Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1967 Aug;104(2):441–449. doi: 10.1042/bj1040441

Metabolism of propionate by sheep liver

Pathway of propionate metabolism in aged homogenate and mitochondria

R M Smith 1, W S Osborne-White 1, G R Russell 1
PMCID: PMC1270605  PMID: 6048786

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with aged nuclear-free homogenate of sheep liver and aged mitochondria in an attempt to measure both the extent of oxidation of propionate and the distribution of label from [2-14C]propionate in the products. With nuclear-free homogenate, propionate was 44% oxidized with the accumulation of succinate, fumarate, malate and some citrate. Recovery of 14C in these intermediates and respiratory carbon dioxide was only 33%, but additional label was detected in endogenous glutamate and aspartate. With washed mitochondria 30% oxidation of metabolized propionate occurred, and proportionately more citrate and malate accumulated. Recovery of 14C in dicarboxylic acids, citrate, α-oxoglutarate, glutamate, aspartate and respiratory carbon dioxide was 91%. The specific activities of the products and the distribution of label in the carbon atoms of the dicarboxylic acids were consistent with the operation solely of the methylmalonate pathway together with limited oxidation of the succinate formed by the tricarboxylic acid cycle via pyruvate. In a final experiment with mitochondria the label consumed from [2-14C]propionate was entirely recovered in the intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glutamate, aspartate, methylmalonate and respiratory carbon dioxide.

Full text

PDF
441

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BUSCH H., HURLBERT R. B., POTTER V. R. Anion exchange chromatography of acids of the citric acid cycle. J Biol Chem. 1952 May;196(2):717–727. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CANNATA J. J., FOCESI A., Jr, MAZUMDER R., WARNER R. C., OCHOA S. METABOLISM OF PROPIONIC ACID IN ANIMAL TISSUES. XII. PROPERTIES OF MAMMALIAN METHYLMALONYL COENZYME A MUTASE. J Biol Chem. 1965 Aug;240:3249–3257. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FLAVIN M., OCHOA S. Metabolism of propionic acid in animal tissues. I. Enzymatic conversion of propionate to succinate. J Biol Chem. 1957 Dec;229(2):965–979. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. GALLAGHER C. H., BUTTERY S. H. Biochemistry of sheep tissues. Enzyme systems of liver, brain and kidney. Biochem J. 1959 Aug;72:575–582. doi: 10.1042/bj0720575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Krebs H. A., Smyth D. H., Evans E. A. Determination of fumarate and malate in animal tissues. Biochem J. 1940 Jul;34(7):1041–1045. doi: 10.1042/bj0341041. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. PENNINGTON R. J., SUTHERLAND T. M. The metabolism of short-chain fatty acids in the sheep. IV. The pathway of propionate metabolism in rumen epithelial tissue. Biochem J. 1956 Aug;63(4):618–628. doi: 10.1042/bj0630618. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. PENNINGTON R. J. The metabolism of short-chain fatty acids in the sheep. II. Further studies with rumen epithelium. Biochem J. 1954 Mar;56(3):410–416. doi: 10.1042/bj0560410. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. PHARES E. F. Degradation of labeled propionic and acetic acids. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1951 Sep;33(2):173–178. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(51)90094-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SMITH R. M., OSBORNE-WHITE W. S. METABOLISM OF PROPIONATE BY SHEEP LIVER. OXIDATION OF PROPIONATE BY HOMOGENATES. Biochem J. 1965 May;95:411–422. doi: 10.1042/bj0950411. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SMITH R. M., OSBORNE-WHITE W. S., RUSSELL G. R. METABOLISM OF PROPIONATE BY SHEEP LIVER. INTERRELATIONS OF PROPIONATE AND GLUTAMATE IN AGED MITOCHONDRIA. Biochem J. 1965 May;95:431–436. doi: 10.1042/bj0950431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. SWIM H. E., KRAMPITZ L. O. Acetic acid oxidation by Escherichia coli; evidence for the occurrence of a tricarboxylic acid cycle. J Bacteriol. 1954 Apr;67(4):419–425. doi: 10.1128/jb.67.4.419-425.1954. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Smith R. M., Osborne-White W. S., Russell G. R. Metabolism of propionate by sheep liver. Stimulation of the mitochondrial rate by factors from the cell sap. Biochem J. 1965 May;95(2):423–430. doi: 10.1042/bj0950423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES