Regulatory role of microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase in a tobacco mutant that overproduces sterols.

In a tobacco mutant callus, containing up to tenfold more sterols than the wild-type genotype, HMG-CoA reductase activity is increased by a factor of approximately three, as is the case in mutant seedlings and plants. The rate of HMG-CoA synthesis from acetyl-CoA by the coupled enzyme system acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase/HMG-CoA synthase, as well as its conversion to acetyl-CoA plus acetoacetate by action of HMG-CoA lyase are not affected. These results confirm the key-regulating role of HMG-CoA reductase in sterol biosynthesis, which seems not to be confined only to the animal kingdom, but can also be extended to plants.     

Pseudoketogenesis in the perfused rat heart

Ketogenesis is usually measured in vivo by dilution of tracers of (3R)-hydroxybutyrate or acetoacetate. We show that, in perfused working rat hearts, the specific activities of (3R)-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate are diluted by isotopic exchanges in the absence of net ketogenesis. We call this process pseudoketogenesis. When hearts are perfused with buffer containing 2.3 mM of [4-3H]- plus [3-14C]acetoacetate, the specific activities of [4-3H] and [3-14C]acetoacetate decrease while C-1 of acetoacetate becomes progressively labeled with 14C. This is explained by the reversibility of reactions catalyzed by mitochondrial 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase. After activation of labeled acetoacetate, the specific activity of acetoacetyl-CoA is diluted by unlabeled acetoacetyl-CoA derived from endogenous fatty acids or glucose. Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase partially exchanges 14C between C-1 and C-3 of acetoacetyl-CoA. Finally, 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase liberates weakly labeled acetoacetate which dilutes the specific activity of extracellular acetoacetate. An isotopic exchange in the reverse direction is observed when hearts are perfused with unlabeled acetoacetate plus [1-14C]-, [13-14C]-, or [15-14C]palmitate; here also, acetoacetate becomes labeled on C-1 and C-3. Computations of specific activities of (3R)-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetyl-CoA yield minimal rates of pseudoketogenesis ranging from 19 to 32% of the net uptake of (3R)-hydroxybutyrate plus acetoacetate by the heart.     

The Contribution of Citrate to the Synthesis of Acetyl Units in Synaptosomes of Developing Rat Brain

Abstract: The activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and choline acetyltransferase in rat brain synaptosomes increased during on-togenesis by 3 and 14 times, respectively. Activity of ATP-citrate lyase decreased by 26% during the same period. Pyruvate consumption by synapto-somes from 1-day-old animals was 40% lower than that found in older rats; however, citrate efflux from intrasynaptosomal mitochondria in immature synaptosomes was over twice as high as that in mature ones. The rates of production of synaptoplasmic acetyl-CoA, ATP-citrate lyase were 1.03, 1.40, and 0.49 nmol/min/mg protein in 1-, 10-day-old, and adult rats, respectively. 3-Bromopyruvate (0.5 m M ) inhibited pyruvate consumption by 70% and caused a complete block of citrate utilization by citrate lyase in every age group. Parameters of citrate metabolism in cerebellar synaptosomes were the same as those in cerebral ones. These data indicate that production of acetyl-CoA. from citrate in synaptoplasm may be regulated either by adaptative, age-dependent changes in permeability and carrier capacity of the mitochondrial membrane or by the inhibition of synthesis of intramitochondrial acetyl-CoA. ATP-citrate lyase activity is not a rate-limiting factor in this process. Metabolic fluxes of pyruvate to cytoplasmic citrate and acetyl-CoA. are presumably the same in both cholinergic and noncholinergic nerve endings. The significance of citrate release from intrasynaptosomal mitochondria as a regulatory step in acetylcholine synthesis is discussed.     

