title: Metabolism of exogenous cholesterol by rat adrenal mitochondria is stimulated equally by physiological levels of free Ca2+ and by GTP.
abstract: Adrenal mitochondria metabolize cholesterol at inner membrane (IM) cytochrome P450scc. Exogenous and outer membrane (OM) cholesterol are metabolized more slowly due to a limiting transfer of cholesterol from OM to IM. This process is stimulated by in vivo ACTH treatment and inhibited by cycloheximide (CX)-induced depletion of labile regulatory proteins. In isolated rat adrenal mitochondria, GTP enhances the metabolism of exogenous cholesterol, consistent with enhanced intermembrane cholesterol transfer (Xu et al. (1989) J. Biol Chem. 264, 17674), but metabolism of 20 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, which readily traverses mitochondrial membranes, is not affected. The non-hydrolyzable analog, GTP gamma S, completely inhibits the activation of cholesterol metabolism by GTP, suggesting a requirement for GTP hydrolysis. Low concentrations of Ca2+ (0.4-4 microM) stimulate two independent cholesterol transport processes. For exogenous cholesterol, a Ca(2+)-mediated process can replace GTP since each produces comparable stimulation and the combination produces little additional activity. This Ca2+ stimulation is insensitive to GTP gamma S and also to Ruthenium Red (RR), which prevents Ca2+ entry into the matrix. Ca2+ also enhances availability to P450 scc of endogenous OM cholesterol, which accumulates during in vivo CX-inhibition. This stimulation is, however, distinguished by insensitivity to GTP and complete inhibition by RR. Ca2+, therefore, enhances intermembrane transfer of exogenous cholesterol from OM without entry into the matrix through a process which is independently stimulated by GTP. Ca2+ induces transfer of endogenous OM cholesterol through a completely different mechanism involving RR-inhibited matrix changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kowluru
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jefcoate
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000378:metabolism; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000494:pharmacology; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012430:Ruthenium Red / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012430:Ruthenium Red; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol; D003513:Cycloheximide; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D002118:Calcium