Abstract

Farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) is a branch-point intermediate in the mevalonate pathway that is normally converted mainly to squalene by squalene synthase in the first committed step of sterol biosynthesis. Treatment with the squalene synthase inhibitor squalestatin 1 (SQ1) causes accumulation of FPP, its dephosphorylated metabolite farnesol, and several oxidized farnesol-derived metabolites. In addition, SQ1 treatment of primary cultured rat hepatocytes increases CYP2B expression through a mechanism that requires FPP synthesis and activation of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). Because direct farnesol treatment also increases CYP2B expression, it seems likely that SQ1-mediated CAR activation requires FPP dephosphorylation to farnesol. The lipid phosphatase, phosphatidic acid phosphatase domain containing 2 (PPAPDC2), was recently reported to catalyze FPP dephosphorylation. We therefore determined the effect of overexpressing or knocking down PPAPDC2 on SQ1-mediated CAR activation in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Cotransfection of rat hepatocytes with a plasmid expressing rat or human PPAPDC2 enhanced SQ1-mediated activation of a CAR-responsive reporter by 1.7- or 2.4-fold over the SQ1-mediated activation that was produced when hepatocytes were cotransfected with empty expression plasmid. Similarly, transduction of rat hepatocytes with a recombinant adenovirus expressing PPAPDC2 enhanced SQ1-mediated CYP2B1 mRNA induction by 1.4-fold over the induction that was seen in hepatocytes transduced with control adenovirus. Cotransfection with a short hairpin RNA targeting PPAPDC2 reduced SQ1-mediated CAR activation by approximately 80% relative to the activation that occurred in hepatocytes transfected with nontargeting short hairpin RNA. These results indicate that PPAPDC2 plays an important role in SQ1-mediated CAR activation, most likely by catalyzing the conversion of FPP to farnesol.