Open AccessTransport of Activated Fatty Acids by the Peroxisomal ATP‐binding‐cassette Transporter Pxa2 in a Semi‐Intact Yeast Cell System
Author(s) -
Verleur Nicolette,
Hettema Ewald H.,
Roermund Carlo W. T.,
Tabak Henk F.,
Wanders Ronald J. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1997.00657.x
Subject(s) - peroxisome , biochemistry , peroxisomal targeting signal , yeast , free fatty acid receptor , adrenoleukodystrophy , saccharomyces cerevisiae , atp binding cassette transporter , fatty acid , digitonin , chemistry , transporter , biology , membrane , gene , polyunsaturated fatty acid
In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , fatty acid β‐oxidation is restricted to peroxisomes. Previous studies have shown two possible routes by which fatty acids enter the peroxisome. The first route involves transport of medium‐chain fatty acids across the peroxisomal membrane as free fatty acids, followed by activation within the peroxisome by Faa2p, an acyl‐CoA synthetase. The second route involves transport of long‐chain fatty acids. Long‐chain fatty acids enter the peroxisome via a route that involves activation in the extraperoxisomal space, followed by transport across the peroxisomal membrane. It has been suggested that this transport is dependent upon the peroxisomal ATP‐binding‐cassette transporters Pxa1p and Pxa2p. In this paper we investigated whether Pxa2p is directly responsible for the transport of C18:1‐CoA, a long‐chain acyl‐CoA ester. Using protoplasts in which the plasma membrane has been selectively permeabilised by digitonin, we show that C18:1‐CoA, but not C8:0‐CoA, enters the peroxisome via Pxa2p, in an ATP‐dependent fashion. The results obtained may contribute to the elucidation of the primary defect in the human disease X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy.