How the intestinal peptide transporter PEPT-1 contributes to an obesity phenotype in Caenorhabditits elegans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Amino acid absorption in the form of di- and tripeptides is mediated by the intestinal proton-coupled peptide transporter PEPT-1 (formally OPT-2) in Caenorhabditits elegans. Transporter-deficient animals (pept-1(lg601)) show impaired growth, slowed postembryonal development and major changes in amino acid status.

Principal findings

Here we demonstrate that abolished intestinal peptide transport also leads to major metabolic alterations that culminate in a two fold increase in total body fat content. Feeding of C. elegans with [U-(13)C]-labelled E. coli revealed a decreased de novo synthesis of long-chain fatty acids in pept-1(lg601) and reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. mRNA profiling revealed increased transcript levels of enzymes/transporters needed

SUBMITTER: Spanier B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2708923 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature