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Uncoupling effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency in isolated rat hepatocytes:effect on glycerol metabolism.

ABSTRACT: The effects of a 4-week deficiency in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in isolated rat hepatocytes have been investigated for oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) or glycerol metabolism. Oxygen uptake was significantly increased (by 20%) with or without fatty acid addition (octanoate or oleate) in the PUFA-deficient group compared with controls. The effect persisted after oligomycin addition but not after that of potassium cyanide, leading to the conclusion that, in these intact cells, the mitochondria were uncoupled. The PUFA-deficient group exhibited a significant decrease in the cytosolic ATP/ADP ratio, whereas the mitochondrial ratio was not affected. PUFA deficiency led to a 16% decrease in DHA metabolism owing to a 34% decrease in glycerol kinase activity; the significant decrease in the ATP/ADP ratio was accompanied by an increase in the fractional glycolytic flux. In contrast, glycerol metabolism was significantly enhanced in the PUFA-deficient group. The role of the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step in this stimulation was evidenced in hepatocytes perifused with glycerol and octanoate in the presence of increased concentrations of 2,4-dinitrophenol (Dnp): uncoupling with Dnp led to an enhancement of glycerol metabolism, as found in PUFA deficiency, although it was more pronounced than in controls. The matrix/cytosol gradients for redox potential and ATP/ADP ratio were lower in cells from PUFA-deficient rats, suggesting a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in accordance with the uncoupling effect. Moreover, a doubling of the mitochondrial glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the PUFA-deficient group compared with controls led us to conclude that the activation of glycerol metabolism is the consequence of two mitochondrial effects: uncoupling and an increase in glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity.

SUBMITTER: Piquet MA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1217538 | biostudies-other | 1996 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis worldwide, has the nasopharynges of small children as its main ecological niche. Depletion of pneumococci from this niche would reduce the disease burden and could be achieved using small molecules with narrow-spectrum antibacterial activity. We identified the alkylated dicyclohexyl carboxylic acid 2CCA-1 as a potent inducer of autolysin-mediated lysis of S. pneumoniae, while having low activity against Staphylococcus aureus 2CCA-1-resistant strains were found to have inactivating mutations in fakB3, known to be required for uptake of host polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as through inactivation of the transcriptional regulator gene fabT, vital for endogenous, de novo fatty acid synthesis regulation. Structure activity relationship exploration revealed that, besides the central dicyclohexyl group, the fatty acid-like structural features of 2CCA-1 were essential for its activity. The lysis-inducing activity of 2CCA-1 was considerably more potent than that of free fatty acids and required growing bacteria, suggesting that 2CCA-1 needs to be metabolized to exert its antimicrobial activity. Total lipid analysis of 2CCA-1 treated bacteria identified unique masses that were modeled to 2CCA-1 containing lysophosphatidic and phosphatidic acid in wild-type but not in fakB3 mutant bacteria. This suggests that 2CCA-1 is metabolized as a fatty acid via FakB3 and utilized as a phospholipid building block, leading to accumulation of toxic phospholipid species. Analysis of FabT-mediated fakB3 expression elucidates how the pneumococcus could ensure membrane homeostasis and concurrent economic use of host-derived fatty acids.IMPORTANCE Fatty acid biosynthesis is an attractive antibiotic target, as it affects the supply of membrane phospholipid building blocks. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, it is not sufficient to target only the endogenous fatty acid synthesis machinery, as uptake of host fatty acids may bypass this inhibition. Here, we describe a small-molecule compound, 2CCA-1, with potent bactericidal activity that upon interactions with the fatty acid binding protein FakB3, which is present in a limited number of Gram-positive species, becomes metabolized and incorporated as a toxic phospholipid species. Resistance to 2CCA-1 developed specifically in fakB3 and the regulatory gene fabT These mutants reveal a regulatory connection between the extracellular polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and endogenous fatty acid synthesis in S. pneumoniae, which could ensure balance between efficient scavenging of host polyunsaturated fatty acids and membrane homeostasis. The data might be useful in the identification of narrow-spectrum treatment strategies to selectively target members of the Lactobacillales such as S. pneumoniae.

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Uncoupling effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency in isolated rat hepatocytes:effect on glycerol metabolism.

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