Regulation of fatty acid synthesis and malonyl-CoA content in mouse brown adipose tissue in response to cold-exposure, starvation or re-feeding

1. The effect of nutritional status on fatty acid synthesis in brown adipose tissue was compared with the effect of cold-exposure. Fatty acid synthesis was measured in vivo by 3H2O incorporation into tissue lipids. The activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase and the tissue concentrations of malonyl-CoA and citrate were assayed. 2. In brown adipose tissue of control mice, the tissue content of malonyl-CoA was 13 nmol/g wet wt., higher than values reported in other tissues. From the total tissue water content, the minimum possible concentration was estimated to be 30 microM 3. There were parallel changes in fatty acid synthesis, malonyl-CoA content and acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in response to starvation and re-feeding. 4. There was no correlation between measured rates of fatty acid synthesis and malonyl-CoA content and acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in acute cold-exposure. The results suggest there is simultaneous fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in brown adipose tissue of cold-exposed mice. This is probably effected not by decreases in the malonyl-CoA content, but by increases in the concentration of free long-chain fatty acyl-CoA or enhanced peroxisomal oxidation, allowing shorter-chain fatty acids to enter the mitochondria independent of carnitine acyltransferase (overt form) activity.