Changes in hepatic lipogenesis during development of the rat

1. Changes in the activities of ATP citrate lyase, ;malic' enzyme, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, and in the ability to incorporate [1-(14)C]acetate into lipid have been measured in the livers of developing rats between late foetal life and maturity. 2. In male rats the activities of those systems directly or indirectly concerned in lipogenesis (acetate incorporation into lipid, ATP citrate lyase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) fall after birth and are maintained at a low value until weaning. After weaning these activities rise to a maximum between 30 and 40 days and then decline, reaching adult values at about 60 days. ;Malic' enzyme activity follows a similar course, except that none could be detected in the foetal liver. Pyruvate kinase activity is lower in foetal than in adult livers and rises to slightly higher than the adult value in the post-weaning period. Fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activity rises from a very low foetal value to reach a maximum at about 10 days but falls rapidly after weaning to reach adult values at about 30 days. 3. Weaning rats on to a high-fat diet caused the low activities of acetate incorporation, ATP citrate lyase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase, characteristic of the suckling period, to persist. ;Malic' enzyme and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activities were not altered appreciably. 4. No differences could be detected in hepatic enzyme activities between males and females up to 35 days, but after this time female rats gave higher values for acetate incorporation, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and ;malic' enzyme activity. 5. The results are discussed in relation to changes in alimentation and hormonal influences.     

Reversal of glycolysis in yeast.

When a buffered, aerobic suspension of ethanol-grown cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is treated with ethanol, a rapid flux of metabolism is observed from endogenous phosphoenolpyruvate to hexose monophosphates. Intracellular concentrations of phosphoenolpyruvate, 2-phosphoglycerate, and 3-phosphoglycerate record a monotonic drop, while those of triose phosphates and fructose 1,6-diphosphate fall after an early rise; fructose 6-phosphate, mannose 6-phosphate, and glucose 6-phosphate levels rise to a plateau. Prior growth on glucose extinguishes fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activity and completely arrests the rise of the hexose monophosphates. By using mutants blocked at a number of glycolytic steps it has been concluded that the metabolic flow takes place along the Embden-Meyerhof pathway in the reverse direction bypassing pyruvate kinase and fructose 6-phosphate kinase. Ethanol acts as a trigger by supplying NADH at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step. The rate of the reversal in the span phosphoenolpyruvate to fructose 1,6-diphosphate approaches 40 μ mol of 3-carbon units per minute per gram of wet cells. The in vivo activity of fructose 1,6-diphosphatase is nearly a quarter of this rate.     

Caffeine inhibition of aflatoxin synthesis: probable site of action.

Aflatoxin production by pregrown cultures of Aspergillus parasiticus was completely inhibited by incorporation of 2 mg of caffeine per ml into the medium. This was accompanied by a decrease in glucose utilization and an inhibition of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide evolution. Enzyme analyses indicated no significant differences in specific activities on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, mannitol dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, pyruvate kinase, or malate dehydrogenase. Glucose uptake kinetics indicated a linear dose-related inhibition of glucose uptake. It appears likely that caffeine inhibits aflatoxin synthesis by restricting the uptake of carbohydrates which are ultimately used by the mold to synthesize this family of mycotoxins.     

Caffeine inhibition of aflatoxin synthesis: probable site of action

Aflatoxin production by pregrown cultures of Aspergillus parasiticus was completely inhibited by incorporation of 2 mg of caffeine per ml into the medium. This was accompanied by a decrease in glucose utilization and an inhibition of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide evolution. Enzyme analyses indicated no significant differences in specific activities on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, mannitol dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, pyruvate kinase, or malate dehydrogenase. Glucose uptake kinetics indicated a linear dose-related inhibition of glucose uptake. It appears likely that caffeine inhibits aflatoxin synthesis by restricting the uptake of carbohydrates which are ultimately used by the mold to synthesize this family of mycotoxins.     

Undifferentiated patterns of key carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes in injured livers. I. Acute carbon-tetrachloride intoxication of rat.