Aspects of ketogenesis: Control and mechanism of ketone-body formation in isolated RAT-liver mitochondria

The synthesis of ketone bodies by intact isolated rat-liver mitochondria has been studied at varying rates of acetyl-CoA production and of acetyl-CoA utilization in the Krebs cycle. Factors which enhanced the rate of acetyl-CoA production caused an increase in the fraction of acetyl-CoA which was incorporated into ketone bodies. On the other hand, it was found that factors which stimulated the formation of citrate lowered the relative rate of ketogenesis. It is concluded that acetyl-CoA is preferentially used for citrate synthesis, if the level of oxaloacetate in the mitochondrial matrix space is adequate. The intramitochondrial level of oxaloacetate, which is determined by the malate concentration and the ratio of NADH over NAD+, is the main factor controlling the rate of citrate synthesis. The ATP/ADP ratio per se does not affect the activity of citrate synthase in this in vitro system. Ketogenesis can be described as an overflow of acetyl-groups: Ketone-body formation is stimulated only when the rate of acetyl-CoA production increases beyond the capacity for citrate synthesis. The interaction between fatty acid oxidation and pyruvate metabolism and the effects of long-chain acyl-CoA on mitochondrial metabolism are discussed. Ketone bodies which were generated during the oxidation of [1-14C] fatty acids were preferentially labelled in their carboxyl group. This carboxyl group had the same specific activity as the acetyl-CoA pool, whereas the specific activity of the acetone moiety of acetoacetate was much lower, especially at low rates of ketone-body formation. The activities of acetoacetyl-CoA deacylase and the hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) pathway were compared in soluble and mitochondrial fractions of rat- and cow-liver in different ketotic states. In rat-liver mitochondria, both pathways of acetoacetate synthesis were stimulated upon starvation or in alloxan diabetes. In cow liver, only the HMG-CoA pathway was increased during ketosis in the mitochondrial as well as in the soluble fraction.     

A survey of enzymes which generate or use acetoacetyl thioesters in rat liver

Reactions that generate and remove acetoacetyl-CoA and acetoacetate were measured in mitochondria and cytosol of rat liver. The activities surveyed include acetoacetyl-CoA hydrolase, acetoacetyl-glutathione hydrolase, acetoacetyl-CoA:glutathione acyl transferase, 3-ketothiolases I and II, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase and synthase, and acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase. Phosphocellulose chromatography shows that cytosol contains at least four acetoacetyl-CoA hydrolase activities, two of which do not coincide with 3-ketothiolases or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase, while mitochondria contain at least three acetoacetyl-CoA hydrolase activities that overlap partially or completely with 3-ketothiolases and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA lyase. Two of the mitochondrial acetoacetyl-CoA hydrolase activities are not found in cytosol. Cytosol contains at least two and mitochondrial extracts at least six acetoacetyl-glutathione hydrolase activities. Mitochondria and cytosol both contain two isozymes of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (thiolases Ia and Ib). Chain length specificities show that the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of thiolase Ia differ from each other. We report a new isozyme of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (thiolase I) in rat liver cytosol.     

Catabolic and anabolic enzyme activities and energetics of acetone metabolism of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfococcus biacutus.

Acetone degradation by cell suspensions of Desulfococcus biacutus was CO2 dependent, indicating initiation by a carboxylation reaction, while degradation of 3-hydroxybutyrate was not CO2 dependent. Growth on 3-hydroxybutyrate resulted in acetate accumulation in the medium at a ratio of 1 mol of acetate per mol of substrate degraded. In acetone-grown cultures no coenzyme A (CoA) transferase or CoA ligase appeared to be involved in acetone metabolism, and no acetate accumulated in the medium, suggesting that the carboxylation of acetone and activation to acetoacetyl-CoA may occur without the formation of a free intermediate. Catabolism of 3-hydroxybutyrate occurred after activation by CoA transfer from acetyl-CoA, followed by oxidation to acetoacetyl-CoA. In both acetone-grown cells and 3-hydroxybutyrate-grown cells, acetoacetyl-CoA was thioyltically cleaved to two acetyl-CoA residues and further metabolized through the carbon monoxide dehydrogenase pathway. Comparison of the growth yields on acetone and 3-hydroxybutyrate suggested an additional energy requirement in the catabolism of acetone. This is postulated to be the carboxylation reaction (delta G(o)' for the carboxylation of acetone to acetoacetate, +17.1 kJ.mol-1). At the intracellular acyl-CoA concentrations measured, the net free energy change of acetone carboxylation and catabolism to two acetyl-CoA residues would be close to 0 kJ.mol of acetone-1, if one mol of ATP was invested. In the absence of an energy-utilizing step in this catabolic pathway, the predicted intracellular acetoacetyl-CoA concentration would be 10(13) times lower than that measured. Thus, acetone catabolism to two acetyl-CoA residues must be accompanied by the utilization of teh energetic equivalent of (at lease) one ATP molecule. Measurement of enzyme activities suggested that assimilation of acetyl-CoA occurred through a modified citric acid cycle in which isocitrate was cleaved to succinate and glyoxylate. Malate synthase, condensing glyoxylate and acetyl-CoA, acted as an anaplerotic enzyme. Carboxylation of pyruvate of phosphoenolpyruvate could not be detected.     

