The lysosomal pathway of intracellular proteolysis in liver: regulation by amino acids.
The bulk of cellular protein in hepatocytes is sequestered and degraded by two classes of autophagy, (a) an overt or macro form, and (b) microautophagy. Macroautophagy is rapidly induced by amino acid deprivation and the administration of glucagon and suppressed by amino acids and insulin. Amino acids appear to be its primary regulator since liver perfusion studies have shown that it can be inhibited almost completely and proteolysis decreased from maximal (4.5% hr) to basal rates (1.7%/hr) by 4 times normal plasma amino acid concentrations. The resulting alterations in the aggregate volume of autophagic vacuoles are associated with proportional changes in the amount of cytoplasmic protein sequestered and in rates of protein degradation. Since the apparent turnover of autophagic vacuoles is 0.087 min-1, the pools of sequestered protein at all levels of macroautophagic stimulation are sufficient to account fully for the observed rates of accelerated rate of proteolysis. Microautophagy differs from the former in that the cytoplasmic 'bite' is smaller and it is not subject to acute physiological regulation. It is, however, dramatically decreased to near zero during refeeding after prior starvation. These and other findings indicate that it is adaptively regulated, possibly as a consequence of alterations in the amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The amino acid control of accelerated protein degradation appears to involve direct inhibition by a small group of amino acids (Leu, Tyr/Phe, Gln, Pro, Met, Trp, and His) and the permissive action of alanine. Of unusual interest is the fact that, whereas the inhibitory amino acid group evokes responses identical to a complete amino acid mixture at 0.5x and 4x normal amino acid concentrations, it loses its effectiveness at normal levels; similar responses have been shown for leucine alone. The loss of effectiveness at normal concentrations is abolished by the addition of 0.5 mM alanine which by itself is not directly inhibitory. No other amino acid can replace alanine. These findings suggest a novel role for alanine that could be of importance in linking energy demands to proteolysis. A hypothetical model for proteolytic regulation by leucine and the other inhibitory amino acids is presented.
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010477:Perfusion; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D000596:Amino Acids; D011506:Proteins