Testosterone induction of microsomal acyl-CoA reductase and a cytosolic regulatory protein in mouse preputial glands.

Alkyl and alk-1-enyl (plasmalogens) ether-linked glycerolipids are prominent components of many mammalian cells; moreover, an acetylated form of an alkyl phospholipid was recently found to possess potent hypotensive, inflammatory and allergic properties. In our studies, preputial glands of mice were selected as a model to investigate the regulation of factors involved in the biosynthesis of ether-linked lipids, since these glands contain high concentrations of ether-linked neutral lipids that are under the influence of hormonal control. We found that a key enzyme in the ether-lipid metabolic pathway, microsomal acyl-CoA reductase that catalyzes the formation of long-chain fatty alcohols (precursor of the O-alkyl chain), was increased 16-fold after injecting testosterone into male, castrated mice. This induction was highly specific, since testosterone did not affect another microsomal enzyme, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. Based on kinetics of enzyme activity changes, the half-life of acyl-CoA reductase was calculated to be 61-70 h. In addition, the activity of a cytosolic stimulatory protein for the acyl-CoA reductase (but not for a different cytosolic protein, lactate dehydrogenase) was also enhanced in the testosterone-treated, male, castrated mice. These findings indicate that acyl-CoA reductase is an important regulatory enzyme in the reactions that lead to the formation of the ether bond in glycerolipids and that it is modulated through hormonal control.