Identification of the Human Mitochondrial Linoleoyl-coenzyme A Monolysocardiolipin Acyltransferase (MLCL AT-1)

Here we report the identification of a previously uncharacterized human protein as the human monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase-1 (MLCL AT-1). Pig liver mitochondria were treated with n-butyl alcohol followed by Q-Sepharose chromatography, preparative gel electrophoresis, cytidine diphosphate-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol-Sepharose chromatography, and finally monolysocardiolipin-adriamycin-agarose affinity chromatography. Elution with either monolysocardiolipin or linoleoyl coenzyme A revealed a major band at 74 kDa with high specific activity (2,300 pmol/min/mg) for the acylation of monolysocardiolipin to cardiolipin using [1-14C]linoleoyl coenzyme A as substrate. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry analysis followed by search of the Mascot protein data base revealed peptide matches consistent with a 59-kDa protein identified as unknown human protein (GenBankTM protein accession number AAX93141; nucleotide accession number AC011742.3). The purified human recombinant MLCL AT-1 protein utilized linoleoyl coenzyme A > oleoyl coenzyme A > palmitoyl coenzyme A for the specific acylation of monolysocardiolipin to cardiolipin. Expression of MLCL AT-1 in HeLa cells increased mitochondrial monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity and [1-14C]linoleic acid incorporated into cardiolipin, whereas RNA interference knockdown of MLCL AT-1 in HeLa cells resulted in reduction in enzyme activity and [1-14C]linoleic acid incorporated into cardiolipin. In contrast, expression of MLCL AT-1 in HeLa cells did not alter [1-14C]oleic or [1-14C]palmitate incorporation into cardiolipin indicating in vivo specificity for the remodeling of cardiolipin with linoleate. Finally, expression of MLCL AT-1 in Barth syndrome lymphoblasts, which exhibit cardiolipin levels 20% that of normal lymphoblasts, increased mitochondrial monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity, [1-14C]linoleic acid incorporation into cardiolipin, cardiolipin mass, and succinate dehydrogenase (mitochondrial complex II) activity compared with mock-transfected Barth syndrome lymphoblasts. The results identify MLCL AT-1 as a human mitochondrial monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase involved in the remodeling of cardiolipin.