4.C.2 The Carnitine O-Acyl Transferase (CarAT) Family

Peroxisomes metabolize a variety of lipids, acting as a chain-shortening system that produces acyl-CoAs of varying chain lengths, including acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. Peroxisomes contain carnitine acetyltransferase (CRAT) and carnitine octanoyltransferase (CROT) that produce carnitine esters for transport out of peroxisomes, together with recently characterized acyl-CoA thioesterases (ACOTs) that produce free fatty acids. Westin et al. (2008) performed tissue expression profiling of the short- and medium-chain carnitine acyltransferases Crat, Crot and the short- and medium-chain thioesterases (Acot12) and (Acot5). They provided evidence that these enzymes are largely expressed in different tissues and do not compete for the same substrates. Rather, they provide complementary systems for transport of metabolites across the peroxisomal membrane. This may explain earlier observed tissue differences in peroxisomal production of acetyl-CoA/acetyl-carnitine/acetate and underscores the differences in peroxisome function in various organs.

The group translocation reaction believed to be catalyzed by some CrAT family members is:

Acetyl-CoA + Carnitine CoA + O-Acetylcarnitine