In acute CCL4 intoxication of rats significantly increased activities of hepatic low-Km hexokinases, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase A and pyruvate kinase M2 with concurrently decreased activities of glucokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, aldolase B and pyruvate kinase L were observed. The resulting enzyme pattern was apparently different from that in dietary induction. Principal component analysis revealed that the degree of enzyme deviation in the injured liver was much greater than that in the regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy and was closer to that in fetal liver or hepatoma tissue.     

Effects of different dietary carbohydrates on hepatic enzymes of copper-deficient rats

The present study was undertaken to measure the activities of several hepatic enzymes of regulatory importance in the pathways of lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis in rats fed diets marginally deficient in copper (1.2 micrograms Cu/g of diet) and containing either fructose, glucose, or starch as the carbohydrate sources. Although all copper-deficient rats exhibited the characteristic signs of copper deficiency, they were more pronounced in rats fed the diet containing fructose. Except for the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase which was unaffected either by copper deficiency or by the type of dietary carbohydrate, the hepatic activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, L-alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase were unaffected by copper deficiency but were affected by the type of carbohydrate in the diet. Fructose produced the greatest increase in enzymatic activities, whereas starch produced the least activity and glucose induced an intermediate effect. These results indicate that the deleterious effects of a fructose diet deficient in copper on biochemical and physiological indices could not be due to an immediate metabolite of fructose. However, the involvement of a subsequent metabolite of fructose in the mechanism of copper utilization and/or requirement cannot be excluded.     

Response of hepatic fructokinase to long-term sucrose diets and diabetes in spiny mice, albino mice and rats

The activity of hepatic fructokinase increased about 2-fold in desert-derived spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) and laboratory bred albino mice and rats, maintained on a 50% sucrose diet for 3 months. The role of fructose as the specific inducer was apparent, as 25% fructose diet produced activity increases similar to those of sucrose in contrast to 25% glucose diet. The activity of hexokinase was not affected by the sucrose diet, that of glucokinase rose marginally but those of pyruvate kinase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase rose pronouncedly, especially in the spiny mice. Fructokinase activity increased significantly only after 2 weeks on the diet and continued to rise gradually. The activities of other gycolytic enzymes rose markedly already after 3 days and peaked at about 14 days. Fasting for 48 hr did not influence fructokinase activity while markedly reducing that of glucokinase, pyruvate kinase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase. Streptozotocin diabetes in rats resulted in a 40% reduction in fructokinase activity after 14 days which was restored after 6 days of insulin treatment. The activity increases of other glycolytic enzymes were more marked. However, the fructokinase induction on the sucrose diet was evident also in diabetic rats, suggesting that the insulin and substrate effects are independent. The preference of fructose over glucose phosphorylation capacity was clearly demonstrable in the non-diabetic and diabetic rats and became enhanced on sucrose feeding. The activity of triokinase also increased on the sucrose diet in the 3 rodent species, suggesting a coordinative substrate effect on the induction of these two rate-limiting fructolysis enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Changes in activity of some enzymes involved in glucose utilization and formation in developing rat liver

1. The activities of some enzymes involved in both the utilization of glucose (pyruvate kinase, ATP citrate lyase, NADP-specific malate dehydrogenase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase, all present in the supernatant fraction of liver homogenates) and the formation of glucose by gluconeogenesis (glucose 6-phosphatase in the whole homogenate and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, phosphopyruvate carboxylase, NAD-specific malate dehydrogenase and fumarase in the supernatant fraction) have been determined in rat liver around birth and in the postnatal period until the end of weaning. 2. The activities of those enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose into lipid are low during the neonatal period and increase with weaning. NADP-specific malate dehydrogenase first appears and develops at the beginning of the weaning period. 3. The marked increase in cytoplasmic phosphopyruvate carboxylase activity at birth is probably the major factor initiating gluconeogenesis at that time. 4. The results are discussed against the known changes in dietary supplies and the known metabolic patterns during the period of development.     

