Dietary and hormonal effects upon activity of "soluble" protein and particulate fraction of fatty acid desaturation system of rat liver microsomes.

Rat liver microsomes were extracted with a buffered 0.15 M KCl and 0.25 M sucrose solution and fractionated by centrifugation into a particulate component and a supernatant containing a protein factor necessary for fatty acid desaturation. The delta 6 fatty acid desaturation activity of the extracted microsomes was reduced significantly, and the readdition of the supernatant restored the enzymatic activity to the original value of the whole microsomes. A protein diet or a fat-free diet increased the delta 6 desaturation activity of the whole microsomes. The activating effect was evoked upon the particulate components of the enzymatic desaturation system and not upon the protein factor present in the supernatant. Fasting, refeeding, and refeeding plus glucagon and theophylline treatments of rats also modified the delta 6 desaturation activity of whole liver microsomes. The effect also was evoked on the delta 6 desaturation system tightly bound to the microsomal membrane but not on the protein factor of the supernatant. Accordingly, the protein factor of the supernatant is considered to be different from the cyanide sensitive factor and the desaturase.