Biotin regulates the genetic expression of holocarboxylase synthetase and mitochondrial carboxylases in rats.

Biotin is the cofactor of carboxylases [pyruvate (PC), propionyl-CoA (PCC), 3-methyl crotonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA], to which it is covalently bound by the action of holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS). We have studied whether biotin also regulates their expression, as it does other, nonrelated enzymes (e.g., glucokinase, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase, guanylate cyclase). For this purpose, HCS, PC and PCC mRNAs were studied in biotin-deficient rat liver, kidney, muscle and brain of biotin-deficient rats. PC- and PCC-specific activities and protein masses were also measured. The 24-h time course of HCS mRNA in deficient rats was examined after biotin supplementation. HCS mRNA was significantly reduced during vitamin deficiency. It increased in deficient rats after biotin was injected, reaching control levels 24 h after administration. These changes seem to be the first known instance in mammals of an effect of a water-soluble vitamin on a mRNA functionally related to it. In contrast, the decreased activities of the carboxylases were associated with reductions in the amounts of their enzyme proteins except in brain. However, their mRNA levels were not affected. There are no reports on these types of vitamin affecting the mRNA or protein levels of their apoenzymes or their products. This work provides evidence for biotin being a modulator of the genetic expression of the enzymes involved in its function as a cofactor. As such, it may be a useful model for probing a similar role for other water-soluble vitamins.

[Importance of biotin metabolism]. / Importancia del metabolismo de la biotina.

Biotin is a water soluble enzyme cofactor that belongs to the vitamin B complex. In humans, biotin is involved in important metabolic pathways such as gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and amino acid catabolism by acting a as prosthetic group for pyruvate carboxylase, propionyl-CoA carboxylase, beta-methylcrotinyl-CoA carboxylase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Carboxylases are synthesized as apo-carboxylases without biotin and the active form is produced by their covalent binding of biotin to the epsilon-amino group of a lysine residue of the apocarboxylases. This reaction is catalyzed by the holo-carboxylase synthetase. The last step in the degradation of carboxylases, the cleavage of the biotinyl moiety from the epsilon-amino group lysine residues, is catalyzed by biotinidase and results in the release of free biotin, which can be recycled. Biotin regulates the catabolic enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase at the posttranscriptional level whereas the holo-carboxylase synthetase is regulated at the transcriptional level. Aside from its role in the regulation of gene expression of carboxylases, biotin has been implicated in the induction of the receptor for the asialoglycoprotein, glycolytic enzymes and of egg yolk biotin binding proteins. Biotin deficiency in humans is extremely rare and is generally associated with prolonged parenteral nutrition, the consumption of large quantities of avidin, usually in the form of raw eggs, severe malnutrition and, inherited metabolic disorders. In humans, there are autosomal recessive disorders of biotin metabolism that result from the disruption of the activity of biotinidase or holo-carboxylase synthetase.

Differential effects of biotin deficiency and replenishment on rat liver pyruvate and propionyl-CoA carboxylases and on their mRNAs.

Although the role of vitamins as prosthetic groups of enzymes is well known, their participation in the regulation of their genetic expression has been much less explored. We studied the effect of biotin on the genetic expression of rat liver mitochondrial carboxylases: pyruvate carboxylase (PC), propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC), and 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC). Rats were made biotin-deficient and were sacrificed after 8 to 10 weeks, when deficiency manifestations began to appear. At this time, hepatic PCC activity was 20% of the control values or lower, and there was an abnormally high urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, a marker of biotin deficiency. Biotin was added to deficient primary cultured hepatocytes. It took at least 24 h after the addition of biotin for PCC to achieve control activity and biotinylation levels, whereas PC became active and fully biotinylated in the first hour. The enzyme's mass was assessed in liver homogenates from biotin-deficient rats and incubated with biotin to convert the apocarboxylases into holocarboylases, which were detected by streptavidin blots. The amount of PC was minimally affected by biotin deficiency, whereas that of the alpha subunits of PCC and of MCC decreased substantially in deficient livers, which likely explains the reactivation and rebiotinylation results. The expression of PC and alphaPCC was studied at the mRNA level by Northern blots and RT/PCR; no significant changes were observed in the deficient livers. These results suggest that biotin regulates the expression of the catabolic carboxylases (PCC and MCC), that this regulation occurs after the posttranscriptional level, and that pyruvate carboxylase, a key enzyme for gluconeogenesis, Krebs cycle anaplerosis, and fatty acid synthesis, is spared of this control.