The Development of Enzymes of Energy Metabolism in the Brain of a Precocial (Guinea Pig) and Non-Precocial (Rat) Species

Abstract: Key enzymes of ketone body metabolism (3-hydroxybutyrate de-hydrogenase, 3-oxo-acid: CoA transferase, acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase) and glucose metabolism (hexokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase) have been measured in the brains of foetal, neonatal and adult guinea pigs and compared to those in the brains of neonatal and adult rats. The activities of the guinea pig brain ketone-body-metabolising enzymes remain relatively low in activity throughout the foetal and neonatal periods, with only slight increases occurring at birth. This contrasts with the rat brain, where three- to fourfold increases in activity occur during the suckling period (0–21 days post partum), followed by a corresponding decrease in the adult. The activities of the hexokinase (mitochondrial and cytosolic), pyruvate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase of guinea pig brain show marked increases in the last 10–15 days before birth, so that at birth the guinea pig possesses activities of these enzymes similar to the adult state. This contrasts with the rat brain where these enzymes develop during the late suckling period (10–15 days after birth). The development of the enzymes of aerobic glycolytic metabolism correlate with the onset of neurological competence in the two species, the guinea pig being a "precocial" species born neurologically competent and the rat being a "non-precocial" species born neurologically immature. The results are discussed with respect to the enzymatic activities required for the energy metabolism of a fully developed, neurologically competent mammalian brain and its relative sensitivity to hypoxia.     

Feasibility of pathways for transfer of acyl groups from mitochondria to the cytosol to form short chain acyl-CoAs in the pancreatic beta cell

The mitochondria of pancreatic beta cells are believed to convert insulin secretagogues into products that are translocated to the cytosol where they participate in insulin secretion. We studied the hypothesis that short chain acyl-CoA (SC-CoAs) might be some of these products by discerning the pathways of SC-CoA formation in beta cells. Insulin secretagogues acutely stimulated 1.5-5-fold increases in acetoacetyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA), and acetyl-CoA in INS-1 832/13 cells as judged from liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry measurements. Studies of 12 relevant enzymes in rat and human pancreatic islets and INS-1 832/13 cells showed the feasibility of at least two redundant pathways, one involving acetoacetate and the other citrate, for the synthesis SC-CoAs from secretagogue carbon in mitochondria and the transfer of their acyl groups to the cytosol where the acyl groups are converted to SC-CoAs. Knockdown of two key cytosolic enzymes in INS-1 832/13 cells with short hairpin RNA supported the proposed scheme. Lowering ATP citrate lyase 88% did not inhibit glucose-induced insulin release indicating citrate is not the only carrier of acyl groups to the cytosol. However, lowering acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase 80% partially inhibited glucose-induced insulin release indicating formation of SC-CoAs from acetoacetate in the cytosol is important for insulin secretion. The results indicate beta cells possess enzyme pathways that can incorporate carbon from glucose into acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA, and succinyl-CoA and carbon from leucine into these three SC-CoAs plus HMG-CoA in their mitochondria and enzymes that can form acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, and HMG-CoA in their cytosol.     

