Purification and partial characterization of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase from rat liver and rat heart

Branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase was purified to homogeneity from rat liver and rat heart. The initial step was the purification of rat liver and heart branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex with high kinase activity by a modification of a method described previously. Preservation of high kinase activity during purification of the complex required the presence of fresh dithiothreitol throughout the procedure. The kinase was released from the complex by oxidation of dithiothreitol with potassium ferricyanide and purified by high-speed centrifugation, immunoadsorption chromatography, and DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. Both kinase preparations gave only one polypeptide band with a molecular weight of 44,000 on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Phosphorylation and inactivation of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex by the purified kinase was inhibited by alpha-chloroisocaproate and dichloroacetate, established inhibitors of the phosphorylation of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. The kinase did not exhibit autophosphorylation and does not correspond to the same protein as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. The kinase phosphorylated histone (type II-S), but this reaction was slow relative to the phosphorylation of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex and was not inhibited by alpha-chloroisocaproate.     

Mitochondrial 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes of animal tissues

The pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes of animal mitochondria are inactivated by phosphorylation of serine residues, and reactivated by dephosphorylation. In addition, phosphorylated branched-chain complex is reactivated, apparently without dephosphorylation, by a protein or protein-associated factor present in liver and kidney mitochondria but not in heart or skeletal muscle mitochondria. Interconversion of the branched-chain complex may adjust the degradation of branched-chain amino acids in different tissues in response to supply. Phosphorylation is inhibited by branched-chain ketoacids, ADP and TPP. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is almost totally inactivated (99%) by starvation or diabetes, the kinase reactions being accelerated by products of fatty acid oxidation and by a protein or protein-associated factor induced by starvation or diabetes. There are three sites of phosphorylation, but only sites 1 and 2 are inactivating. Site 1 phosphorylation accounts for 98% of inactivation except during dephosphorylation when its contribution falls to 93%. Sites 2 and 3 are only fully phosphorylated when the complex is fully inactivated (starvation, diabetes). Phosphorylation of sites 2 and 3 inhibits reactivation by phosphatase. The phosphatase reaction is activated by Ca2+ (which may mediate effects of muscle work) and possibly by uncharacterized factors mediating insulin action in adipocytes.     

Phosphorylation of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex in isolated adipocytes. Effects of 2-oxo acids.

Isolated adipocytes from rat epididymal fat-pads were incubated with [32P]Pi, and intracellular phosphoproteins were then analysed by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. A phosphorylated polypeptide of apparent Mr 46,000 was identified as the alpha-subunit of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex by immunoprecipitation using antiserum raised against the homogeneous E1 component of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex. Immunoprecipitation of this phosphoprotein is blocked in a competitive manner by purified branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex. Peptide mapping of the isolated phosphoprotein indicates that two sites on the polypeptide are phosphorylated in the intact cells. Addition of branched-chain 2-oxo acids to the incubation medium causes diminution in the extent of labelling of both phosphorylation sites on the alpha-subunit, an effect presumably mediated via their known inhibitory action on branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase kinase. These observations provide direct evidence for phosphorylation of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex in intact cells.     

Phosphorylation of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex in isolated hepatocytes

Hepatocytes, isolated from rats fed a low-protein diet, were incubated with [32P]Pi and the phosphoproteins analysed. Immunoprecipitation using antibody against El of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex demonstrated phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of El. Analysis of the tryptic phosphopeptides from the alpha-subunit indicated that two sites were phosphorylated. 4-methyl 2-oxopentanoate and DL-2-chloro 4-methylpentanoate decreased labelling of both sites. No major direct effects of several hormones on phosphorylation of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase was observed.     

Incorporation of [32P]phosphate into the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in rat heart mitochondria.