Evaluation of the rate-limiting steps in the pathway of glucose metabolism in kidney cortex of normal, diabetic, cortisone-treated and growth hormone-treated rats

1. The activities of gluconeogenic and glycolytic enzymes and the concentrations of citrate, ammonia, amino acids, glycogen, glucose 6-phosphate, acetyl-CoA, lactate and pyruvate were measured in kidney cortex of normal, diabetic, cortisone-treated and growth hormone-treated rats. 2. In kidney cortex of diabetic, cortisone-treated and growth hormone-treated rats the activities of glucose 6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9), fructose 1,6-diphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11) and phosphopyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.32) were increased. 3. The activities of glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3), alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2), aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.10) and pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1) were increased in diabetic and cortisone-treated rats. In growth hormone-treated rats the activity of aspartate aminotransferase was depressed but those of the other three enzymes were unchanged. 4. The activity of hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) was not altered in any of these conditions. Phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) activity was depressed only in growth hormone-treated rats. Pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) activity was depressed in cortisone-treated and growth hormone-treated rats but unchanged in diabetic rats. 5. Amino acids, acetyl-CoA and glucose 6-phosphate contents were increased in rat kidneys in all these three conditions. Ammonia content was increased in diabetic and cortisone-treated rats but was markedly diminished in growth hormone-treated rats. 6. The [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio was elevated in diabetic and cortisone-treated rats but unchanged in growth hormone-treated rats. Citrate content was increased in the kidney cortex of diabetic and growth hormone-treated rats but was unchanged in cortisone-treated rats. The activity of ATP citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.8) was depressed in diabetic and growth hormone-treated rats but was increased in cortisone-treated rats. 7. Glycogen content was moderately elevated in growth hormone-treated rats and markedly elevated in diabetic rats, whereas no change in glycogen content was observed in cortisone-treated rats. Glycogen synthetase (EC 2.4.1.11) activity was unchanged in all these three conditions. Phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) activity was not affected in cortisone-treated rats but was depressed in diabetic and growth hormone-treated rats.     

Degradation of endogenous fructose during catabolism of sucrose and mannitol in halophilic archaebacteria

Metabolism of fructose arising endogenously from sucrose or mannitol was studied in halophilic archaebacteria Haloarcula vallismortis and Haloferax mediterranei. Activities of the enzymes of Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway, Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway and Pentose Phosphate (PP) pathway were examined in extracts of cells grown on sucrose or mannitol and compared to those grown on fructose and glucose. Sucrase and NAD-specific mannitol dehydrogenase were induced only when sucrose or mannitol respectively were the growth substrates. Endogenously arising fructose was metabolised in a manner similar to that for exogenously supplied fructose i.e. a modified EMP pathway initiated by ketohexokinase. While the enzymes for modified EMP pathway viz. ketohexokinase, 1-phosphofructokinase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase were present under all growth conditions, their levels were elevated in presence of fructose. Besides, though fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, phosphohexoseisomerase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were present, the absence of 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase precluded routing of fructose through ED pathway, or through PP pathway directly as 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was lacking. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase plays the unusual role of a catabolic enzyme in supporting the non-oxidative part of PP pathway. However the presence of constitutive levels of glucose dehydrogenase and 2-keto 3-deoxy 6-phosphogluconate aldolase when glucose or sucrose were growth substrates suggested that glucose breakdown took place via the modified ED pathway.Abbreviations EMP Embden Meyerhof Parnas - ED Entner Doudoroff - PP pentose phosphate - KHK ketohexokinase - 1-PFK 1-phosphofructokinase - PEP-PTS phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase - 6-PFK 6-phosphofructokinase - FBPase fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase - PHI phosphohexoseisomerase - G6P-DH glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase - 6PG-DH 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase - GAPDH glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase - FIP fructose 1-phosphate - GSH reduced glutathione - 2-ME -mercaptoethanol - FBP fructose 1,6-bisphosphate - KDPG 2-keto 3-deoxy 6-phosphogluconate - F6P fructose 6-phosphatez     

Glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzyme activities in parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells from mouse liver

1. Parenchymal cells have been prepared from mouse liver by enzymic and mechanical means. 2. The dry weights, protein and DNA contents of these cells have been determined. 3. Mouse liver ;M-' and ;L-type' pyruvate kinases have been prepared free of contamination with each other; their kinetic properties have been examined and a method has been developed for their assay in total liver homogenates. 4. Recoveries of phosphoglycerate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and phosphofructokinase in enzymically prepared cells indicate that little, if any, cytoplasmic protein is lost during preparation. 5. Parenchymal cells exhibit a very substantial increase in the activity ratio of glucokinase to hexokinase over that in total liver homogenate; in three out of eight experiments, hexokinase activity was undetectable. 6. ;L-type' pyruvate kinase alone occurs in the parenchymal cell. Non-parenchymal cells are characterized by the presence of ;M-type' activity only. 7. Parenchymal cells contain both glucose 6-phosphatase and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase. The non-parenchymal fraction appears to contain fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, but is devoid of glucose 6-phosphatase. 8. No aldolase A was detectable in the whole liver. Aldolase B occurs in both parenchymal and non-parenchymal tissue. 9. Parenchymal cells prepared by mechanical disruption of mouse liver with 20% polyvinyl alcohol exhibit a similar enzyme profile to those prepared enzymically. 10. The methodology involved in the preparation of isolated liver cells is discussed. The importance of the measurement of several parameters as criteria for establishing the viability of parenchymal cells is stressed. 11. The metabolic implications of the results in the present study are discussed.     

Effect of a high fructose diet on the activities of enzymes implicated in the conversion of fructose to glucose by the liver and the intestinal mucosa of the rat

The activity of enzymes implicated in the metabolic pathway of fructose to glucose conversion was shown in rat liver and intestine. In rats on normal diet, the specific activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, fructokinase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase and triokinase was low in the intestine confirming that sugar conversion is not operative in this organ. In rats on a fructose diet, all the specific enzymatic activities tested were increased except for the hepatic triokinase and triose phosphate isomerase and for the intestinal triose phosphate isomerase. The intestine acquires the possibility to transform fructose to glucose by modifying the activities of enzymes implicated in the same metabolic pathway as that intervening in the liver.     

Induction and suppression of the key enzymes of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in isolated perfused rat liver in response to glucose, fructose and lactate

1. Measurements were made of the activities of the four key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis, pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.32), fructose 1,6-diphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11) and glucose 6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9), of serine dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.13) and of the four enzymes unique to glycolysis, glucokinase (EC 2.7.1.2), hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1), phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) and pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40), in livers from starved rats perfused with glucose, fructose or lactate. Changes in perfusate concentrations of glucose, fructose, lactate, pyruvate, urea and amino acid were monitored for each perfusion. 2. Addition of 15mm-glucose at the start of perfusion decreased the activity of pyruvate carboxylase. Constant infusion of glucose to maintain the concentration also decreased the activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, fructose 1,6-diphosphatase and serine dehydratase. Addition of 2.2mm-glucose initially to give a perfusate sugar concentration similar to the blood sugar concentration of starved animals had no effect on the activities of the enzymes compared with zero-time controls. 3. Addition of 15mm-fructose initially decreased glucokinase activity. Constant infusion of fructose decreased activities of glucokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, glucose 6-phosphatase and serine dehydratase. 4. Addition of 7mm-lactate initially elevated the activity of pyruvate carboxylase, as also did constant infusion; maintenance of a perfusate lactate concentration of 18mm induced both pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities. 5. Addition of cycloheximide had no effect on the activities of the enzymes after 4h of perfusion at either low or high concentrations of glucose or at high lactate concentration. Cycloheximide also prevented the loss or induction of pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities with high substrate concentrations. 6. Significant amounts of glycogen were deposited in all perfusions, except for those containing cycloheximide at the lowest glucose concentration. Lipid was found to increase only in the experiments with high fructose concentrations. 7. Perfusion with either fructose or glucose decreased the rates of ureogenesis; addition of cycloheximide increased urea efflux from the liver.     

Hormonal and lipogenic and gluconeogenic enzymatic responses in LA/N-corpulent rats

Genetically obese normotensive rats, LA/N-corpulent (cp), were fed ad libitum diets containing either 54% sucrose or cooked corn starch for 12 weeks. Twenty-four rats were used for the study; half were corpulent (cp/cp) and half were lean (cp/+ or +/+). Fasting levels of plasma insulin, glucose, corticosterone, glucagon and growth hormone, and activities of liver and epididymal fat pad glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), malic enzyme (ME), and liver and kidney glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), fructose 1,6-diphosphatase (FDPase), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were measured. A significant phenotype effect was observed in insulin, corticosterone, growth hormone, and liver G6PD, ME, FDPase, and kidney PEPCK, G6Pase, FDPase, and epididymal fat pad G6PD and ME (corpulent greater than lean), and glucagon (lean greater than corpulent). Diet effect (sucrose greater than starch) was significant for plasma glucose, liver ME, and kidney G6Pase. Although not significant at the P less than 0.05 level, insulin, corticosterone, liver G6PD and FDPase and kidney FDPase tended to be higher in sucrose-fed rats. This study suggests that the corpulent rat is more lipogenic and gluconeogenic than the lean, and that the hormones responsible are effective in keeping both the lipogenic and gluconeogenic enzyme activity elevated.     

Effect of some glycolytic intermediates and palmitoyl-CoA on alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in mitochondria isolated from liver of triiodothyronine-treated rats

alpha-Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.5) in mitochondria from liver of the triiodothyronine-treated rats is competitively inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate, the apparent Ki values for phosphoenolpyruvate being 0.76 mM at pH 7.0, 1.7 mM at pH 7.4 and 3.5 mM at pH 7.7. The apparent Ki values for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate are also pH-dependent. Other glycolytic intermediates, such as 2-phosphoglycerate, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, pyruvate, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate did not alter significantly alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity. Palmitoyl-CoA is a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme, with Ki value of about 30 micron.     

In vivo regulation of glycolysis and characterization of sugar: phosphotransferase systems in Streptococcus lactis.

Two novel procedures have been used to regulate, in vivo, the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) from glycolysis in Streptococcus lactis ML3. In the first procedure, glucose metabolism was specifically inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate. Autoradiographic and enzymatic analyses showed that the cells contained glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, and triose phosphates.Dithiothreitol reversed the p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibition, and these intermediates were rapidly and quantitatively transformed into 3- and 2-phosphoglycerates plus PEP. The three intermediates were not further metabolized and constituted the intracellular PEP potential. The second procedure simply involved starvation of the organisms. The starved cells were devoid of glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose- 1,6-diphosphate, and triose phosphates but contained high levels of 3- and 2-phosphoglycerates and PEP (ca. 40 mM in total). The capacity to regulate PEP formation in vivo permitted the characterization of glucose and lactose phosphotransferase systems in physiologically intact cells. Evidence has been obtained for "feed forward" activation of pyruvate kinase in vivo by phosphorylated intermediates formed before the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction in the glycolytic sequence. The data suggest that pyruvate kinase (an allosteric enzyme) plays a key role in the regulation of glycolysis and phosphotransferase system functions in S. lactis ML3.     

