Characteristics of galactokinase and galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase in cultivated fibroblasts and amniotic fluid cells

Summary The kinetic characteristics of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase and galactokinase in cultivated fibroblasts and amniotic fluid cells were investigated. The K _m values of galactokinase for galactose at 2.0 mM ATP are 0.34 mM in amniotic fluid cells and 0.48 mM in fibroblasts. The K _m values for ATP at 0.5 mM galactose are 1.25 mM and 2.10 mM.Transferase and galactokinase activities and protein content increase logarithmically during the growth of cultivated cells. The specific activity of both enzymes also increases and reaches a maximum level 10–15 days after subculture. The specific activity of transferase increases faster than that of galactokinase in the case of amniotic fluid cells. In the case of fibroblasts the specific activity of galactokinase increases faster than that of transferase.     

Purification and kinetic properties of ATP: citrate oxaloacetate lyase from rat brain.

Abstract— A method for a partial purification of ATP:citrate oxaloacetate lyase from rat brain is described. The Lineweaver–Burk plots of velocity vs citrate concentration are biphasic in the presence of fixed concentrations of MgCl₂. Therefore two values of K_m, corresponding to low and high concentrations of citrate, can be determined. When MgCl₂ is added in equimolar concentrations with citrate, a monophasic plot with one K_m of 0.13 mm is obtained. The K_m value for MgATP^2- was independent of citrate concentration, being equal to 0.40–0.43 mm. The K_m for CoA was 0.0007 mm. ADP and P_i are competitive inhibitors with respect to ATP. K_i for MgADP⁻ is equal to 0.13 mm. dl -isocitrate and cis-aconitate are partially competitive inhibitors with respect to citrate with K_i values of 5.8 and 4.8 mm, respectively. α-Ketoglutarate and pyruvate are noncompetitive inhibitors with respect to ATP and citrate, with K_i values equal to 9 and 45 mm, respectively. The physiological significance of these effectors for the regulation of citrate lyase activity in brain is discussed.     

Insulin and glucagon's reciprocal mediation of a dual regulation mechanism for pyruvate kinase

The addition of glucagon to hepatocytes in primary culture produced a rapid and sustained increase in the K_m ($\text{1.27 m}\text{M}$ phosphoenol pyruvate) of pyruvate kinase. The low K_m ($\text{0.4 m}\text{M}$) form of the enzyme was seen when cells were retreated with insulin, demonstrating a short-term regulation mechanism. Injections of insulin, glucagon or glucagon followed by insulin demonstrated that a similar mechanism occurs $\text{in}\text{vivo}$. Results from longer times after injection indicated that another mechanism occurs when altered activity was the result of changes in V_max and not K_m. Thus, a dual mechanism for regulation of pyruvate kinase occurs. A rapid responding system functions by modification of the enzyme, while a long-term system functions by altering the rate of synthesis, thus changing the amount of enzyme present.     

Purification and substrate characterization of α-ketobutyrate decarboxylase from Pseudomonas putida

α-Ketobutyrate decarboxylase encoded in the -methionine catabolism operon of Pseudomonas putida is homologous with the E1 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from gram-negative bacteria. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from the cell extract of an Escherichia coli transformant. The purified enzyme was homodimeric with a subunit of M_r 93,000 on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme activity was activated by the addition of both thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) and a divalent cation, such as Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Co²⁺. The enzyme showed high activity for α-ketobutyrate and α-keto-n-valerate rather than pyruvate, but the α-keto acids with increasing length of the side chain as well as branching, such as α-keto-n-caproate and α-keto-3-methylvalerate, were not used by the enzyme. The K_m values for α-ketobutyrate and pyruvate were 0.016 and 0.147 mM, respectively, and the k_cat/K_m value (10.69 s⁻¹ mM⁻¹) for α-ketobutyrate was 29-fold greater than that for pyruvate. Thus, α-ketobutyrate decarboxylase is distinguished from the pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component with respect to the substrate specificity, although their structural and enzymological properties were similar. These results suggest that the unique substrate specificity of α-ketobutyrate decarboxylase is due to a slight difference in the highly conserved active sites of both enzymes.     

Urea-requiring lactate dehydrogenases of marine elasmobranch fishes

Summary The kinetic properties — apparentK _m of pyruvate, pyruvate inhibition pattern, and maximal velocity — of M₄ (skeletal muscle) lactate dehydrogenases of marine elasmobranch fishes resemble those of the homologous lactate dehydrogenases of non-elasmobranchs only when physiological concentrations of urea (approximately 400 mM) are present in the assay medium. Urea increases the apparentK _m of pyruvate to values typical of other vertebrates (Fig. 2), and reduces pyruvate inhibition to levels seen with other M₄-lactate dehydrogenases (Fig. 3). Urea reduces the activation enthalpy of the reaction, and increasesV _max at physiological temperatures (Fig. 4).The M₄-lactate dehydrogenase of the freshwater elasmobranch,Potamotrygon sp., resembles a teleost lactate dehydrogenase, i.e., although it is sensitive to urea, it does not require the presence of urea for the establishment of optimal kinetic properties.     

Effect of SO32- on the activity of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase from seedlings of Pinus silvestris

Abstract The effect of sulphite on ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, extracted from needles of Pinus silvestris L., was studied in vitro at pH 8.15 and 25°C. 1 mM and higher concentrations of SO₃^2- inhibited the enzyme. The enzyme was activated either in the assay medium (2.5 – 20 mM HCO_3, 20 mM MgCl₂) or in 10 or 20 mM HCO₃^- and 20–25 mM MgCl₂. Linear reciprocal plots of the activity versus the substrate concentration were obtained, when the HCO₃^- concentration during activation was 4 mM or higher. When the enzyme was activated at high HCO₃^- and Mg²⁺ concentrations, the K_m(CO₂) was c. 27 μM. With respect to HCO₃^-. SO₃^2- inhibited the enzyme in a non-competitive fashion. The inhibition was similar, whether SO₃^2- was present during activation or not. Apparently. SO₃^2- did not interfere with the binding of CO₂ and Mg²⁺ at the activating site. The K₁ was 11–13 mM SO₃^2-. With respect to ribulose bisphosphate the inhibition was also noncompetitive. Similar results with respect to HCO₃^- were obtained for spinach, Spinacia oleracea L., which is contrary to earlier reports.     

Purification and properties ofl-serine dehydratase fromLactobacillus fermentum ATCC 14931

l-Serine dehydratase fromLactobacillus fermentum was purified 100-fold. It was stabilized by the presence of 1 mM l-cysteine in 50 mM phosphate buffer. M_r=150,000 was determined by gel filtration. The enzyme consists of four apparently identical subunits (M_r=40,000) that were observed after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate. The apparent K_m forl-serine was 65 mM. Fe⁺⁺ was required for the enzymatic activity, and the apparent K_m value for this reaction was 0.55 mM. Maximum enzymatic activity was observed at 45°C and pH 8.0 in 50 mM phosphate buffer. At pH values different from the optimum, a positive cooperativity between substrate molecules was observed. The activation energy of the reaction was 11,400 and 22,800 cal × mol^–1 for temperature values more than and less than 35°C respectively. The purified enzyme showed a maximum absorption between 400 and 420 nm, indicating the presence of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP) as a prosthetic group. The PLP concentration was 0.027 µmoles per milligram of protein. The data suggest that there is 1 mol of PLP for each protein subunit.     

Hymenolepis microstoma: lactate and malate dehydrogenases of the adult worm.