1. Evidence is given for three sites of phosphorylation in the alpha-chains of the decarboxylase component of purified rat heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, analogous to those established for procine and bovine complexes. Inactivation of rat heart complex was correlated with phosphorylation of site 1. Relative initial rates of phosphorylation were site 1 greater than site 2 greater than site 3. 2. Methods are described for measurement of incorporation of 32Pi into the complex in rat heart mitochondria oxidizing 2-oxoglutarate + L-malate (total, sites 1, 2 and 3). Inactivation of the complex was related linearly to phosphorylation of site 1 in mitochondria of normal or diabetic rats. The relative initial rates of phosphorylation were site 1 greater than site 2 greater than site 3. Rates of site-2 and site-3 phosphorylation may have been closer to that of site 1 in mitochondria of diabetic rats than in mitochondria of normal rats. 3. The concentration of inactive (phosphorylated) complex was varied in mitochondria from normal rats by inhibiting the kinase reaction with pyruvate at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 0.4 mM. The results showed that the concentration of inactive complex is related linearly to incorporation of 32Pi into site 1. Inhibition of 32Pi incorporations with pyruvate at all concentrations over this range was site 3 greater than site 2 greater than site 1. 4. With mitochondria from diabetic rats, pyruvate (0.15-0.4 mM) inhibited incorporation of 32Pi into site 3, but it had no effect on the concentration of inactive complex or on incorporations of 32Pi into site 1 or site 2. It is concluded that site-3 phosphorylation is not required for inactivation of the complex in rat heart mitochondria. 5. Evidence is given that phosphorylation of sites 2 and 3 may inhibit reactivation of the complex by dephosphorylation in rat heart mitochondria.     

The regulation of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase of liver, kidney and heart by phosphorylation.

1. Incubation of mitochondria from heart, liver and kidney with [32P]phosphate allowed 32P incorporation into two intramitochondrial proteins, the decarboxylase alpha-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (mol.wt 42000) and a protein of mol.wt. 48000. 2. This latter protein incorporated 32P more slowly than did pyruvate dehydrogenase, was not precipitated by antibody to pyruvate dehydrogenase and showed behaviour distinct from that of pyruvate dehydrogenase towards high-speed centrifugation and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase. 3. 32P incorporation into the protein was greatly diminished by the presence of 0.1 mM-4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, but enhanced by pyruvate (1 mM), hypo-osmotic treatment of mitochondria and, under some conditions, by uncoupler. 4. The activity of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase was assayed in parallel experiments. Under appropriate conditions the enzyme was inhibited when 32P incorporation was increased and activated when incorporation was decreased. The data suggest that the 48000-mol.wt. phosphorylated protein is identical with the decarboxylase subunit of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase and that this enzyme may be controlled by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle akin to that for pyruvate dehydrogenase. 5. Strict correlation between activity and 32P incorporation was not observed, and a scheme for the regulation of the enzyme is proposed to account for these discrepancies.     

Monovalent cations and inorganic phosphate alter branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase-kinase activity and inhibitor sensitivity

Potassium ion protects the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex against inactivation by thermal denaturation and protease digestion. Rubidium was effective but sodium and lithium were not, suggesting that the ionic size of the cation is important for stabilization of the enzyme. Thiamine pyrophosphate stabilization of the complex [Danner, D. J., Lemmon, S. K., and Elsas, S. J. (1980) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 202, 23-28] was found dependent on the presence of potassium ion. Studies with resolved components indicate that the thiamine pyrophosphate-dependent enzyme of the complex, i.e., the 2-oxoisovalerate dehydrogenase (lipoamide) (EC 1.2.4.4), is the component stabilized by potassium ion. Branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase-kinase activity measured by inactivation of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex was maximized at a potassium ion concentration of 100 mM. Stimulation of kinase activity was also found with rubidium ion but not with lithium and sodium ions. All salts tested increased the efficiency of inactivation by phosphorylation, i.e., decreased the degree of enzyme phosphorylation required to cause inactivation of the complex. The effectiveness and efficacy of alpha-chloroisocaproate as an inhibitor of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase were enhanced by the presence of monovalent cations, and further increased by inorganic phosphate. These findings suggest that monovalent cations and anions, particularly potassium and phosphate, cause structural changes in the dehydrogenase-kinase complex that alter its susceptibility to phosphorylation and responsiveness to kinase inhibitors.     

Branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase. Molecular cloning, expression, and sequence similarity with histidine protein kinases.

A cDNA for branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase was cloned from a rat heart cDNA library. The cDNA had an open reading frame encoding a protein of 382 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 43,280. The clone codes for the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase based on the following: 1) the deduced amino acid sequence contained the partial sequence of the kinase determined by direct sequencing; 2) expression of the cDNA in Escherichia coli resulted in synthesis of a 43,000-Da protein that was recognized specifically by kinase antibodies; and 3) enzyme activity that phosphorylated and inactivated the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex was found in extracts of E. coli expressing the protein. Northern blot analysis indicated the mRNA for the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase was more abundant in rat heart than in rat liver, as expected from the relative amounts of kinase activity expressed in these tissues. The deduced sequence of the kinase aligned with a high degree of similarity within subdomains characteristic of procaryotic histidine protein kinases. This first mitochondrial protein kinase to be cloned appears more closely related in sequence to procaryotic histidine protein kinases than to eucaryotic serine/threonine protein kinases.     

Phosphorylation and inactivation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase from the anaerobic parasitic nematode, Ascaris suum. Stoichiometry and amino acid sequence around the phosphorylation sites

Tryptic digestion of the fully phosphorylated Ascaris suum pyruvate dehydrogenase complex yielded a single tetradecapeptide containing 2 phosphorylated serine residues. Its amino acid sequence was Tyr-Ser-Gly-His-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Asp-Pro-Gly-Thr-Ser(P)-Tyr-Arg and was very similar to one of the tryptic phosphopeptides isolated from mammalian and yeast pyruvate dehydrogenases. At partial phosphorylation, three peptides were isolated which corresponded to the monophosphorylated (sites 1 and 2) and diphosphorylated tetradecapeptides. In contrast to results reported from mammalian complexes, phosphorylation of the ascarid complex paralleled inactivation, and no additional phosphorylation occurred after inactivation was complete. Complete inactivation of the complex was associated with the incorporation of 1.7-1.9 mol of phosphoryl groups/mol of alpha-pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit, and the strict preference of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase for site 1 was not observed. Whereas site 1 was initially phosphorylated more rapidly than site 2, at 50% inactivation, 41% of the incorporated phosphoryl groups were incorporated into site 2. In addition, substantial amounts of peptide monophosphorylated at site 2 also accumulated, suggesting that prior phosphorylation at site 1 was not necessary for phosphorylation at site 2. Phosphorylation also caused a marked decrease in the mobility of the alpha-pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and the apparent separation of mono- and diphosphorylated forms of the enzyme. The significance of these observations in the regulation of the unique anaerobic mitochondrial metabolism of A. suum is discussed.     

Molecular mechanism for regulation of the human mitochondrial branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex by phosphorylation

The human mitochondrial branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC) is a 4 MDa macromolecular machine comprising three catalytic components (E1b, E2b, and E3), a kinase, and a phosphatase. The BCKDC overall activity is tightly regulated by phosphorylation in response to hormonal and dietary stimuli. We report that phosphorylation of Ser292-alpha in the E1b active site channel results in an order-to-disorder transition of the conserved phosphorylation loop carrying the phosphoryl serine. The conformational change is triggered by steric clashes of the phosphoryl group with invariant His291-alpha that serves as an indispensable anchor for the phosphorylation loop through bound thiamin diphosphate. Phosphorylation of Ser292-alpha does not severely impede the E1b-dependent decarboxylation of alpha-ketoacids. However, the disordered loop conformation prevents phosphorylated E1b from binding the E2b lipoyl-bearing domain, which effectively shuts off the E1b-catalyzed reductive acylation reaction and therefore completely inactivates BCKDC. This mechanism provides a paradigm for regulation of mitochondrial alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes by phosphorylation.     

Phosphorylation of the alpha-subunits of the Na+/K+-ATPase from mammalian kidneys and Xenopus oocytes by cGMP-dependent protein kinase results in stimulation of ATPase activity.

Phosphorylation of Na+/K+-ATPase by cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) has been studied in enzymes purified from pig, dog, sheep and rat kidneys, and in Xenopus oocytes. PKG phosphorylates the alpha-subunits of all animal species investigated. Phosphorylation of the beta-subunit was not observed. The stoichiometry of phosphorylation estimated for pig, sheep and dog renal Na+/K+-ATPase is 3.5, 2.2 and 2.1 mol Pi per mol alpha-subunit, respectively. Proteolytic fingerprinting of the pig alpha1-subunits phosphorylated by PKG using specific antibodies raised against N-terminus or C-terminus reveals that phosphorylation sites are located within the intracellular loop of the alpha-subunit between the 35 kDa N-terminal and 27 kDa C-terminal fragments. Phosphorylation sites within the alpha1-subunit of the purified Na+/K+-ATPase do not appear to be easily accessible for PKG since incorporation of Pi requires 0.2% of Triton X-100. Administration of cGMP and PKG in the presence of 5 mm ATP, which prevents inactivation of the Na+/K+-ATPase by detergent, leads to stimulation of hydrolytic activity by 61%. Administration of 50 microm of cGMP or dbcGMP in yolk-free homogenates of Xenopus oocytes leads to stimulation of ouabain-dependent ATPase activity by 130-198% and to incorporation of 33P into the alpha-subunit without the detergent. Hence, PKG plays regulatory role in active transmembraneous transport of Na+ and K+ via phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase.     

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity of pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex).

The pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) and acetyltransferase (E2) components of pig heart and ox kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex were separated and purified. The E1 component was phosphorylated (alpha-chain) and inactivated by MgATP. Phosphorylation was mainly confined to site 1. Addition of E2 accelerated phosphorylation of all three sites in E1 alpha and inactivation of E1. On the basis of histone H1 phosphorylation, E2 is presumed to contain PDH kinase, which was removed (greater than 98%) by treatment with p-hydroxymercuriphenylsulphonate. Stimulation of ATP-dependent inactivation of E1 by E2 was independent of histone H1 kinase activity of E2. The effect of E2 is attributed to conformational change(s) induced in E1 and/or E1-associated PDH kinase. PDH kinase activity associated with E1 could not be separated from it be gel filtration or DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Subunits of PDH kinase were not detected on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels of E1 or E2, presumably because of low concentration. The activity of pig heart PDH complex was increased by E2, but not by E1, indicating that E2 is rate-limiting in the holocomplex reaction. ATP-dependent inactivation of PDH complex was accelerated by E1 or by phosphorylated E1 plus associated PDH kinase, but not by E2 plus presumed PDH kinase. It is suggested that a substantial proportion of PDH kinase may accompany E1 when PDH complex is dissociated into its component enzymes. The possibility that E1 may possess intrinsic PDH kinase activity is considered unlikely, but may not have been fully excluded.     

Physiological covalent regulation of rat liver branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase

A radiochemical assay was developed for measuring branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase activity of Triton X-100 extracts of freeze-clamped rat liver. The proportion of active (dephosphorylated) enzyme was determined by measuring enzyme activities before and after activation of the complex with a broad-specificity phosphoprotein phosphatase. Hepatic branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase activity in normal male Wistar rats was 97% active but decreased to 33% active after 2 days on low-protein (8%) diet and to 13% active after 4 days on the same diet. Restricting protein intake of lean and obese female Zucker rats also caused inactivation of hepatic branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. Essentially all of the enzyme was in the active state in rats maintained for 14 days on either 30 or 50% protein diets. This was also the case for rats maintained on a commercial chow diet (minimum 23% protein). However, maintaining rats on 20, 8, and 0% protein diets decreased the percentage of the active form of the enzyme to 58, 10, and 7% of the total, respectively. Fasting of chow-fed rats for 48 h had no effect on the activity state of hepatic branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase, i.e., 93% of the enzyme remained in the active state compared to 97% for chow-fed rats. However, hepatic enzyme of rats maintained on 8% protein diet was 10% active before starvation and 83% active after 2 days of starvation. Thus, dietary protein deficiency results in inactivation of hepatic branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex, presumably as a consequence of low hepatic levels of branched-chain alpha-ketoacids, established inhibitors of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase. With rats fed a low-protein diet and subsequently starved, inhibition of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase by branched-chain alpha-ketoacids generated as a consequence of endogenous proteolysis most likely promotes the greater branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase activity state.     

