Genetic dissection in a mouse model reveals interactions between carotenoids and lipid metabolism

Grzegorz Palczewski, M. Airanthi K. Widjaja-Adhi, Jaume Amengual, Marcin Golczak, Johannes Von Lintig

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Carotenoids affect a rich variety of physiological functions in nature and are beneficial for human health. However, knowledge about their biological action and the consequences of their dietary accumulation in mammals is limited. Progress in this research field is limited by the expeditious metabolism of carotenoids in rodents and the confounding production of apocarotenoid signaling molecules. Herein, we established a mouse model lacking the enzymes responsible for carotenoid catabolism and apocarotenoid production, fed on either a β-carotene- or a zeaxanthinenriched diet. Applying a genome wide microarray analysis, we assessed the effects of the parent carotenoids on the liver transcriptome. Our analysis documented changes in pathways for liver lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. We biochemically defined these effects, and observed that β-carotene accumulation resulted in an elevation of liver triglycerides and liver cholesterol, while zeaxanthin accumulation increased serum cholesterol levels. We further show that carotenoids were predominantly transported within HDL particles in the serum of mice. Finally, we provide evidence that carotenoid accumulation influenced whole-body respiration and energy expenditure. Thus, we observed that accumulation of parent carotenoids interacts with lipid metabolism and that structurally related carotenoids display distinct biological functions in mammals.-Palczewski, G., M. A. K. Widjaja-Adhi, J. Amengual, M. Golczak, and J. von Lintig. Genetic dissection in a mouse model reveals interactions between carotenoids and lipid metabolism.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1684-1695
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Lipid Research
Volume57
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • 10′-oxygenase
  • 15′-oxygenase
  • Cholesterol
  • Lipoproteins
  • Liver
  • Microarray
  • Triglyceride
  • Zeaxanthin
  • β
  • β
  • β-carotene
  • β-carotene-15
  • β-carotene-9′

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Endocrinology
  • Cell Biology

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