2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin elicited decreases in cobalamin inhibits methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity redirecting propionyl-CoA metabolism to the β-oxidation-like pathway resulting in hepatic accumulation of the toxic intermediate acrylyl-CoA
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent environmental contaminant which induces diverse biological and toxic effects, including the reprograming of intermediate metabolism, mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Targeted LC-MS analysis of hepatic extracts from mice gavaged with TCDD every 4 days for 28 days detected an increase in S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine, a conjugate produced following the spontaneous reaction between the sulfhydryl group of cysteine and highly reactive acrylyl-CoA, an intermediate in the cobalamin (Cbl)-independent {beta}-oxidation-like metabolism of propionyl-CoA. In addition to repressing genes in both the canonical Cbl-dependent carboxylase and the alternate Cbl-independent {beta}-oxidation-like pathways at 30 g/kg TCDD, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MUT) activity was inhibited at lower doses. Moreover, TCDD decreased serum Cbl levels and hepatic cobalt levels while eliciting negligible effects on gene expression associated with Cbl absorption, transport, trafficking, or the derivatization to 5-deoxy-adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl), the required MUT cofactor. In addition to inducing Acod1 that encodes for aconitate decarboxylase 1, the enzyme responsible for the decarboxylation cis-aconitate to itaconate, TCDD also dose-dependently increased itaconate levels in hepatic extracts. MUT inhibition is consistent with itaconate activation to itaconyl-CoA, a MUT suicide inactivator that adducts AdoCbl, that in turn, inhibits MUT activity and reduces Cbl levels. Collectively, these results suggest the decrease in MUT activity is due to Cbl depletion following TCDD treatment that redirected propionyl-CoA metabolism to the alternate Cbl-independent {beta}-oxidation-like pathway. The resulting hepatic accumulation of acrylyl-CoA likely contributes to TCDD-elicited hepatotoxicity and the multi-hit progression of steatosis to steatohepatitis with fibrosis.