X-ray crystal structures of HMG-CoA synthase from Enterococcus faecalis and a complex with its second substrate/inhibitor acetoacetyl-CoA

Biosynthesis of the isoprenoid precursor, isopentenyl diphosphate, is a critical function in all independently living organisms. There are two major pathways for this synthesis, the non-mevalonate pathway found in most eubacteria and the mevalonate pathway found in animal cells and a number of pathogenic bacteria. An early step in this pathway is the condensation of acetyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA into HMG-CoA, catalyzed by the enzyme HMG-CoA synthase. To explore the possibility of a small molecule inhibitor of the enzyme functioning as a non-cell wall antibiotic, the structure of HMG-CoA synthase from Enterococcus faecalis (MVAS) was determined by selenomethionine MAD phasing to 2.4 A and the enzyme complexed with its second substrate, acetoacetyl-CoA, to 1.9 A. These structures show that HMG-CoA synthase from Enterococcus is a member of the family of thiolase fold enzymes and, while similar to the recently published HMG-CoA synthase structures from Staphylococcus aureus, exhibit significant differences in the structure of the C-terminal domain. The acetoacetyl-CoA binary structure demonstrates reduced coenzyme A and acetoacetate covalently bound to the active site cysteine through a thioester bond. This is consistent with the kinetics of the reaction that have shown acetoacetyl-CoA to be a potent inhibitor of the overall reaction, and provides a starting point in the search for a small molecule inhibitor.     

Acetoacetate and brain lipogenesis: developmental pattern of acetoacetyl-coenzyme A synthetase in the soluble fraction of rat brain (Short Communication)

The existence of acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase in rat brain cytosol is reported. The coupling of this enzyme with cytosolic acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase can provide acetyl-CoA for lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis without the need for mitochondrial participation. This new route for acetoacetate utilization may be important in developing brain.     

Enzymes involved in the metabolism of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A in Catharanthus roseus

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) is an important intermediate in various metabolic pathways, e.g. sterol biosynthesis, ketogenesis and leucine catabolism. The reactions and enzymes involved in the metabolism of HMG-CoA are briefly reviewed. These enzymes have been studied in Catharanthus roseus, a model system for studies on the regulation of secondary metabolic pathways, particularly those leading to terpenoidindole alkaloids. By using HPLC, three HMG-CoA catabolizing enzyme activities have been detected in protein extracts from suspension cultured C. roseus cells: HMG-CoA lyase, 3-nucleotidase and (tentatively identified) 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase (HMG-CoA hydrolyase). The enzymes have been partially purified. HMG-CoA is formed from three molecules of acetyl-CoA, via reactions which are catalyzed by two (as in yeast and animal cells, via intermediacy of acetoacetyl-CoA) or by just one enzyme (as in e.g. radish). It is yet not clear which process occurs in C. roseus.Abbreviations AACT acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase - AACT/HMGS acetoacetyl-COA thiolase/HMG-CoA synthase - CoASH coenzyme A (reduced form) - HMG-CoA 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA - MG-CoA 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA     

Acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate in combination with other metabolites release insulin from INS-1 cells and provide clues about pathways in insulin secretion

Mitochondrial anaplerosis is important for insulin secretion, but only some of the products of anaplerosis are known. We discovered novel effects of mitochondrial metabolites on insulin release in INS-1 832/13 cells that suggested pathways to some of these products. Acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC), and monomethyl succinate (MMS) alone did not stimulate insulin release. Lactate released very little insulin. When acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, or KIC were combined with MMS, or either ketone body was combined with lactate, insulin release was stimulated 10-fold to 20-fold the controls (almost as much as with glucose). Pyruvate was a potent stimulus of insulin release. In rat pancreatic islets, beta-hydroxybutyrate potentiated MMS- and glucose-induced insulin release. The pathways of their metabolism suggest that, in addition to producing ATP, the ketone bodies and KIC supply the acetate component and MMS supplies the oxaloacetate component of citrate. In line with this, citrate was increased by beta-hydroxybutyrate plus MMS in INS-1 cells and by beta-hydroxybutyrate plus succinate in mitochondria. The two ketone bodies and KIC can also be metabolized to acetoacetyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA, which are precursors of other short-chain acyl-CoAs (SC-CoAs). Measurements of SC-CoAs by LC-MS/MS in INS-1 cells confirmed that KIC, beta-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, and pyruvate increased the levels of acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA, and malonyl-CoA. MMS increased incorporation of (14)C from beta-hydroxybutyrate into citrate, acid-precipitable material, and lipids, suggesting that the two molecules complement one another to increase anaplerosis. The results suggest that, besides citrate, some of the products of anaplerosis are SC-CoAs, which may be precursors of molecules involved in insulin secretion.     

Metabolism of glucose, glutamine, long-chain fatty acids and ketone bodies by lungs of the rat.

The maximum activities of some key enzymes of metabolism were studied in lungs of fed and 48-h-starved rats. The maximum activity of hexokinase in the lung is similar to that of other tissues of the body, but lower than that of phosphorylase and 6-phosphofructokinase. High activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were found in lung tissue, suggesting the importance of the pentose phosphate pathway in the lung. The activities of hexokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase were decreased whereas that of phosphorylase increased in response to starvation. Of the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle whose activities were measured, that of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase was the lowest, yet its activity (approximately 4.2 nmol/min per mg protein at 37 degrees C) was considerably greater than the flux through the cycle (0.46 nmol/min per mg protein at 37 degrees C; calculated from oxygen consumption by incubated lung slices). The activities of both oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase were decreased by starvation. The activities of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase were low in lung tissue compared to those of other tissues (eg kidney, brain) and that of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase was very low. The activity of carnitine palmitoyl transferase is higher in the lung, suggesting that fatty acids (and possibly acetoacetate) could provide acetyl-CoA as substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Very low rates of utilization of 3-hydroxybutyrate were observed during incubation of lung slices, but that of oleate was 1.2 nmol/h per mg of protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

ATP-Citrate Lyase and Other Enzymes of Acetyl-CoA Metabolism in Fractions of Small and Large Synaptosomes from Rat Brain Hippocampus and Cerebellum

The activities of choline acetyltransferase and ATP-citrate lyase were significantly correlated (r = 0.995) in fractions of small and large synaptosomes isolated from rat hippocampus and cerebellum. The activities of these two enzymes did not correlate with those of pyruvate dehydrogenase, carnitine acetyltransferase, citrate synthase, acetyl-CoA synthetase, lactate dehydrogenase, or with the rate of high-affinity glutamate uptake in the synaptosomal fractions. The results provide additional evidence linking ATP-citrate lyase to the cholinergic system in the brain.     

Metabolic flux analysis of the mixotrophic metabolisms in the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum

The photosynthetic green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum assimilates CO(2) and organic carbon sources (acetate or pyruvate) during mixotrophic growth conditions through a unique carbon and energy metabolism. Using a (13)C-labeling approach, this study examined biosynthetic pathways and flux distributions in the central metabolism of C. tepidum. The isotopomer patterns of proteinogenic amino acids revealed an alternate pathway for isoleucine synthesis (via citramalate synthase, CimA, CT0612). A (13)C-assisted flux analysis indicated that carbons in biomass were mostly derived from CO(2) fixation via three key routes: the reductive tricarboxylic acid (RTCA) cycle, the pyruvate synthesis pathway via pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and the CO(2)-anaplerotic pathway via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. During mixotrophic growth with acetate or pyruvate as carbon sources, acetyl-CoA was mainly produced from acetate (via acetyl-CoA synthetase) or citrate (via ATP citrate lyase). Pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase converted acetyl-CoA and CO(2) to pyruvate, and this growth-rate control reaction is driven by reduced ferredoxin generated during phototrophic growth. Most reactions in the RTCA cycle were reversible. The relative fluxes through the RTCA cycle were 80～100 units for mixotrophic cultures grown on acetate and 200～230 units for cultures grown on pyruvate. Under the same light conditions, the flux results suggested a trade-off between energy-demanding CO(2) fixation and biomass growth rate; C. tepidum fixed more CO(2) and had a higher biomass yield (Y(X/S), mole carbon in biomass/mole substrate) in pyruvate culture (Y(X/S) = 9.2) than in acetate culture (Y(X/S) = 6.4), but the biomass growth rate was slower in pyruvate culture than in acetate culture.     

