Perinatal hepatocyte/hepatoma hybrids: construction of clones that express the developmentally regulated monoacyglycerol acyltransferase activity.
Microsomal monoacyglycerol acyltransferase is a developmentally expressed enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of sn-1,2-diacylglycerol from sn-2-monoacylglycerol and palmitoyl-CoA. The activity is present in liver from fetal and suckling rats but is absent in the adult. In order to obtain a stable permanent cell line that expresses this activity, Fao rat hepatoma cells and hepatocytes from 8-day-old baby rats were hybridized and clones were selected. Two hybrids (HA1 and HA7) expressed monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. Like fetal hepatocytes, but unlike hepatocytes from postnatal rats, the HA cells had high rates of [14C]acetate incorporation into glycerolipids, cholesterol, and cholesteryl esters, and they secreted triacylglycerol into the media. Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase specific activity increased 2.5-fold as the cells divided in culture, suggesting growth-dependent regulation. The specific activities of glycerol-P acyltransferase, the committed step of the microsomal pathway of glycerolipid synthesis, and diacylglycerol acyltransferase, the activity unique to triacylglycerol biosynthesis, were comparable to the levels of the corresponding activities in fetal hepatocytes. Addition of insulin or dexamethasone to the media increased the incorporation of [14C]oleate into triacyglycerol about 1.7-fold within 2 h, but had little effect on [14C]oleate incorporation into phospholipid. These hormonally responsive rat-hepatoma/hepatocyte hybrids reflect the fetal stage of hepatocyte development in five major aspects of lipid metabolism: sterol, fatty acid, and triacylglycerol biosynthesis, glycerolipid secretion, and the presence of the developmentally expressed monoacylglycerol pathway.
Coleman
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Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Bardes
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D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000217:Acyltransferases; C021802:2-acylglycerol O-acyltransferase