Omega-oxidation of very long-chain fatty acids in human liver microsomes. Implications for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder biochemically characterized by elevated levels of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA). Excess levels of VLCFAs are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of X-ALD. Therefore, therapeutic approaches for X-ALD are focused on the reduction or normalization of VLCFAs. In this study, we investigated an alternative oxidation route for VLCFAs, namely omega-oxidation. The results described in this study show that VLCFAs are substrates for the omega-oxidation system in human liver microsomes. Moreover, VLCFAs were not only converted into omega-hydroxy fatty acids, but they were also further oxidized to dicarboxylic acids via cytochrome P450-mediated reactions. High sensitivity toward the specific P450 inhibitor 17-octadecynoic acid suggested that omega-hydroxylation of VLCFAs is catalyzed by P450 enzymes belonging to the CYP4A/F subfamilies. Studies with individually expressed human recombinant P450 enzymes revealed that two P450 enzymes, i.e. CYP4F2 and CYP4F3B, participate in the omega-hydroxylation of VLCFAs. Both enzymes belong to the Cytochrome P450 4F subfamily and have a high affinity for VLCFAs. In summary, this study demonstrates that VLCFAs are substrates for the human omega-oxidation system, and for this reason, stimulation of the in vivo VLCFA omega-oxidation pathway may provide an alternative mode of treatment to reduce the levels of VLCFAs in patients with X-ALD.