Amino acid sequences around the sites of phosphorylation in the pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

1. When pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was phosphorylated to completion with [gamma-32P]ATP by its intrinsic kinase, three phosphorylation sites were observed. The amino acid sequences around these sites were: sequence 1, Tyr-Gly-Met-Gly-Thr-Ser(P)-Val-Glu-Arg; and sequence 2, Tyr-His-Gly-His-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Asp-Pro-Gly-Val-Ser(P)-Tyr-Arg. 2. When phosphorylated to inactivation by repetitive additions of limiting quantities of [gamma-32P]ATP, phosphate was incorporated mainly (more than 90%) into Ser-5 of sequence 2. Phosphorylation of this site thus results in activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase. 3. If Ser-5 is phosphorylated with ATP and the enzyme then incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP, phosphorylation of the remaining sites occurred. Ser-12 of sequence 2 is phosphorylated about twice as rapidly as Ser-6 of sequence 1. 4. Incubation of pyruvate dehydrogenase with excess [gamma-32P]ATP with termination of phosphorylation at about 50% complete inactivation showed that Ser-5 of sequence 2 was phosphorylated most rapidly, but also that Ser-12 of sequence 2 was significantly (15% of total) phosphorylated. Ser-6 sequence 1 contained about 1% total P. 5. These results suggest that addition of limiting amounts of ATP produces primarily phosphorylation of Ser-5 of sequence 2 (inactivating site). This also occurs during incubation with excess ATP before complete inactivation occurs, but a greater occupancy of other sites also occurs during this treatment.     

Activation of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase in isolated hepatocytes by branched-chain alpha-ketoacids

The effects of branched-chain alpha-ketoacids on flux through and activity state of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex were studied in hepatocytes prepared from chow-fed, starved, and low-protein-diet-fed rats. Very low concentrations of alpha-ketoisocaproate caused a dramatic stimulation (50% activation at 20 microM) of alpha-ketoisovalerate decarboxylation in hepatocytes from low-protein-fed rats. alpha-Keto-beta-methylvalerate was also effective, but less so than alpha-ketoisocaproate. alpha-Ketoisocaproate did not stimulate alpha-ketoisovalerate decarboxylation by hepatocytes from chow-fed or starved rats. To a smaller degree, alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate and alpha-ketoisovalerate stimulated alpha-ketoisocaproate decarboxylation by hepatocytes from low-protein-fed rats. The implied order of potency of stimulation of flux through branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase was alpha-ketoisocaproate greater than alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate greater than alpha-ketoisovalerate, i.e., the same order of potency of these compounds as branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase inhibitors. Fluoride, known to inhibit branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase phosphatase, largely prevented alpha-ketoisocaproate and alpha-chloroisocaproate activation of flux through the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase. Assay of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid complex in cell-free extracts of hepatocytes isolated from low-protein-diet-fed rats confirmed that alpha-ketoacids affected the activity state of the complex. Branched-chain alpha-ketoacids failed to activate flux in hepatocytes prepared from chow-fed and starved rats because essentially all of the complex was already in the dephosphorylated, active state. These findings indicate that inhibition of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase activity by branched-chain alpha-ketoacids is important for regulation of the activity state of hepatic branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase.     

Decarboxylation of branched-chain alpha-ketoacids in hepatocytes from alloxan-diabetic rats. The effect of insulin

The flux through branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase and the activity of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex were measured in hepatocytes isolated from fed, starved and alloxan diabetic rats. The highest rate of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid oxidation was found in hepatocytes isolated from starved rats, slightly lower in those from fed rats, and significantly lower in diabetic hepatocytes. The amount of the active form of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase was only slightly diminished in diabetic hepatocytes, whereas the flux through the dehydrogenase was inversely correlated with the rate of endogenous ketogenesis. The same was observed in hepatocytes isolated from starved rats when branched-chain alpha-ketoacid oxidation was measured in the presence of added oleate. In both cases the diminished flux through the dehydrogenase, restored by a short preincubation of hepatocytes with insulin, was paralleled by a decrease of fatty acid-derived ketogenesis. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the role of insulin in branched-chain alpha-ketoacid oxidation in liver of diabetic rats.     

Studies on the incorporation of [32P]phosphate into pyruvate dehydrogenase in intact rat fat-cells. Effects of insulin.

1. Intact rat epididymal fat-cells were incubated with 32Pi, and the intracellular proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. One of the separated bands of phosphorylated proteins had an apparent subunit mol.wt. of 42 000, which is the same as that of the alpha-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. By using a combination of subcellular fractionation, immunoprecipitation with antiserum raised against pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and two-dimensional electrophoresis it was apparent that the incorporation into alpha-subunits accounted for 35--45% of the total incorporation into this band of phosphoproteins. 2. The increase in the initial activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase that follows brief exposure of fat-cells to insulin was shown to be associated with a decrease in the steady-state incorporation of 32P into the alpha-subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase. 3. Tryptic peptide analysis of pyruvate dehydrogenase [32P]phosphate, labelled in intact fat-cells, indicated that three serine residues on the alpha-subunit were phosphorylated, corresponding to the three sites phosphorylated when purified pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase was incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP. The relative phosphorylation of all three serine residues appeared to be similar in 32P-labelled alpha-subunits in both control and insulin-treated fat-cells.     

The effect of dichloroacetate on the phosphorylation of mitochondria proteins

Succinyl-CoA synthetase and the alpha-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase are phosphorylated after incubation of mitochondria from brain, heart, and liver with [gamma-³²P]ATP. Dichloroacetate, a known specific inhibitor for pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, inhibits not only the phosphate incorporation into the alpha-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase but also the autophosphorylation of succinyl-CoA synthetase. AMP also inhibits the phosphorylation of both proteins. Phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase in liver mitochondria is significantly lower than in mitochondria from other tissues.     

Regulation of bovine kidney branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex by reversible phosphorylation

Bovine kidney mitochondrial branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex is inactivated by covalent phosphorylation catalysed by a specific protein kinase intrinsic to the complex. It has been shown previously [Cook, K.G., Lawson, R. and Yeaman, S.J. (1983) FEBS Lett. 157, 59-62] that tryptic digestion of phosphorylated complex releases three phosphopeptides, indicative of multisite phosphorylation. In this communication we report several findings. (a) These three tryptic peptides contain only two sites of phosphorylation which are closely grouped on the alpha subunit of the E1 component of the complex. (b) The amino acid sequence of the phosphorylated region has been determined. (c) Conditions have been developed which allow investigation of the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the two sites. (d) Both sites can be dephosphorylated at significant rates in vitro by two cytosolic protein phosphatases, namely phosphatases 2A and 2C. Dephosphorylation of one site correlates closely with re-activation of the complex.     

Ethanol and oleate inhibition of alpha-ketoisovalerate and 3-hydroxyisobutyrate metabolism by isolated hepatocytes.

Ethanol inhibited glucose synthesis from alpha-ketoisovalerate by isolated rat hepatocytes without significant inhibition of flux through the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. Accumulation of 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, an intermediate in the catabolism of alpha-ketoisovalerate, was increased by ethanol, indicating inhibition of flux at the level of 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase. 3-Hydroxybutyrate caused the same effects as ethanol, suggesting inhibition was a consequence of an increase in the mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio. Flux through the 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase was more sensitive to regulation by the mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio than flux through the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase. Oleate also inhibited glucose synthesis from alpha-ketoisovalerate, but marked inhibition of flux through the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex was caused by this substrate.