Transport of fatty acids and metabolites across the peroxisomal membrane

• Published in: BBA - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids Vol. 1486; no. 1; pp. 18 - 27
• Main Authors: Hettema, Ewald H., Tabak, Henk F.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 26.06.2000
• Subjects: ABC-type transporter; Acyl Coenzyme A - metabolism; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily D, Member 1; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism; Biological Transport; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Fatty acid; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Intracellular Membranes - metabolism; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Oxidation-Reduction; Peroxisome; Peroxisomes - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Yeast; β-Oxidation; FAA, fatty acid activator; Yeast; LCFA, long-chain fatty acid (C16–C24); UFA, unsaturated fatty acid; VLACS, very-long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase; β-Oxidation; MCFA, medium-chain fatty acid (C8–C14); PAT, peroxisomal ATP-binding cassette transporter; X-ALD, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy; Fatty acid; ABC-type transporter; Peroxisome; FATP, fatty acid transport protein; VLCFA, very long-chain fatty acid (C26)
• ISSN: 1388-1981; 0006-3002; 1879-2618
• DOI: 10.1016/S1388-1981(00)00045-7

The peroxisomal membrane forms a permeability barrier for a wide variety of metabolites required for and formed during fatty acid β-oxidation. To communicate with the cytoplasm and mitochondria, peroxisomes need dedicated proteins to transport such hydrophilic molecules across their membranes. Genetic and biochemical studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have identified enzymes for redox shuttles as well as the first peroxisomal membrane transporter. This peroxisomal ATP-binding cassette transporter (Pat) is highly homologous to the gene mutated in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The yeast Pat is required for import of activated fatty acids into peroxisomes suggesting that this is the primary defect in X-ALD.