Palmitoylcarnitine, a surface-active metabolite

Palmitoylcarnitine is a well-known intermediate in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Less known are its properties as a surfactant, with a capacity to solubilize biological membranes similar to that of many synthetic detergents used in the biochemical laboratory. Some of the physico-chemical prope...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEBS Letters 1996-07, Vol.390 (1), p.1-5
Main Authors: Goñi, Félix M., Requero, M.Asun, Alonso, Alicia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Carnitine
Carnitine - metabolism
Carnitine palmitoyl transferase
cmc, critical micellar concentration
CoA, coenzyme A
Coenzyme A - metabolism
Fatty Acids - metabolism
Humans
Membrane leakage
Membrane solubilization
Mitochondria - metabolism
Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation
Models, Biological
Myocardial ischemia
Palmitoylcarnitine - chemistry
Palmitoylcarnitine - metabolism
Palmitoylcarnitine - physiology
Re, effective surfactant/lipid molar ratio
Subcellular Fractions - metabolism
Surface-Active Agents
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Summary:Palmitoylcarnitine is a well-known intermediate in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Less known are its properties as a surfactant, with a capacity to solubilize biological membranes similar to that of many synthetic detergents used in the biochemical laboratory. Some of the physico-chemical properties of palmitoylcarnitine may help to explain the need for coenzyme A-carnitine-coenzyme A acyl exchange during mitochondrial fatty acid import. The amphiphilic character of palmitoylcarnitine may also explain its proposed involvement in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia.
ISSN:0014-5793
1873-3468
DOI:10.1016/0014-5793(96)00603-5