Regulation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase by intracellular polyamine pools. Evidence for a functional role in polyamine homeostasis
Shappell, N.W.; Fogel-Petrovic, M.F.; Porter, C.W.
Febs Letters 321(2-3): 179-183
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-5793 PMID: 8477847 DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80103-2
Accession: 009323986
Through its role in polyamine acetylation and the back-conversion pathway, spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) has the potential to control intracellular polyamine pools by facilitating their catabolism and/or excretion. The possibility that the enzyme is subject to regulation by intracellular polyamine pools was investigated in MALME-3 human melanoma cells. Increases in intracellular polyamine pools by treatment with 3 microM exogenous spermidine or spermine for 48 h caused SSAT activity to increase 111% and 226%, respectively, and SSAT-specific mRNA to rise 19% and 66%, respectively. Decreases in polyamine pools by treatment with inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis caused SSAT activity to decrease by 46% and mRNA to fall by 89%. Both SSAT activity and mRNA were more sensitive to changes in spermine than spermidine. The identification of a positive regulatory relationship between SSAT and intracellular polyamine pools further implicates this enzyme in a proposed model for polyamine pool homeostasis.