Isoprenoid biosynthesis in rat liver peroxisomes. Characterization of cis-prenyltransferase and squalene synthetase.

Isolated peroxisomes were able to utilize [3H]isopentenyl diphosphate to synthesize farnesyl diphosphate, which then was utilized as substrate by both the peroxisomal squalene synthetase and cis-prenyltransferase. The specific activity of squalene synthetase in peroxisomes was as high as in microsomes, i.e. 160 pmol/mg of protein/min. If NADPH was omitted from the assay medium, presqualene diphosphate accumulated, which indicates that the reaction occurs in two steps, as in microsomes. In the presence of NADPH, incorporation from [3H]farnesyl diphosphate was stimulated 3-fold, and the major products were squalene and cholesterol. The specific activity of cis-prenyl-transferase in peroxisomes was 4-fold higher than in microsomes, i.e. 456 pmol of isopentenyl diphosphate incorporated/mg of protein/h. There were two major products formed from farnesyl diphosphate and [3H] isopentenyl diphosphate, i.e. trans,trans,cis-geranylgeranyl diphosphate and long chain polyprenyl diphosphates. The polyprenyl diphosphates had the same chain length distribution as that of dolichol derivatives in rat liver, with the dominating polyisoprenes being C90 and C95. In contrast to the microsomal enzyme, peroxisomal cis-prenyltransferase did not require detergents for optimal activity. The enzyme was associated primarily with the peroxisomal membrane after sonication of the peroxisomes.