Functional comparison of citrate synthase isoforms from S. cerevisiae

In this study, the product of the CIT3 gene has been identified as a dual specificity mitochondrial citrate and methylcitrate synthase and that of the CIT1 gene as a specific citrate synthase. Recombinant Cit1p had catalytic activity only with acetyl-CoA whereas Cit3p had similar catalytic efficiency with both acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. Deletion of CIT1 dramatically shifted the ratio of these two activities in whole cell extracts towards greater methylcitrate synthase. Deletion of CIT3 had little effect on either citrate or methylcitrate synthase activities. A Deltacit2Deltacit3 strain showed no methylcitrate synthase activity, suggesting that Cit2p, a peroxisomal isoform, may also have methylcitrate synthase activity. Although wild-type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae did not grow with propionate as a sole carbon source, deletion of CIT2 allowed growth on propionate, suggesting a toxic production of methylcitrate in the peroxisomes of wild-type cells. The Deltacit2Deltacit3 double mutant did not grow on propionate, providing further evidence for the role of Cit3p in propionate metabolism. (13)C NMR analysis showed the metabolism of 2-(13)C-propionate to acetate, pyruvate, and alanine in wild-type, Deltacit1 and Deltacit2 cells, but not in the Deltacit3 mutant. (13)C NMR and GC-MS analysis of pyruvate metabolism revealed an accumulation of acetate and of isobutanol in the Deltacit3 mutant, suggesting a metabolic alteration possibly resulting from inhibition of the lipoamide acetyltransferase subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex by propionyl-CoA. In contrast to Deltacit3, pyruvate metabolism in a Deltapda1 (pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 alpha subunit) mutant strain was only shifted towards accumulation of acetate.     

Formation of ketone bodies by resting lymphocytes

1. Both beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase and lyase activities are present in rat mesenteric lymphocytes: all of the synthase and almost all (80%) of the lyase were present in the mitochondrial compartment of the cell. 2. A high rate of acetoacetate formation was observed in mesenteric lymphocytes incubated in vitro for 60 min in the absence of added substrate; addition of pyruvate or glutamine increased the "endogenous" rate of acetoacetate formation by about 30%. 3. The rates of ketone body formation are similar to maximal rates observed for rat liver. 4. It is suggested that the high rate of endogenous acetoacetate production occurs from long chain fatty acids: this suggestion is consistent with the reported high "endogenous" rate of O2 consumption by lymphocytes. 5. Of the pyruvate metabolized via pyruvate dehydrogenase in lymphocytes, ca 50-70% could be accounted for as acetoacetate, acetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and citrate: the fate of the remainder is not known. 6. There was a high rate of endogenous acetoacetate formation by isolated mitochondria from these cells. 7. The rate was doubled by addition of pyruvate or butyrate; it was trebled by addition of propionate, ADP or carbonyl cyanide trichloro-methoxyphenylhydrazone; but it was decreased by addition of antimycin A or glutamine. 8. It is suggested that the high rates of acetoacetate formation in these cells acts as a dynamic "buffer" system for the acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) concentration: that is, acetyl CoA is always available for fatty acid synthesis, cholesterologenesis, chain extension of fatty acids or acetylation of proteins (e.g. for covalent control of their activity) which will be demanded at different stages of the cell cycle. 9. This is another example of branch-point sensitivity in control in cells with the potential for rapid cell division.     

Acetyl-CoA Synthesizing Enzymes in Cholinergic Nerve Terminals

The activities of five enzymes involved in acetyl-CoA synthesis, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, ATP citrate lyase, carnitine acetyltransferase, acetyl-CoA synthetase, and citrate synthase, were determined in normal nucleus interpeduncularis and nucleus interpeduncularis in which cholinergic terminals were removed following lesion of the habenulointerpeduncular tract. The activities of aspartate transaminase, fumarase, and GABA transaminase also were determined to compare the effect of lesion on other mitochondrial enzymes which are not linked to the biosynthesis of ACh. In normal nucleus interpeduncularis the activities of carnitine acetyltransferase and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were higher than the activity of ChAT (choline acetyltransferase), whereas the activities of acetyl-CoA synthetase and citrate synthase were considerably lower than that of ChAT. The effect of the lesion separated the enzymes into two groups: the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, carnitine acetyltransferase, fumarase and aspartate transaminase decreased by 30--40%, whereas the activities of the other enzymes descreased 5--15%. ChAT activity was in all cases less than 15% of normal. It could be concluded that none of the acetyl-CoA synthesizing enzymes decreased to the degree that ChAT did. Only pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and carnitine acetyltransferase seem to be localized in cholinergic terminals to a significant degree. ATP citrate lyase as well as acetyl-CoA synthetase seem to have less significance in supporting acetyl-CoA formation in cholinergic nerve terminals.     

Enzymology of butyrate formation by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens.

Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens is a major butyrate-forming species in the bovine and ovine rumen. The enzymology of butyrate formation from pyruvate was investigated in cell-free extracts of B. fibrisolvens D1. Pyruvate owas oxidized to acetylcoenzyme A (CoA) in the presence of CoA.SH and benzyl viologen or flavin nucleotides. The bacterium uses thiolase, beta-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, crotonase, and crotonyl-CoA reductase to form butyryl-CoA from acetyl-CoA. Reduction of acetoacetyl-CoA to beta-hydroxybutyryl-CoA was faster with NADH than with NADPH. Crotonyl-CoA was reduced to butyryl-CoA by NADH, but not by NADPH, only in the presence of flavin nucleotides. Reduction of flavin nucleotides by NADH was much slower than the flavin-dependent reduction of crotonyl-CoA. This indicates that flavoproteins rather than free flavin participated in the reduction of crotonyl-CoA. Butyryl-CoA was converted to butyrate by phosphate butyryl transferase and butyrate kinase.     

Metabolism of glucose, glutamine, long-chain fatty acids and ketone bodies by murine macrophages.

Maximum activities of some key enzymes of metabolism were studied in elicited (inflammatory) macrophages of the mouse and lymph-node lymphocytes of the rat. The activity of hexokinase in the macrophage is very high, as high as that in any other major tissue of the body, and higher than that of phosphorylase or 6-phosphofructokinase, suggesting that glucose is a more important fuel than glycogen and that the pentose phosphate pathway is also important in these cells. The latter suggestion is supported by the high activities of both glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. However, the rate of glucose utilization by 'resting' macrophages incubated in vitro is less than the 10% of the activity of 6-phosphofructokinase: this suggests that the rate of glycolysis is increased dramatically during phagocytosis or increased secretory activity. The macrophages possess higher activities of citrate synthase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase than do lymphocytes, suggesting that the tricarboxylic acid cycle may be important in energy generation in these cells. The activity of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase is higher in the macrophage, but that of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase is very much lower than those in the lymphocytes. The activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase is higher in macrophages, suggesting that fatty acids as well as acetoacetate could provide acetyl-CoA as substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. No detectable rate of acetoacetate or 3-hydroxybutyrate utilization was observed during incubation of resting macrophages, but that of oleate was 1.0 nmol/h per mg of protein or about 2.2% of the activity of palmitoyltransferase. The activity of glutaminase is about 4-fold higher in macrophages than in lymphocytes, which suggests that the rate of glutamine utilization could be very high. The rate of utilization of glutamine by resting incubated macrophages was similar to that reported for rat lymphocytes, but was considerably lower than the activity of glutaminase.