Pretranslational regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex subunits in white adipose tissue during the suckling-weaning transition in the rat

• Published in: Biochemical journal Vol. 311; no. 2; pp. 531 - 535
• Main Authors: Maury, J, Kerbey, A.L, Priestman, D.A, Patel, M.S, Girard, J, Ferre, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 15.10.1995
• Subjects: adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - enzymology; Animals; Animals, Suckling; Blotting, Western; diet; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; enzyme activity; immunoblotting; messenger RNA; Mitochondria - enzymology; protein subunits; pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoamide); Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; regulation; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; suckling; Weaning
• ISSN: 0264-6021; 1470-8728
• DOI: 10.1042/bj3110531

Total pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity is low in white adipose tissue during the suckling period and increases markedly at weaning on to a high-carbohydrate diet. This is concomitant with an increase in the E1 alpha, E1 beta and E2 subunit protein concentration and their respective mRNAs, suggesting a pretranslational control of this phenomenon. The most marked change is seen for the E1 alpha subunit (17-fold increase in protein concentration). The changes in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity and subunit abundance induced by weaning on to a high-carbohydrate diet are precluded if the animals are weaned on to a high-fat diet, suggesting that the nutritional and/or related hormonal changes rather than a developmental stage are responsible for the observed adipose-tissue pyruvate dehydrogenase complex pattern.