title: Peroxisomal acyl-CoA synthetases.
abstract: Peroxisomes carry out many essential lipid metabolic functions. Nearly all of these functions require that an acyl group-either a fatty acid or the acyl side chain of a steroid derivative-be thioesterified to coenzyme A (CoA) for subsequent reactions to proceed. This thioesterification, or "activation", reaction, catalyzed by enzymes belonging to the acyl-CoA synthetase family, is thus central to cellular lipid metabolism. However, despite our rather thorough understanding of peroxisomal metabolic pathways, surprisingly little is known about the specific peroxisomal acyl-CoA synthetases that participate in these pathways. Of the 26 acyl-CoA synthetases encoded by the human and mouse genomes, only a few have been reported to be peroxisomal, including ACSL4, SLC27A2, and SLC27A4. In this review, we briefly describe the primary peroxisomal lipid metabolic pathways in which fatty acyl-CoAs participate. Then, we examine the evidence for presence and functions of acyl-CoA synthetases in peroxisomes, much of which was obtained before the existence of multiple acyl-CoA synthetase isoenzymes was known. Finally, we discuss the role(s) of peroxisome-specific acyl-CoA synthetase isoforms in lipid metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Hugo W. Moser Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA. watkins@kennedykrieger.org
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018901:Peroxisomal Disorders / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A; D005227:Fatty Acids; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases