Nuclear sterol regulatory element-binding proteins activate genes responsible for the entire program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in transgenic mouse liver
I. Shimomura et al., Nuclear sterol regulatory element-binding proteins activate genes responsible for the entire program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in transgenic mouse liver, J BIOL CHEM, 273(52), 1998, pp. 35299-35306
Previous studies have shown that the rate of fatty acid synthesis is elevat
ed by more than 20-fold in livers of transgenic mice that express truncated
nuclear forms of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). This
was explained in part by an increase in the levels of mRNA for the two maj
or enzymes of fatty acid synthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid s
ynthase, whose transcription is stimulated by SREBPs. Fatty acid synthesis
also requires a source of acetyl-CoA and NADPH. In the current studies we s
how that the levels of mRNA for ATP citrate lyase, the enzyme that produces
acetyl-CoA, are also elevated in the transgenic livers. In addition, we fo
und marked elevations in the mRNAs for malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate de
hydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, all of which produce NAD
PH. Finally, we found that overexpressing two of the SREBPs (la and 2) led
to elevated mRNAs for stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), an isoform that is
detectable in nontransgenic livers, and SCD2, an isoform that is not detect
ed in nontransgenic livers. This stimulation led to an increase in total SC
D activity in liver microsomes, Together, all of these changes would be exp
ected to lead to a marked increase in the concentration of monounsaturated
fatty acids in the transgenic livers, and this was confirmed chromatographi
cally. We conclude that expression of nuclear SREBPs is capable of activati
ng the entire coordinated program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in
mouse liver.