title: Mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-deficient mice have reduced weight and liver triacylglycerol content and altered glycerolipid fatty acid composition.
abstract: Microsomal and mitochondrial isoforms of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT; E.C. 2.3.1.15) catalyze the committed step in glycerolipid synthesis. The mitochondrial isoform, mtGPAT, was believed to control the positioning of saturated fatty acids at the sn-1 position of phospholipids, and nutritional, hormonal, and overexpression studies suggested that mtGPAT activity is important for the synthesis of triacylglycerol. To determine whether these purported functions were true, we constructed mice deficient in mtGPAT. mtGPAT(-/-) mice weighed less than controls and had reduced gonadal fat pad weights and lower hepatic triacylglycerol content, plasma triacylglycerol, and very low density lipoprotein triacylglycerol secretion. As predicted, in mtGPAT(-/-) liver, the palmitate content was lower in triacylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Positional analysis revealed that mtGPAT(-/-) liver phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine had about 21% less palmitate in the sn-1 position and 36 and 40%, respectively, more arachidonate in the sn-2 position. These data confirm the important role of mtGPAT in the synthesis of triacylglycerol, in the fatty acid content of triacylglycerol and cholesterol esters, and in the positioning of specific fatty acids, particularly palmitate and arachidonate, in phospholipids. The increase in arachidonate may be functionally significant in terms of eicosanoid production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. rcoleman@unc.edu
authors.forename: Linda E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Shuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: Kimberly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kluckman
authors.forename: Eugenia L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Posey-Marcos
authors.forename: Nobuyo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Rosalind A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D007527:Isoenzymes; D014280:Triglycerides; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase