OBJECTIVE Malonyl coenzyme A (CoA) decarboxylase (MCD) is a key enzyme responsible for malonyl-CoA turnover and functions in the control of the balance between lipid and glucose metabolism. We utilized RNA interference (siRNA)-based gene silencing to determine the direct role of MCD on metabolic responses in primary human skeletal muscle. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used siRNA to silence M...

1. Rat soleus strips were incubated with 5 mM glucose, after which tissue metabolites were measured. Alternatively, muscle strips were incubated with 5 mM glucose and 0.2 mM palmitate, and the formation of 14CO2 from exogenous palmitate or from fatty acids released from prelabelled glycerolipids was measured. 2. Etomoxir, which inhibits the mitochondrial overt form of carnitine palmitoyltransfe...

The brain plays an important role in the regulation of energy balance in higher animals. Global energy balance is monitored by sets of neurons in the hypothalamus that respond to peripheral hormonal and afferent neural signals that sense the energy status. Malonyl-CoA, an intermediate in the biosynthesis of fatty acids, appears to function in this hypothalamic energy-sensing system. The steady-...

Formation of propionyl phosphate in Streptomyces erythreus synthesizing a polypropionate erythronolide ring of erythromycin was found to be catalyzed by a specific propionate kinase. The isolated and 100-fold purified kinase was devoid of activity towards acetate and other monocarboxylic acids. The selection for higher antibiotic-synthesizing ability was associated with higher kinase activity a...

Obesity is an important contributor to the risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease. Alterations in tissue levels of malonyl-CoA have the potential to impact on the severity of a number of these disorders. This review will focus on the emerging role of malonyl-CoA as a key "metabolic effector" of both obesity and cardiac fatty acid oxidation. In addition to being a sub...

Cell suspensions or crude extracts of Malonomonas rubra grown anaerobically on malonate catalyze the decarboxylation of this substrate at a rate of 1.7-2.5 mumol.min-1.mg protein-1 which is consistent with the malonate degradation rate during growth. After fractionation of the cell extract by ultracentrifugation, neither the soluble nor the particulate fraction alone catalyzed the decarboxylati...

Malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD) is an enzyme involved in the decarboxylation of malonyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA. In order to explore the hypothesis that the changing plant materials’ MCD activity level can serve as therapy to diabetics, the effect of Teucrium polium compounds was studied in a diabetic rat model. In this experimental study, two groups of rats, a control and a diabetic group, each incl...