Comparative Intermediary Metabolism of Vegetative Cells and Microcysts of Myxococcus xanthus

Crude extracts of both vegetative cells and glycerol-induced microcysts of Myxococcus xanthus contained the following enzyme activities: phosphofructokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, fructosediphosphate aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphopyruvate carboxylase, citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase, and uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase. With the exception of isocitrate dehydrogenase, which was present at a fivefold higher concentration in microcysts, all activities in extracts from both types of cells were essentially equal. Hexokinase and pyruvate kinase could not be detected in extracts from either type of cell. Microcysts metabolized acetate at a lower rate than did vegetative cells. Most of this decrease was reflected in a substantial decrease in ability of microcysts to oxidize acetate to CO(2). In addition, microcysts and vegetative cells showed a different distribution of (14)C-label from incorporated acetate.     

Activity of enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism in the HT 29 colon adenocarcinoma cell line and tumor

Activity of several enzymes of the glycogen and carbohydrate metabolism is studied in HT 29 colon adenocarcinoma cell line and in HT 29 tumors developed in nude mice, by reference to the normal human colon mucosa. Activity of glycogen synthase, glycogen phosphorylase, pyruvate kinase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase is found to be increased in both the cultured cells and the tumors. It indicates that the biochemical strategy of malignant cells, due to the neoplastic transformation process, involves specific changes in the carbohydrate metabolism of tumor as well as in vitro growing correspondent cell line.     

Glucose 6-Phosphate and Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate Can Be Used as ATP-Regenerating Systems by Cerebellum Ca2+-Transport ATPase

Abstract : In this work, it is shown that the Ca²⁺-transport ATPase found in the microsomal fraction of the cerebellum can use both glucose 6-phosphate/hexokinase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate/phosphofructokinase as ATP-regenerating systems. The vesicles derived from the cerebellum were able to accumulate Ca²⁺ in a medium containing ADP when either glucose 6-phosphate and hexokinase or fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and phosphofructokinase were added to the medium. There was no Ca²⁺ uptake if one of these components was omitted from the medium. The transport of Ca²⁺ was associated with the cleavage of sugar phosphate. The maximal amount of Ca²⁺ accumulated by the vesicles with the fructose 1,6-bisphosphate system was larger than that measured either with glucose 6-phosphate or with a low ATP concentration and phosphoenolpyruvate/pyruvate kinase. The Ca²⁺ uptake supported by glucose 6-phosphate was inhibited by glucose, but not by fructose 6-phosphate. In contrast, the Ca²⁺ uptake supported by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate was inhibited by fructose 6-phosphate, but not by glucose. Thapsigargin, a specific SERCA inhibitor, impaired the transport of Ca²⁺ sustained by either glucose 6-phosphate or fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. It is proposed that the use of glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate as an ATP-regenerating system by the cerebellum Ca²⁺-ATPase may represent a salvage route used at early stages of ischemia ; this could be used to energize the Ca²⁺ transport, avoiding the deleterious effects derived from the cellular acidosis promoted by lactic acid.     

Metabolic control of hepatic gluconeogenesis during exercise.

Prolonged exercise increased the concentrations of the hexose phosphates and phosphoenolpyruvate and depressed those of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, triose phosphates and pyruvate in the liver of the rat. Since exercise increases gluconeogenic flux, these changes in metabolite concentrations suggest that metabolic control is exerted, at least, at the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate/pyruvate substrate cycles. Exercise increased the maximal activities of glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate carboxylase in the liver, but there were no changes in those of glucokinase, 6-phosphofructokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Exercise changed the concentrations of several allosteric effectors of the glycolytic or gluconeogenic enzymes in liver; the concentrations of acetyl-CoA, ADP and AMP were increased, whereas those of ATP, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate were decreased. The effect of exercise on the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation state of pyruvate kinase was investigated by measuring the activities under conditions of saturating and subsaturating concentrations of substrate. The submaximal activity of pyruvate kinase (0.5 mM-phosphoenolpyruvate), expressed as percentage of Vmax., decreased in the exercised animals to less than half that found in the controls. These changes suggest that hepatic pyruvate kinase is less active during exercise, possibly owing to phosphorylation of the enzyme, and this may play a role in increasing the rate of gluconeogenesis.