title: Acylation of proteins by myristic acid in isolated mitochondria.
abstract: Isolated and highly purified mitochondria from rat liver were incubated with [1-14C]myristate, solubilized in boiling sodium dodecyl sulfate, and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Six to eight protein bands were found to be radioactively labeled. If the mitochondria were heated for 5 min at 95 degrees C prior to incubation with this fatty acid, no labeling was observed. By preexposing the mitochondria to unlabeled fatty acids of varying chain lengths, the extent of labeling by [1-14C]myristate was reduced in a chain length-dependent manner, exhibiting maximal inhibition at lauric acid. Reversibility of the labeling was demonstrated by chasing the incorporated radioactivity with unlabeled fatty acids of varying chain length, resulting in a maximal displacement of the tracer again by lauric acid. Fractionation of the labeled mitochondria into mitochondrial matrix and inner mitochondrial membrane components before or after labeling showed that the modified proteins are located inside the inner mitochondrial membrane. In both cases, the pattern of labeling was different from the one observed with intact mitochondria. The labeled bands in the gel were sensitive to alkaline methanol or hydroxylamine treatment. The radioactivity recovered after this treatment co-migrated with myristic acid on thin layer chromatography plates. The chain length specificity and the rapid reversibility of the observed acylation argue for a new type of reaction, different from the acylation observed in whole cells. The possible involvement of the acylated proteins in the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Pharmakologisches Institut der Universität Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Stucki
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000818:Animals; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D019811:Hydroxylamine; D006898:Hydroxylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019814:Myristic Acid; D009227:Myristic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D006898:Hydroxylamines; D009227:Myristic Acids; D011506:Proteins; D019814:Myristic Acid; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D019811:Hydroxylamine