Transcriptome analysis suggests a compensatory role of the cofactors coenzyme A and NAD+ in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase knockout mice

Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 10;9(1):14539. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50758-0.

Abstract

During fasting, mitochondrial fatty-acid β-oxidation (mFAO) is essential for the generation of glucose by the liver. Children with a loss-of-function deficiency in the mFAO enzyme medium-chain acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) are at serious risk of life-threatening low blood glucose levels during fasting in combination with intercurrent disease. However, a subset of these children remains asymptomatic throughout life. In MCAD-deficient (MCAD-KO) mice, glucose levels are similar to those of wild-type (WT) mice, even during fasting. We investigated if metabolic adaptations in the liver may underlie the robustness of this KO mouse. WT and KO mice were given a high- or low-fat diet and subsequently fasted. We analyzed histology, mitochondrial function, targeted mitochondrial proteomics, and transcriptome in liver tissue. Loss of MCAD led to a decreased capacity to oxidize octanoyl-CoA. This was not compensated for by altered protein levels of the short- and long-chain isoenzymes SCAD and LCAD. In the transcriptome, we identified subtle adaptations in the expression of genes encoding enzymes catalyzing CoA- and NAD(P)(H)-involving reactions and of genes involved in detoxification mechanisms. We discuss how these processes may contribute to robustness in MCAD-KO mice and potentially also in asymptomatic human subjects with a complete loss of MCAD activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadherins / genetics*
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Coenzyme A / chemistry*
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • NAD / chemistry*
  • Oxygen / chemistry
  • Phenotype
  • Proteome
  • Proteomics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Transcriptome*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Proteome
  • RNA, Messenger
  • NAD
  • M-cadherin
  • Oxygen
  • Coenzyme A