Lactate and malate dehydrogenases (EC 1.1.1.27 and EC 1.1.1.37, respectively) were precipitated with ammonium sulfate, redissolved in 100 mM phosphate buffer, and the kinetic parameters of each enzyme determined. Lactate dehydrogenase: The enzyme preparation had a specific activity of 0.35 μmole NADH oxidized/min/mg protein for pyruvate reduction, and 0.10 μmole NAD reduced/min/mg protein for lactate oxidation. K_m values for the substrates and cofactors were as follows: pyruvate = 0.51, mM; lactate = 3.8 mM; NADH = 0.011 mM; and NAD = 0.17 mM. NADPH, NADP, or d(?)-lactate would not replace NADH, NAD, or l(+)-lactate, respectively. The enzyme was relatively stable at 50 C for 45 min, but much less stable at 60 C; repeated freezing and thawing of the enzyme preparation had little effect on LDH activity. Both p-chloromercuribenzoate (p-CMB) and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) significantly inhibited LDH activity. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of at least two LDH isoenzymes in the unpurified enzyme preparation. The molecular weight was estimated at 160,000 by gel chromatography. Malate dehydrogenase: The enzyme preparation had a specific activity of 6.70 μmole NADH oxidized/min/mg protein for oxaloacetate reduction, and 0.52 μmole NAD reduced/ min/mg protein for malate oxidation. K_m values for substrates and cofactors were as follows: l-malate = 1.09 mM; oxaloacetate = 0.0059 mM; NADH = 0.017 mM; and NAD = 0.180 mM. NADP and NADPH would not replace NAD and NADH, respectively, d-malate was oxidized slowly when present in high concentrations (>100 mM). Significant substrate inhibition occurred with concentrations of l-malate and oxaloacetate above 40 mM and 0.5 mM, respectively. The enzyme was unstable at temperatures above 40 C, but repeated freezing and thawing of the enzyme preparation had little effect on MDH activity. Only p-CMB inhibited MDH activity. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of at least three MDH isoenzymes in the unpurified enzyme preparation, and the molecular weight was estimated at 49,000 by gel chromatography.     

Kinetic and regulatory properties of pyruvate kinase isozymes from flight muscle and fat body of the cockroach,Periplaneta americana

Summary Pyruvate kinases from flight muscle and fat body of the cockroach,Periplaneta americana, were purified to homogeneity. The two tissues contained different forms of the enzyme which were separable by starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing (pI=5.75 for flight muscle and 6.15 for fat body). Both enzymes had molecular weights of 235,000±20,000.Flight muscle pyruvate kinase displayed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with respect to both ADP and P-enolpyruvate withK _m values of 0.27 and 0.04 mM, respectively.K _m for Mg²⁺ was 0.60 mM andK _a for K⁺ was 15 mM. The enzyme was weakly inhibitied by four compounds, ATP, arginine-P,l-alanine and citrate with apparentK _i values of 3.5, 15, 20 and 24 mM, respectively. Competitive inhibition by 3 mM ATP or 10 mM arginine-P raised theK _m for P-enolpyruvate to 0.067 or 0.057 mM. Fructose-1,6-P₂ did not activate the enzyme but reversed inhibitions by ATP and arginine-P.Fat body pyruvate kinase showed sigmoidal kinetics with respect to P-enolpyruvate with S_0.5=0.32 mM andn _H=1.43.K _m values for ADP and Mg²⁺ were 0.30 and 0.80 mM, respectively with aK _a for K⁺ of 10 mM. ATP andl-alanine were inhibitors of the enzyme; 2 mM ATP raised S_0.5 for P-enolpyruvate to 0.48 mM while 3 mMl-alanine increased S_0.5 to 0.84 mM. Neither citrate nor arginine-P inhibited the enzyme but citrate affected the enzyme by reversingl-alanine inhibition. Fat body pyruvate kinase was strongly activated by fructose-1,6-P₂ with an apparentK _a of 1.5 M. Fructose-1,6-P₂ at 0.1 mM reduced S_0.5 for P-enolpyruvate to 0.05 mM andn _H to 1.0.Flight muscle and fat body pyruvate kinases from the cockroach show properties analogous to those of the muscle and liver forms of mammalian pyruvate kinase. Fat body pyruvate kinase is suited for on-off function in a tissue with a gluconeogenic capacity. Strong allosteric control with a feed-forward activation by fructose-1,6-P₂ is key to coordinating enzyme function with glycolytic rate. The function of flight muscle pyruvate kinase in energy production during flight is aided by a lowK _m for P-enolpyruvate, weak inhibitor effects by high energy phosphates and deinhibition of these effects by fructose-1,6-P₂.     

Purification and partial characterization of alanine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces aureofaciens

Alanine dehydrogenase was purified to near homogeneity from cell-free extract of Streptomyces aureofaciens, which produces tetracycline. The molecular weight of the enzyme determined by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography was 395 000. The molecular weight determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis was 48 000, indicating that the enzyme consists of eight subunits with similar molecular weight. The isoelectric point of alanine dehydrogenase is 6.7. The pH optimum is 10.0 for oxidative deamination of L-alanine and 8.5 for reductive amination of pyruvate. K _M values were 5.0 mM for L-alanine and 0.11 mM for NAD⁺. K _M values for reductive amination were 0.56 mM for pyruvate, 0.029 mM for NADH and 6.67 mM for NH₄Cl.Abbreviation AlaDH alanine dehydrogenase     

Temperature dependence of intracellular pH: Its role in the conservation of pyruvate apparentKm values of vertebrate lactate dehydrogenases

Summary When apparent Michaelis constants (K _m's) for pyruvate of M₄-lactate dehydrogenases from differently thermally adapted vertebrates are measured at the species' normal cell temperatures, a marked degree of conservation inK _m is observed, but only when the pH of the assay medium is varied in the manner in which intracellular pH varies with temperature in most animals (Fig. 2).K _m measurements performed at a constant pH do not yield this high degree of interspecific conservation inK _m (Figs. 2 and 3).The temperature dependence of intracellular pH preserves the charge states of imidazoles of protein histidines during temperature transitions. Thus under intracellular conditions the ionization state of the active site histidine of LDH will be independent of temperature, reducing the temperature dependence of pyruvate binding. This effect appears important in the contexts of short-term temperature variation experienced by an individual ectotherm and of long-term, evolutionary temperature changes important in speciation processes.These findings emphasize the importance of utilizing biologically realistic pH values in enzyme studies if major adaptive trends are to be observed.     

Pressure-adaptive differences in the binding and catalytic properties of muscle-type (M4) lactate dehydrogenases of shallow- and deep-living marine fishes

Summary The pressure sensitivities of substrate (pyruvate) and cofactor (NADH) binding and catalytic rate of purified muscle-type (M₄) lactate dehydrogenases (LDH, EC 1.1.1.27; NAD⁺: lactate oxidoreductase) from shallow- and deep-living teleost fishes were compared. The LDH's of the shallow species are significantly more pressure-sensitive than the LDH's of the deep-living fishes. The apparent Michaelis constant (K _m)¹ of pyruvate of the deep-living species' LDH's is pressure-insensitive over the entire pressure range used in these studies, 1 to 476 atmospheres (Fig. 1). For the LDH's of the shallow species, theK _m of pyruvate increases significantly between 1 and 68 atmospheres, and then remains stable up to 476 atmospheres. TheK _m of NADH displays a much higher pressure sensitivity. For the LDH's of the deep species, theK _m of NADH increases slightly (approximately 32%) between 1 and 68 atmospheres, and then remains stable up to 476 atmospheres (Fig. 1). TheK _m of the shallow species' LDH's rises sharply (approximately 113%) between 1 and 68 atmospheres, and then continues to increase at a slower rate up to 476 atmospheres. This marked inhibition of cofactor binding by pressure for the shallow species' LDH's may be of sufficient magnitude to seriously impair the function of these LDH's at pressures typical of those encountered by the deeper-living species.Pressure effects on optimal velocity, measured under high (optimal) concentrations of pyruvate and NADH, were generally lower for the LDH's of the deep species (Table 1).These results indicate that M₄-LDH's of shallow water fishes are not pre-adapted for function at deepsea pressures, and that the reduction of pressure sensitivities ofK _m's and catalysis may be a ubiquitous feature of adaptation to life at depth. The virtually identical pressure responses of M₄-LDH's from deepliving teleosts belonging to four different families represents a striking example of convergent evolution at the molecular level.     

Purification and characterization of pyruvate carboxylase from the honeybee and some properties of related biotin-containing proteins in other insects

Our discovery of a M_r 128 k biotin-containing protein in an extract of the white-fly was an unexpected outcome of the use of an avidin-biotin-peroxidase method to visualize a western blot. This major biotin-containing protein was shown to be present in several tissues of 10 different species of insects by doing a western blot and staining it with streptavidin-linked peroxidase. The amount of this protein in the thorax of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, increased during development. The non-flying grasshopper, Barytettix psolus, had reduced amounts of this protein in their thoraces compared to a flying grass-hopper, Schistocerca americana. The major biotin-containing protein was purified from the thoraces of honeybee, Apis mellifera, using an avidin Sepharose affinity column. The purified biotin-containing protein was shown to be pyruvate carboxylase, an enzyme that catalyzes the specific transfer of a carboxyl group to pyruvate, yielding oxaloacetate. The purified honeybee pyruvate carboxylase was characterized enzymatically and structurally. This protein had a single subunit of M_r 128 k and formed a native molecule of about M_r 500 k consisting of four of these subunits. The amino acid composition of the protein was also obtained. The enzymatic activity of this protein required acetyl-CoA, ATP, and Mg²⁺. The K_ms of the enzyme for bicarbonate and pyruvate were similar to pyruvate carboxylase from other oganisms. The biotin-containing protein was also partially purified from mosquito thoraces using the same methods and was shown to be pyruvate carboxylase. The comparison between insect pyruvate carboxylase and that of other organisms is provided and the possible physiological role of the pyruvate carboxylase in the thoracic muscles of insects is discussed.     

The cytosolic isoenzyme of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase in Spinacia oleracea and other higher plants: extreme substrate ambiguity and other properties

The cytosolic isoenzyme of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase (DS-Co: EC 4.1.2.15) in Spinacia oleracea, Solanum tubersosum and many other higher plants was found to use a diversity of substrates. Diose (glycolaldehyde), triose (D-glyceraldehyde, L-glyceraldehyde and DL-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate), tetrose (D-erythrose, L-erythrose, D-erythrose 4-phosphate, D-threose and L-threose), and pentose (D-ribose 5-phosphate and D-arabinose 5-phosphate) were utilized in combination with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to make the corresponding 2-keto-3-deoxy sugar acids. Glyoxylate was also utilized by DS-Co. Glycoladehyde exhibited the highest reaction velocity when substrates were tested at 3 mM concentrations. Pentoses were poor substrates except when phsophorylated, an effect which is probably due to an increased fraction of the molecules being in the open-chain form. Little stereoselective discrimination exists since comparable velocities were demonstrated with the D and L isomers of glyceraldehyde, erythrose or threose. The enzyme is not a reversible aldolase since pyruvate failed to substitute for PEP. The use of D-erythrose 4-phsophate or glycolaldehyde resulted in K_m values of 1.95 mM and 8.60 mM, respectively. However, glycolaldehyde exhibited the largest V_maxK_m ratio, suggesting a greater catalytic efficiency for this substrate. Glycolaldehyde is an ideal substrate for inexpensive assays of DS-Co that are absolutely selective in the presence of two other plant enzymes which also utilize erythrose 4-phosphate and PEP. The spinach DS-Co enzymes required divalent metals for activity. The presence of 20 mM Mg²⁺, 1 mM Co²⁺ and 1 mM Mn²⁺ yielded relative activities of 100, 70 and 15, respectively. The pH optimum was 9.5 and temperature optimum for activity was 49°C. The molecular masses of DS-Co from spinach, tobacco and pea were all in the range of 400 kDa. The possible roles of DS-Co in biosynthesis of α-ketoglutarate and aromatic amino acids, in biosynthesis of components of cell wall and phytotoxin, and in acting as a sink for 2-and 3-carbon sugars are discussed.     

PURIFICATION AND PHYSICOKINETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF A GLUCONOLACTONE INHIBITION-INSENSITIVE β-GLUCOSIDASE FROM Andrographis paniculata NEES. LEAF

A gluconolactone inhibition-insensitive β-glucosidase from Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) leaves has been isolated, homogeneity purified, and characterized for its physicokinetic properties. The purified enzyme appeared to be a monomeric structure with native molecular weight about 60 kD. The enzyme exhibited optimum pH 5.5 and pI 4.0, meso-thermostability and high temperature optimum (55°C) for catalytic activity, with activation energy of 6.8 kcal Mol^?1. The substrate saturation kinetics studies of the enzyme revealed a Michaelis–Menten constant (K_m) of 0.25 mM for pNPG and catalytic efficiency (K_cat/K_m) of 52,400 M ^?1 s^?1, respectively. Substrate specificity of the enzyme was restricted to β-linked gluco-, manno- and fuco-conjugates. The gluconolactone inhibition insensitivity was evident from its very low inhibition at millimolar inhibitor concentrations. Interestingly, the enzyme showed geraniol transglucosylating activity with pNPG as glucosyl donor but not with cellobiose. The catalytic activity of the enzyme has been reported to be novel with respect to its activity and preferences from a medicinal plant resource.     

Purification and characterization of benzoyl-CoA ligase from a syntrophic,benzoate-degrading,anaerobic mixed culture

Summary The benzoyl-CoA ligase from an anaerobic syntrophic culture was purified to homogeneity. It had a molecular mass of around 420 kDa and consisted of seven or eight subunits of 58 kDa. The temperature optimum was 37–40° C, the optimum pH around 8.0 and optimal activity required 50–100 mM TRIS-HCI buffer, pH 8.0 and 3–7 mM MgCl₂; MgCl₂ in excess of 10 mM was inhibitory. The activation energy for benzoate was 11.3 kcal/mol. Although growth occured only with benzoate as a carbon source, the benzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) ligase formed benzoyl-CoA esters with benzoate, 2-, 3- and 4-fluorobenzoate, picolinate, nicotinate and isonicotinate. Acetate was activated to acetyl-CoA by an acetyl-CoA synthetase. The K _m values for benzoate, 2-, 3- and 4-fluorobenzoate were 0.04, 0.28, 1.48 and 0.32 mM, the V _max values 1.05, 1.0, 0.7 and 0.98 units (U)/mg, respectively. For reduced CoA (CoA-SH) a K _m of 0.17 mM and a V _max of 1.05 U/mg and for ATP a K _m of 0.16 mM and a V _max of 1.08 U/mg was determined. Benzoate activation was inhibited by more than 6 mM ATP, presumably by pyrophosphate generation from ATP. The inhibition constant (K _i) for pyrophosphate was 5.7 mM. No homology of the N-terminal amino acid sequence with that of a 2-aminobenzoyl-CoA ligase of a denitrifying Pseudomonas sp. was found. Correspondence to: J. Winter     

Kinetic studies of a (Na++ K++ Mg2+)ATPase in sugar beet roots. III. A proposed model for the (Na++ K+) activation and its significance for field properties

A microsomal (Na⁺+ K⁺+ Mg²⁺)ATPase preparation from sugar beet roots was used. The activation by simultaneous addition of Na⁺ and K⁺ at different levels was examined in terms of steady state kinetics. The observed data can be summarized in the following way: 1. The apparent affinity between the enzyme and the substrate MgATP depends on the ratio between Na⁺ and K⁺. At low Na⁺ concentration (below 5 mM), the apparent K_m decreases with increasing concentrations of K⁺ (1–20 mM). At 5 mM Na⁺, the K⁺ level does not change the apparent K_m, while at Na⁺ levels above 10 mM, the apparent K_m between enzyme and substrate increases with increasing concentration of K⁺. 2. When the MgATP concentration is kept constant, homotropic cooperativity (concerning one type of ligand) and heterotropic cooperativity (concerning different types of ligands) exist in the activation by Na⁺ and K⁺. The Na⁺ binding is cooperative with different K_m values and Hill coefficients (n) in the presence of low and high concentration of K⁺. At low Na⁺ level (< 5 mM). a negative cooperativity exists for Na⁺ (n_Na < 1) which is more pronounced in the presence of high [K⁺]. When the concentration of Na⁺ is raised the negative cooperativity disappears and turns into a positive one (n_Na > 1). Only K⁺ binding in the presence of low [Na⁺] shows cooperativity with a Hill coefficient that reflects changes from negative to positive homotropic cooperativity with increasing concentrations of K⁺ (n_K < 1 → n_K > 1). In the presence of [Na⁺] > 10 mM, the changes in n_k are insignificant. 3. A model is proposed in which one or two different K sites and one or two Na sites control the catalytic activity, with multiple interactions between Na⁺, K⁺ and MgATP. 4. In the presence of Na⁺ (< 10 mM), K⁺ is probably bound to two K sites, one of which translocates K⁺ through the membrane by an antiport Na⁺/K⁺ mechanism. This could be connected with an elevated K⁺ uptake in the presence of Na⁺ and could therefore explain some field properties of sugar beets.     

Role of Pyruvate Carboxylase in Facilitation of Synthesis of Glutamate and Glutamine in Cultured Astrocytes

Abstract: CO₂ fixation was measured in cultured astrocytes isolated from neonatal rat brain to test the hypothesis that the activity of pyruvate carboxylase influences the rate of de novo glutamate and glutamine synthesis in astrocytes. Astrocytes were incubated with ¹⁴CO₂ and the incorporation of ¹⁴C into medium or cell extract products was determined. After chromatographic separation of ¹⁴C-labelled products, the fractions of ¹⁴C cycled back to pyruvate, incorporated into citric acid cycle intermediates, and converted to the amino acids glutamate and glutamine were determined as a function of increasing pyruvate carboxylase flux. The consequences of increasing pyruvate, bicarbonate, and ammonia were investigated. Increasing extracellular pyruvate from 0 to 5 mM increased pyruvate carboxylase flux as observed by increases in the ¹⁴C incorporated into pyruvate and citric acid cycle intermediates, but incorporation into glutamate and glutamine, although relatively high at low pyruvate levels, did not increase as pyruvate carboxylase flux increased. Increasing added bicarbonate from 15 to 25 mM almost doubled CO₂ fixation. When 25 mM bicarbonate plus 0.5 mM pyruvate increased pyruvate carboxylase flux to approximately the same extent as 15 mM bicarbonate plus 5 mM pyruvate, the rate of appearance of [¹⁴C]glutamate and glutamine was higher with the lower level of pyruvate. The conclusion was drawn that, in addition to stimulating pyruvate carboxylase, added pyruvate (but not added bicarbonate) increases alanine aminotransferase flux in the direction of glutamate utilization, thereby decreasing glutamate as pyruvate + glutamate →α-ketoglutarate + alanine. In contrast to previous in vivo studies, the addition of ammonia (0.1 and 5 mM) had no effect on net ¹⁴CO₂ fixation, but did alter the distribution of ¹⁴C-labelled products by decreasing glutamate and increasing glutamine. Rather unexpectedly, ammonia did not increase the sum of glutamate plus glutamine (mass amounts or ¹⁴C incorporation). Low rates of conversion of α-[¹⁴C]ketoglutarate to [¹⁴C]glutamate, even in the presence of excess added ammonia, suggested that reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate is inactive under conditions studied in these cultured astrocytes. We conclude that pyruvate carboxylase is required for de novo synthesis of glutamate plus glutamine, but that conversion of α-ketoglutarate to glutamate may frequently be the rate-limiting step in this process of glutamate synthesis.     

Kinetic parameters of lactate dehydrogenases of some rumen bacterial species,the anaerobic ciliate Isotricha prostoma and mixed rumen microorganisms

A number of kinetic parameters of the lactate dehydrogenases of three rumen bacterial species (Peptostreptococcus productus, Propionibacterium acnes and Actinomyces viscosus), the rumen ciliate Isotricha prostoma and mixed rumen microorganisms (MRM) with respect to NADH, pyruvate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) as well as the effects of several nucleotide phosphates were studied.Partially purified LDH of Peptostr. productus had the same kinetic parameters as in crude cell free extracts. Values for K_m, determined by Michaelis-Menten kinetics with pyruvate as the substrate, were in the same range for all lactate dehydrogenases. After feeding a cow, changes in the apparent K_m and V_max values for NADH of the total LDH activity in MRM were followed.It is suggested that of the factors studied the ratio NADH/NAD(H) and ATP are the most important regulatory factors for the lactate dehydrogenases of mixed rumen microorganisms.The investigation were supported by the Foundation for Fundamental Biological Research (BION), which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (ZWO)     

Pyruvate carboxylase from rainbow trout liver

Summary A method is described for the partial purification of pyruvate carboxylase from rainbow trout liver. The enzyme has a pH optimum of about 8.0, possesses an absolute requirement for activation by acetylCoA, and prefers MgATP over other nucleoside triphosphates. K⁺ causes a decrease in the apparentK _m for HCO ₃ ^– . AcetylCoA activation shows positive cooperativity withK _a=0.072 mM andn _H=1.78 at pH 7.7, 2.5 mM free Mg²⁺, 100 mM K⁺, and saturating concentrations of substrates. A high acetylCoA concentration causes a decrease in the apparentK _m values for MgATP and HCO ₃ ^– and a biphasic double reciprocal plot with pyruvate as the varied substrate. MgADP and AMP are competitive inhibitors with respect to MgATP. The enzyme shows a U-type response to the adenylate energy charge and retains considerable activity throughout a wide range of energy charge values. It is proposed that intramitochondrial acetylCoA concentration and the adenylate energy charge control the rate of pyruvate carboxylation in vivo.Abbreviations DTT dithiothreitol - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride