting the participation of the cytidine coenzyme as phosphatidyl donor. The present communication, however, presents three lines of evidence supporting the following mechanism for the synthesis of cardiolipin in E. coli.2 Phosphatidylglycerol --> cardiolipin + glycerolWhen CDP-dipalmitin labeled with (32)P in the phosphatidyl moiety was incubated with phosphatidyl[2-(3)H]-glycerol, the cardiolipin produced in the enzymatic reaction was labeled with tritium, but not with (32)P. Thus, CDP-diglyceride stimulates the reaction but does not participate as phosphatidyl donor. When [(28)P]phosphatidyl[2-(3)H]glycerol was used as substrate, the ratio of tritium to (32)P in the cardiolipin product was only half of that in the starting phosphatidylglycerol, consistent with the elimination of 1 mol of glycerol during conversion to cardiolipin. Finally, free glycerol produced during the reaction has been unambiguously identified by phosphorylation with ATP in a reaction catalyzed by glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30), followed by chromatographic isolation of labeled sn-3-glycero-3-phosphate.

Cell-Free System↗

Globoid cell leukodystrophy: deficiency of lactosyl ceramide beta-galactosidase.

Activity of lactosyl ceramide beta-galactosidase (beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23) was found to be extremely low in enzyme preparations from liver, brain, and cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with Krabbe's disease. Leukocytes from one set of parents had enzyme levels approximately half those measured in control leukocytes. The low activity observed for this galactolipid hydrolase is the fourth enzymatic deficiency noted for this genetic disease. Beta-galactosidase activity toward galactocerebroside, psychosine, and monogalactosyl diglyceride is also low in patients with Krabbe's disease. Other lysosomal enzymes measured were found to be in the normal range. This enzymatic defect may provide a better explanation for the pathological and chemical findings previously reported for this syndrome.

Adult↗

Biochemical characterization of a mutant lipoprotein of Escherichia coli.

A lipoprotein mutant of E. coli K-12 has been characterized. The mutant lipoprotein was found to differ from the wild-type lipoprotein in the following respects: (i) it is present in an appreciable amount in the soluble fraction (275,000 X g supernatant); (ii) it lacks the covalently-linked diglyceride; (iii) it contains an unmodified cysteine which can be carboxymethylated in vitro; (iv) it undergoes dimerization and the dimer can be converted into monomeric form by reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol; (v) both the monomeric form and especially the dimeric form of the mutant lipoprotein migrate more slowly than the corresponding forms of wild-type lipoprotein in sodium dodecyl sulfate/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; and (vi) the mutant lipoprotein is not assembled into the murein sacculi, and this results in a greatly reduced amount of bound-form lipoprotein in the mutant. These data strongly suggest that the mutation has affected the primary structure of lipoprotein, in such a way that it is not modified normally, leading to the production of a structurally-altered lipoprotein deficient in covalently-linked lipid as well as a defective assembly of the altered lipoprotein into the rigid layer of the cell envelope.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Establishment of preadipocyte clonal line from epididymal fat pad of ob/ob mouse that responds to insulin and to lipolytic hormones.

A clonal cell line that responds to insulin and to lipolytic hormones has been established from the epididymal fat pad of the C57BL/6J ob/ob mouse. This line, designated ob 17, has a doubling time of 12.5 or 19 hr in 10% or 1% fetal calf serum, respectively. It presents a heterogeneous chromosome number with 40% of the cells containing 35-44 chromosomes and expresses the characteristic H2-LA antigen. After cessation of growth, ob 17 cells accumulate droplets of triglycerides; this accumulation occurs to a significant extent even in the absence of insulin normally added after confluence. Lipoprotein lipase activity is negligible in exponentially growing cells but appears at its maximal level just after confluence with or without insulin. Acid:CoA ligase and acylCoA:diglyceride acyltransferase develop later than lipoprotein lipase. The appearance of lipolytic and lipogenic enzymes, but not of triglycerides, seems to be independent of the presence of lipoproteins or of unesterified fatty acids in the culture medium. Therefore, the differentiation program becomes operative when growth is arrested, and differentiation occurs, providing a source of exogenous lipids. Differentiated ob 17 cells in which endogenous triglycerides have been prelabeled on the fatty acid moiety do respond to epinephrine and corticotropin by release of radioactive fatty acid. This lipolytic response is counteracted by prior addition of insulin. The ob 17 cell line appears to be a useful model for study of growth and differentiation of adipose cells as compared to preadipocyte cell lines from the nongenetically obese mouse.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

Molecular requirements for B-lymphocyte activation by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide.

Certain Escherichia coli mutants altered in phosphatidylglycerol metabolism accumulate fatty acyl derivatives of glucosamine 1-phosphate. Especially prominent is 2,3-diacylglucosamine 1-phosphate (previously designated lipid X), which may be an early precursor of lipid A. We have examined the activity of lipid X (Mr = 711.9) and several related compounds as mitogens towards mouse lymphocytes. As judged by labeling with [methyl-3H]thymidine, lipid X is mitogenic, and it mimics the properties of lipopolysaccharide and lipid A. The following evidence suggests that lipid X exerts its effects by a route similar to that of lipopolysaccharide: (i) lymphocytes from C3H/HeJ mice, which are unresponsive to lipopolysaccharide, are also not stimulated by lipid X; (ii) polymyxin B abrogates lymphocyte stimulation by lipid X; and (iii) lipid X induces the proliferation and maturation of lymphocytes to antibody-producing plaque-forming cells. Selective removal of the ester-linked hydroxymyristate moiety at position 3 totally abolishes mitogenic activity. Other phospholipids, such as phosphatidic acid, CDP-diglyceride, phosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylcholine, have no activity as mitogens. If lipid X and lipid A induce by common mechanism(s) B-lymphocyte proliferation, then it follows from structural comparison that the reducing-end subunit of lipid A is the minimal structural requirement for this activity. Because the structure of lipid X is completely defined, biochemical and pharmacological dissection of B-cell activation by lipopolysaccharide should now be possible.

Animals↗

Characterization of lysosomal acid lipase by site-directed mutagenesis and heterologous expression.

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) is essential for the hydrolysis of cholesterol esters and triglycerides that are delivered to the lysosomes via the low density lipoprotein receptor system. The deficiency of LAL is associated with cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD) and Wolman's disease (WD). We cloned the human LAL cDNA and expressed the active enzyme in the baculovirus system. Two molecular forms (M(r) approximately 41,000 and approximately 46,000) with different glycosylation were found intracellularly, and approximately 24% of the M(r) approximately 46,000 form was secreted into the medium. Tunicamycin treatment produced only an inactive M(r) approximately 41,000 form. This result implicates glycosylation occupancy in the proper folding for active-site function. Catalytic activity was greater toward cis- than trans-unsaturated fatty acid esters of 4-methylumbelliferone and toward esters with 7-carbon length acyl chains. LAL cleaved cholesterol esters and mono-, tri-, and diglycerides. Heparin had a biphasic effect on enzymatic activity with initial activation followed by inhibition. Inhibition of LAL activity by tetrahydrolipstatin and diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate suggested the presence of active serines in binding/catalytic domain(s) of the protein. Site-directed mutagenesis at two putative active centers, GXSXG, showed that Ser153 was important to catalytic activity, whereas Ser99 was not and neither was the catalytic nucleophile. Three reported mutations (L179P, L336P, and delta AG302 deletion) from CESD patients were created and expressed in the Sf9 cell system. None cleaved cholesterol esters, and L179P and L336P cleaved only triolein at approximately 4% of wild-type levels. These results suggest that mechanisms, in addition to LAL defects, may operate in the selective accumulation of cholesterol esters or triglycerides in CESD and WD patients.

Animals↗

Phase transition behavior and molecular structures of monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines. Calorimetric studies and molecular mechanics simulations.

High resolution differential scanning calorimetric studies were performed to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of 26 molecular species of sn-1 saturated/sn-2 monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines. In parallel with calorimetric studies, the energy-minimized structures and steric energies of the diglyceride moieties of these monoenoic lipids were determined using a molecular mechanics approach. The combined calorimetric and computational studies led to the following results and conclusions. (i) When a single cis-carbon-carbon double bond (delta) is incorporated into a saturated diacylphosphatidylcholine molecule at any position within the central segment of the long sn-2 acyl chain, the resulting monoenoic lipid molecules will, in excess water, exhibit reduced phase transition temperature (Tm) and transition enthalpy (delta H) as they undergo the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition. The Tm and delta H-lowering effects of the delta bond can be attributed to a decrease in the chain length of the sn-2 acyl chain, a change in the chain length difference between the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains, and a local perturbation of the chain-chain van der Waals interaction in the vicinity of the delta bond. (ii) For a series of positional isomers of 1-stearoyl-2-cis-octadecenoylphosphatidylcholine, C(18):C(18:1 delta n)PC, with a delta bond at different positions along the sn-2 acyl chain, the Tm value depends critically on the position of the delta bond. Specifically, the Tm value is minimal as the delta bond is located at the geometric center of the linear segment of the sn-2 acyl chain, and the Tm value is progressively increased as the delta bond migrates toward either end of the sn-2 acyl chain. (iii) The various monoenoic phosphatidylcholines under study can be divided into two groups. The Tm values of most lipids in each group can be correlated in an identical manner with their structural parameters, yielding a common Tm-structure relationship.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning↗

Protein kinase CbetaII activation by 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine is antagonistic to stimulation of apoptosis and Bcl-2alpha down-regulation.

1-beta-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) stimulates the formation of both diglyceride and ceramide in the acute myelogenous leukemia cell line HL-60 (Strum, J. C., Small, G. W., Pauig, S. B., and Daniel, L. W. (1994) J. Biol. Chem 269, 15493-15497). ara-C also causes apoptosis in HL-60 cells which can be mimicked by exogenous ceramide. However, the signaling role for ara-C-induced diacylglycerol (DAG) is not defined. We found that Bcl-2 levels were increased by treatment of HL-60 cells with exogenous DAG or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). In contrast, exogenous ceramide treatment caused a decrease in cellular Bcl-2 levels. Thus, ara-C stimulates the synthesis of two second messengers with opposing effects on Bcl-2. Since the effects of ara-C-induced DAG could be due to protein kinase C (PKC) activation, we determined the effects of ara-C on PKC isozymes. ara-C caused an increase in membrane-bound PKCbetaII (but not PKCalpha or PKCdelta). ara-C or TPA-induced translocation of PKCbetaII was inhibited by 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3), and ara-C-induced apoptosis was stimulated by pretreatment of the cells with ET-18-OCH3. ET-18-OCH3 also inhibited stimulation of Bcl-2 by TPA and enhanced the decrease in Bcl-2 observed in ara-C-treated cells. These data indicate that ara-C-induced apoptosis is limited by ara-C-stimulated PKCbetaII through effects on Bcl-2. To further determine the role of PKC, we used antisense oligonucleotides directed toward PKCbetaII. The antisense, but not the sense, oligonucleotide inhibited PKCbetaII activation and enhanced ara-C-induced apoptosis. These data demonstrate that the stimulation of apoptosis by ara-C is self-limiting and can be enhanced by inhibition of PKC.

Apoptosis↗

CD95/Fas-induced ceramide formation proceeds with slow kinetics and is not blocked by caspase-3/CPP32 inhibition.

The current confusion regarding the relevance of endogenous ceramide in mediating CD95/Fas-induced apoptosis is based mainly on (i) discrepancies in kinetics of the ceramide response between different studies using the same apoptotic stimulus and (ii) the observation that late ceramide formation (hours) often parallels apoptosis onset. We investigated CD95-induced ceramide formation in Jurkat cells, using two methods (radiolabeling/thin layer chromatography and benzoylation/high performance liquid chromatography), which, unlike the commonly used diglyceride kinase assay, discriminate between ceramide species and de novo formed dihydroceramide. We demonstrate that ceramide accumulates after several hours, reaching a 7-fold increase after 8 h, kinetics closely paralleling apoptosis induction. No fast response was observed, not even in the presence of inhibitors of ceramide metabolism. The majority ( approximately 70%) of the ceramide response remained unaffected when apoptosis was completely inhibited at the level of caspase-3/CPP32 processing by the inhibitor peptide DEVD-CHO. Exogenous cell-permeable C2-ceramide induced the proteolytic processing of caspase-3, albeit with somewhat slower kinetics than with CD95. DEVD-CHO dose-dependently inhibited C2-ceramide- or exogenous sphingomyelinase-induced apoptosis. The results support the idea that ceramide acts in conjunction with the caspase cascade in CD95-induced apoptosis.

Apoptosis↗

Differential regulation of human neutrophil FcgammaRIIa (CD32) and FcgammaRIIIb (CD16)-induced Ca2+ transients.

Human neutrophils express two structurally distinct receptors for the Fc region of IgG, FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIb. Although earlier studies have suggested that the functional properties of these receptors are similar, mounting evidence suggests that these receptors are capable of inducing distinct functional responses. Accordingly, we have examined the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ transients induced by each of these receptors alone (homotypic receptor cross-linking) and together (heterotypic receptor cross-linking). The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored FcgammaRIIIb induces a rise in [Ca2+] after homotypic cross-linking that is independent of ligand-mediated engagement of the transmembrane FcgammaRIIa. Both receptors were sensitive to the protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate, but FcgammaRIIa-induced signaling was uniquely sensitive to the protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. FcgammaRIIa but not FcgammaRIIIb engages a cAMP-sensitive and inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate-dependent pathway(s) that results in the Ca2+-transient. When these receptors are cross-linked into heterotypic clusters, a synergistic rise in [Ca2+] is observed that is accompanied by synergistic increases in the phospholipase Cgamma-breakdown products inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diglyceride. These data provide a mechanism for the functional differences between these two receptors and suggest the possibility that they can be differentially modulated.

Biological Transport↗

Defective fatty acid uptake in the spontaneously hypertensive rat is a primary determinant of altered glucose metabolism, hyperinsulinemia, and myocardial hypertrophy.

Genetic linkage studies implicated deficiency of CD36, a membrane fatty acid (FA) transporter, in the hypertriglyceridemia and hyperinsulinemia of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). In this study we determined whether loss of CD36 function in FA uptake is a primary determinant of the SHR phenotype. In vivo, tissue distribution of iodinated, poorly oxidized beta-methyliodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) was examined 2 h after its intravenous injection. Fatty acid transport was also measured in vitro over 20 to 120 s in isolated adipocytes and cardiomyocytes obtained from SHR and from a congenic line (SHRchr4) that incorporates a piece of chromosome 4 containing wild-type CD36. SHR heart and adipose tissue exhibited defects in FA uptake and in conversion of diglycerides to triglycerides that are similar to those observed in the CD36 null mouse. However, a key difference in SHR tissues is that fatty acid oxidation is much more severely impaired than fatty acid esterification, which may underlie the 4-5-fold accumulation of free BMIPP measured in SHR muscle. Studies with isolated adipocytes and cardiomyocytes directly confirmed both the defect in FA transport and the fact that it is underestimated by BMIPP. Heart, oxidative muscle, and adipose tissue in the SHR exhibited a large increase in glucose uptake measured in vivo using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose. Supplementation of the diet with short-chain fatty acids, which do not require CD36-facilitated transport, eliminated the increase in glucose uptake, the hyperinsulinemia, and the heart hypertrophy in the SHR. This indicated that lack of metabolic energy consequent to deficient FA uptake is the primary defect responsible for these abnormalities. Hypertension was not alleviated by the supplemented diet suggesting it is unrelated to fuel supply and any contribution of CD36 deficiency to this trait may be more complex to determine. It may be worth exploring whether short-chain FA supplementation can reverse some of the deleterious effects of CD36 deficiency in humans, which may include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Adipose Tissue↗

Hormone-sensitive lipase deficiency in mice changes the plasma lipid profile by affecting the tissue-specific expression pattern of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue and muscle.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is believed to play an important role in the mobilization of fatty acids from triglycerides (TG), diglycerides, and cholesteryl esters in various tissues. Because HSL-mediated lipolysis of TG in adipose tissue (AT) directly feeds non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) into the vascular system, the enzyme is expected to affect many metabolic processes including the metabolism of plasma lipids and lipoproteins. In the present study we examined these metabolic changes in induced mutant mouse lines that lack HSL expression (HSL-ko mice). During fasting, when HSL is normally strongly induced in AT, HSL-ko animals exhibited markedly decreased plasma concentrations of NEFA (-40%) and TG (-63%), whereas total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels were increased (+34%). Except for the increased HDL cholesterol concentrations, these differences were not observed in fed animals, in which HSL activity is generally low. Decreased plasma TG levels in fasted HSL-ko mice were mainly caused by decreased hepatic very low density lipid lipoprotein (VLDL) synthesis as a result of decreased NEFA transport from the periphery to the liver. Reduced NEFA transport was also indicated by a depletion of hepatic TG stores (-90%) and strongly decreased ketone body concentrations in plasma (-80%). Decreased plasma NEFA and TG levels in fasted HSL-ko mice were associated with increased fractional catabolic rates of VLDL-TG and an induction of the tissue-specific lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and white AT. In brown AT, LPL activity was decreased. Both increased VLDL fractional catabolic rates and increased LPL activity in muscle were unable to provide the heart with sufficient NEFA, which led to decreased tissue TG levels in cardiac muscle. Our results demonstrate that HSL deficiency markedly affects the metabolism of TG-rich lipoproteins by the coordinate down-regulation of VLDL synthesis and up-regulation of LPL in muscle and white adipose tissue. These changes result in an "anti-atherogenic" lipoprotein profile.

Adipose Tissue↗

Seasonal changes in oleosomic lipids and fatty acids of perennial root nodules of beach pea.

Seasonal changes in the fatty acid composition of phospholipids (PL), monoglycerides (MG), diglycerides (DG), free fatty acids (FA) and triglycerides (TG) separated from oleosomes (lipid bodies) of perennial root nodules of beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus) were analysed. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) revealed that PL and MG are the major lipids in nodule oleosomes. The fatty acid profile and overall double bond index (DBI) varied among lipid classes depending upon the season. High DBI in PL and MG found during late winter and early spring indicated that they may play a major role in winter survival and regeneration of perennial nodules. The DBI of DG was high at the end of the fall season and the DBI of FA and TG was high in summer months. The dominant fatty acids are C16:0 followed by C18:0 and C18:1. The levels of many unsaturated fatty acids such as C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 increased while saturated fatty acid C18:0 decreased during winter. These unsaturated fatty acids possibly play an important role in the protection of nodule cells from cold stress. Nodules seem to retain some fatty acids and selectively utilize specific fatty acids to survive the winter and regenerate in spring.

Fatty Acids↗