S-nitrosylation of fatty acid synthase regulates its activity through dimerization

NO regulates a variety of physiological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. S-nitrosylation, a NO-mediated reversible protein modification, leads to changes in the activity and function of proteins. In particular, the role of S-nitrosylation during adipogenesis is largely unknown. We hypothesized that the normal physiological levels of NO, but not the excess levels generated under severe conditions, such as inflammation, may be critically involved in the proper regulation of adipogenesis. We found that endogenous S-nitrosylation of proteins was required for adipocyte differentiation. By performing a biotin-switch assay, we identified FAS, a key lipogenic enzyme in adipocytes, as a target of S-nitrosylation during adipogenesis. Interestingly, we also observed that the dimerization of FAS increased in parallel with the amount of S-nitrosylated FAS during adipogenesis. In addition, we found that exogenous NO enhanced the dimerization and the enzymatic activity of FAS. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis of three predicted S-nitrosylation sites indicated that S-nitrosylation of FAS at Cys(1471) and Cys(2091), but not at Cys(1127), increased its enzymatic activity. Taken together, these results suggest that the S-nitrosylation of FAS at normal physiological levels of NO increases its activity through dimerization and may contribute to the proper regulation of adipogenesis.