Direct demonstration that the deficient oxidation of very long chain fatty acids in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is due to an impaired ability of peroxisomes to activate very long chain fatty acids

R. J. Wanders, C. W. van Roermund, M. J. van Wijland, R. B. Schutgens, H. van den Bosch, A. W. Schram, J. M. Tager

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Abstract

A method was developed to prepare peroxisome-enriched fractions depleted of microsomes and mitochondria from cultured skin fibroblasts. The method consists of differential centrifugation of a postnuclear supernatant followed by density gradient centrifugation on a discontinuous Metrizamide gradient. The activity of hexacosanoyl-CoA synthetase was subsequently measured in postnuclear supernatants and peroxisome-enriched fractions prepared from cultured skin fibroblasts from control subjects and patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Whereas the hexacosanoyl-CoA synthetase activity in postnuclear supernatants of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy fibroblasts was only slightly decreased (77.8 +/- 4.4% of control (n = 15], enzyme activity was found to be much more markedly reduced in peroxisomal fractions isolated from the mutant fibroblasts (19.6 +/- 6.7% of control (n = 5]. This is a direct demonstration that the defect in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is at the level of a deficient ability of peroxisomes to activate very long chain fatty acids, as first suggested by Hashmi et al. [Hashmi, M., Stanley, W. and Singh, I. (1986) FEBS Lett. 86, 247-250]
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)618-624
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume153
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1988

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