Pattern of methionine adenosyltransferase isoenzyme expression during rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

The present report investigates the pattern of expression of liver-specific and extrahepatic methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) isoenzymes in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy. The results show that there is a switch in the expression of these isoenzymes that is coincident with maximal cell proliferation in the remaining liver lobes. Extrahepatic MAT levels increase about three times 4 h after hepatectomy, reaching a maximum 36 h later. This is accompanied by a rapid and transient increase in total MAT activity and levels of related metabolites S-adenosyl- l-methionine and S-adenosyl- l-homocysteine. Liver-specific MAT levels are reversibly down-regulated within 24–48 h post surgery. Our results indicate that MAT isoenzyme expression is tightly regulated during liver regeneration after two-third hepatectomy. The implications of these observations for evaluation of the degree of liver regeneration are briefly discussed.