Differentiation-dependent Expression of CA V and the Role of Carbonic Anhydrase Isozymes in Pyruvate Carboxylation in Adipocytes

The incorporation of radioactivity from 14C-labeled compounds into metabolic intermediates and total lipids was examined in 3T3 adipocytes. The heterocyclic sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (SCAI) 6-ethoxyzolamide (ETZ) caused a decrease (42+/-7% of control, IC50 = 2.2+/-1.1 x 10(-7) M) in the incorporation of [14C] bicarbonate into several Krebs cycle intermediates in 3T3-F442A adipocytes. This decrease in pyruvate carboxylase-mediated [14C] carbon fixation was associated with a reduction in fluorometrically determined [citrate] and [malate]. The ability of ETZ to decrease both the incorporation of radioactivity into and the concentrations of Krebs cycle intermediates was not of sufficient magnitude to lower [ATP], but was associated with a decrease in de novo lipogenesis from [14C]glucose. De novo lipogenesis was also inhibited to a similar extent by trifluormethanesulfonamide, an aliphatic SCAI, which suggests that the effects are mediated by carbonic anhydrase. ETZ did not inhibit de novo lipogenesis from [14C]glutamine (12.38+/-1.068 nmol/mg protein, ETZ; 12.5+/-0.846 nmol/mg protein, DMSO). This suggests that ETZ inhibition of lipogenesis involves an inhibitory effect on pyruvate carboxylase as opposed to acetyl CoA carboxylase, because the incorporation of glutamine into lipids does not involve pyruvate carboxylase. Decreased de novo lipogenesis was also observed by incubating cultures in media that contained 1 mM bicarbonate (atmosphere:100% humidified air) rather than 25 mM bicarbonate (atmosphere: 95% humidified air/5% CO2). This suggests that exogenous CO2/bicarbonate may be required to sustain maximal rates of de novo lipogenesis. Because these results implied that CA V, the mitochondrial isoform of carbonic anhydrase, might be present in adipocytes, CA V levels were measured by immunoblotting. Mitochondrial preparations of adipocytes and liver were found to contain similar concentrations of CA V. Unlike adipocyte CA III, CA V concentrations were not significantly different in lean and obese Zucker rats. However, CA V levels were ninefold higher in differentiated 3T3-F442A adipocytes compared to undifferentiated adipoblasts. Our data indicate that CA V is relatively abundant in adipocyte mitochondria and exhibits differentiation-dependent expression like pyruvate carboxylase and the cytosolic isozymes CA II and CA III. The possible roles of CA II and CA V in pyruvate carboxylation are discussed.