Induced polymerization of mammalian acetyl-CoA carboxylase by MIG12 provides a tertiary level of regulation of fatty acid synthesis

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), the first committed enzyme in fatty acid (FA) synthesis, is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, transcription, and an unusual mechanism of protein polymerization. Polymerization of ACC increases enzymatic activity and is induced in vitro by supraphysiological concentrations of citrate (>5 mM). Here, we show that MIG12, a 22 kDa cytosolic protein of previously unknown function, binds to ACC and lowers the threshold for citrate activation into the physiological range (<1 mM). In vitro, recombinant MIG12 induced polymerization of ACC (as determined by nondenaturing gels, FPLC, and electron microscopy) and increased ACC activity by >50-fold in the presence of 1 mM citrate. In vivo, overexpression of MIG12 in liver induced ACC polymerization, increased FAsynthesis, and produced triglyceride accumulationandfatty liver. Thus, in addition to its regulation by phosphorylation and transcription, ACC is regulated at a tertiary level by MIG12, which facilitates ACC polymerization and enhances enzymatic activity.