A COUPLED ASSAY DETECTING DEFECTS IN FIBROBLAST ISOLEUCINE DEGRADATION DISTAL TO ENOYL-COA HYDRATASE - APPLICATION TO 3-OXOTHIOLASE DEFICIENCY

We developed a coupled (NaHCO3)-C-14 fixation assay to detect 3-oxothiolase deficiency in extracts of cultured human fibroblasts. Cell extracts were incubated with tiglyl-CoA, NAD, CoASH, ATP and (NaHCO3)-C-14. The enzymatic activities of tiglyl-CoA (enoyl-CoA) hydratase, 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase and 2-methylacetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (3-oxothiolase) were coupled to produce propionyl-CoA. Propionyl-CoA produced in the assay was estimated by fixation of (NaHCO3)-C-14 into [C-14]methylmalonyl-CoA employing endogenous propionyl-CoA carboxylase. The control activity was 32 +/- 23 pmol/min per mg protein (+/- 1 S.D., range 7-94; 28 cell lines). Five known cases of 3-oxothiolase deficiency had a mean activity of 2% of the control; a sixth case of 3-oxothiolase deficiency was significantly higher at 27% of the mean control value. Coupled assay activity was also low (3% of control) in the cells from a patient with propionyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency.