title: Low activity of mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase in liver of starved piglets is due to low levels of protein despite high mRNA levels.
abstract: The unusually low hepatic ketogenic capacity of piglets has been correlated with lack of expression of the mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase gene. However, we have shown that starvation of 2-week-old piglets increased the mRNA levels of mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase to a level similar to that observed in starved rats (S. H. Adams, C. S. Alho, G. Asins, F. G. Hegardt, and P. F. Marrero, 1997, Biochem. J. 324, 65-73). We now report that antibodies against pig mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase detected the pig enzyme in mitochondria of 2-week-old starved piglets and that the pig mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase cDNA encodes an active enzyme in the eukaryotic cell line Mev-1, with catalytic behavior similar to that of the rat enzyme when expressed in the same system. We also show that low activity of pig mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase correlates with low expression of the pig enzyme. The discrepancy in mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase gene expression between the high levels of mRNA and low levels of enzyme was not associated with differences in transcript maturation, which suggests that an attenuated translation of the pig mRNA is responsible for the diminished ketogenic capacity of pig mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barrero
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Alho
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Hegardt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haro
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Marrero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D002384:Catalysis; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006224:Cricetinae; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D023282:Nuclease Protection Assays; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000378:metabolism; D013217:Starvation / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: C426904:2-amino-4-boronobutanoic acid; D000906:Antibodies; D001896:Boron Compounds; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016914:Ribonuclease H; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases