The peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 plays a major role in hepatic dicarboxylic fatty acid metabolism and lipid homeostasis

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Ranea Robles, Pablo
  • Hongjie Chen
  • Brandon Stauffer
  • Chunli Yu
  • Dipankar Bhattacharya
  • Scott L Friedman
  • Michelle Puchowicz
  • Sander M Houten

Peroxisomes metabolize a specific subset of fatty acids, which include dicarboxylic fatty acids (DCAs) generated by ω-oxidation. Data obtained in vitro suggest that the peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 (also known as PMP70) mediates the transport of DCAs into the peroxisome, but in vivo evidence to support this role is lacking. In this work, we studied an Abcd3 KO mouse model generated by CRISPR-Cas9 technology using targeted and untargeted metabolomics, histology, immunoblotting, and stable isotope tracing technology. We show that ABCD3 functions in hepatic DCA metabolism and uncover a novel role for this peroxisomal transporter in lipid homeostasis. The Abcd3 KO mouse presents with increased hepatic long-chain DCAs, increased urine medium-chain DCAs, lipodystrophy, enhanced hepatic cholesterol synthesis and decreased hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Moreover, our study suggests that DCAs are metabolized by mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation when ABCD3 is not functional, reflecting the importance of the metabolic compartmentalization and communication between peroxisomes and mitochondria. In summary, this study provides data on the role of the peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 in hepatic lipid homeostasis and DCA metabolism, and the consequences of peroxisomal dysfunction for the liver.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Inherited Metabolic Disease
Volume44
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1419-1433
Number of pages15
ISSN0141-8955
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

© 2021 SSIEM.

    Research areas

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/genetics, Animals, Dicarboxylic Acids/metabolism, Fatty Acids/metabolism, Female, Homeostasis, Lipid Metabolism, Liver/metabolism, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Mitochondria/metabolism, Oxidation-Reduction, Peroxisomes/metabolism

ID: 340125409