title: A novel arachidonate-preferring acyl-CoA synthetase is present in steroidogenic cells of the rat adrenal, ovary, and testis.
abstract: We report herein the cDNA cloning of a novel rat acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) that preferentially uses arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate. This newly identified ACS (designated ACS4) contains 670 amino acids and is 68% identical to rat ACS3, a previously characterized ACS that is highly expressed in brain. ACS4 was overproduced in Escherichia coli and the resulting enzyme was purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme utilizes arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate most preferentially among C8-C22 saturated fatty acids and C14-C22 unsaturated fatty acids. Kinetic analyses revealed that the enzyme has a high affinity for arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate and low affinity for palmitate. ACS4 transcripts are detectable in a wide range of tissues, with the highest level in adrenal gland. Immunoreactivity to ACS4 was detected in the zona fasciculata and reticularis of adrenal gland, in the corpus luteum and stromal luteinized cells in ovary, and in the Leydig cells of testis.
authors.affiliation: Tohoku University Gene Research Center, School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minekura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yabuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000201:enzymology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases; C090799:FAA2 protein, S cerevisiae; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase