An active-site lysine in avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The participation of lysine in the catalysis by avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied by chemical modification and by a characterization of the modified enzyme. The rate of inactivation by 2,4-pentanedione is pseudo-first-order and linearly dependent on reagent concentration with a second-order rate constant of 0.36 +/- 0.025 M-1 min-1. Inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate of the reversible reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase follows bimolecular kinetics with a second-order rate constant of 7700 +/- 860 M-1 min-1. A second-order rate constant of inactivation for the irreversible reaction catalyzed by the enzyme is 1434 +/- 110 M-1 min-1. Treatment of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate gives incorporation of 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mole of enzyme or one lysine residue modified concomitant with 100% loss in activity. A stoichiometry of 1:1 is observed when either the reversible or the irreversible reactions catalyzed by the enzyme are monitored. A study of kobs vs pH suggests this active-site lysine has a pKa of 8.1 and a pH-independent rate constant of inactivation of 47,700 M-1 min-1. The phosphate-containing substrates IDP, ITP, and phosphoenolpyruvate offer almost complete protection against inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Modified, inactive enzyme exhibits little change in Mn2+ binding as shown by EPR. Proton relaxation rate measurements suggest that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modification alters binding of the phosphate-containing substrates. 31P NMR relaxation rate measurements show altered binding of the substrates in the ternary enzyme.Mn2+.substrate complex. Circular dichroism studies show little change in secondary structure of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modified phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. These results indicate that avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has one reactive lysine at the active site and it is involved in the binding and activation of the phosphate-containing substrates.     

A histidine residue at the active site of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The histidine-selective reagents diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) and dimethylpyrocarbonate were used to study active site residues of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Both reagents show pseudo first-order inhibition of enzyme activity at 22 +/- 1 degree C with calculated second-order rate constants of 2.8 and 4.6 M-1 s-1, respectively. The inhibition appears partially reversible. Substrates affect the rate of inhibition: KHCO3 enhances the rate, Mn2+ has little effect, and phosphoenolpyruvate decreases the rate. The best protection is obtained by IDP or IDP and Mn2+. The kinetic studies show that modification of histidine is specific and leads to loss of enzymatic activity. Two histidines per enzyme are modified by DEPC, as measured by an absorption change at 240 nm, in the absence of substrate, leading to loss in activity. One histidine per molecule is modified in the presence of KHCO3, giving inactivation. Cysteine and lysine residues are not affected. A study of the inhibition rate constant as a function of pH gives a pKa of 6.7. Enzyme modified by DEPC in the absence of substrate (1% remaining activity) shows no binding of ITP or of phosphoenolpyruvate to the enzyme.Mn2+ complex as studied by proton relaxation rates. When enzyme is modified in the presence of KHCO3 (44% remaining activity), ITP and KHCO3 bind to the enzyme.Mn2+ complex similarly to the binding to native enzyme. Phosphoenolpyruvate binding to modified enzyme.Mn results in an enhancement of proton relaxation rates rather than the decrease observed with native enzyme.Mn. The CD spectra of histidine-modified enzyme show a decrease in alpha-helical and random structure with an increase in anti-parallel beta-sheet structure compared to native enzyme. These results show that avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has 2 histidine residues which are reactive with DEPC and dimethylpyrocarbonate, and one of the 15 histidine residues in the protein is at or near the phosphoenolpyruvate binding site and is involved in catalysis.     

3-Mercaptopicolinate. A reversible active site inhibitor of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The inhibition of chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (3-MP) has been investigated. Kinetic studies show 3-MP to be a noncompetitive inhibitor relative to all substrates and to the activator, Mn2+. EPR studies demonstrate that Mn2+ binding to the enzyme is unaffected by 3-MP. Proton relaxation rate studies demonstrate that 3-MP binds to the binary E X Mn complex with a KD of 0.5 X 10(-6) M and gives a ternary enhancement of 8.0. Additional proton relaxation rate studies detected formation of the quaternary complexes E X Mn X IDP X 3-MP, E X Mn X ITP X 3-MP, and E X Mn X CO2 X 3-MP. High resolution 1H nuclear relaxation rate studies suggest that 3-MP binds in close proximity to the activator cation, Mn2+, but not in the first coordination sphere. Active site models suggest that the 3-MP-binding site may partially overlap the phosphoenolpyruvate-binding site. The NMR studies, which detected formation of the quaternary E X Mn X 3-MP X phosphoenolpyruvate complex, also demonstrated that the binding of one of these ligands affects the interactions of the other ligand with E X Mn. Calorimetric studies of the E X Mn complex demonstrated that 3-MP causes an increase in the transition temperature midpoint without an increase in enthalpy. These results indicate that 3-MP causes a conformational change in the enzyme but does not increase the thermostability of the ternary complex. The experiments reported herein suggest that inhibition by 3-MP is due to specific and reversible binding within the active site of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.     

Arginine residues at the active site of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The presence of arginine at the active site of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied by chemical modification followed by a characterization of the modified enzyme. The arginine-specific reagents phenylglyoxal, 2,3-butanedione, and 1,2-cyclohexanedione all irreversibly inhibit the enzyme with second-order rate constants of 3.42 M-1 min-1, 3.13 M-1 min-1 and 0.313 M-1 min-1, respectively. The substrates phosphoenolpyruvate, IDP, and the activator Mn2+ offer little to modest protection from inhibition. Either CO2 or CO2 in the presence of any of the other substrates elicited potent protection against modification. Protection by CO2 against modification by phenylglyoxal or 1,2-cyclohexanedione gave a biphasic pattern. Rapid loss in activity to 40-60% occurred, followed by a very slow loss. Kinetics of inhibition suggest that the modification of arginine is specific and leads to loss of enzymatic activity. Substrate protection studies indicate an arginine residue(s) at the CO2 site of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Apparently no arginine residues are at the binding site of the phosphate-containing substrates. Partially inactive (40-60% activity) enzyme, formed in the presence of CO2, has a slight change of its kinetic constants, and no alteration of its binding parameters or secondary structure as demonstrated by kinetic, proton relaxation rate, and circular dichroism studies. Labeling of enzyme with [(7-)14C]phenylglyoxal in the presence of CO2 (40-60% activity) showed 2 mol of phenylglyoxal/enzyme or 1 arginine or cysteine residue modified. Labeling of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the absence of CO2 yielded 6 mol of label/enzyme. Labeling results indicate that avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has 2 or 3 reactive arginine residues out of a total of 52 and only 1 or 2 are located at the active site and are involved in CO2 binding and activation.     

Decarboxylation of oxalacetate to pyruvate by purified avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, which has been isolated from chicken liver mitochondria in essentially homogenous form, carries out the irreversible decarboxylation of oxalacetate to pyruvate in the presence of catalytic amounts of GDP or IDP, as well as the reversible decarboxylation of oxalacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate in the presence of substrate amounts of GTP or ITP. The pyruvate- and phosphoenolpyruvate-forming reactions are similar in their nucleoside specificity and appear to be carried out by the same protein. However, the two activities vary markedly in their response to added metal ions and sulfhydryl reagents. Phosphoenolpyruvate formation is completely dependent on the presence of a divalent metal ion, with Mn2+ the most effective species. This reaction is also stimulated by sulfhydryl reagents such as 2-mercaptoethanol. In contrast, the pyruvate-forming reaction is strongly inhibited by divalent metal ions, including Mn2+, and also by moderate concentrations of sulfhydryl reagents. These observations and the demonstration that pyruvate kinase-like activity is very low or absent make it unlikely that pyruvate formation proceeds via phosphoenolpyruvate as an intermediate. Although the pyruvate-forming reaction is inhibited by added metal ions, the reaction is also inhibited by metal-chelating agents such as 8-hydroxyquinoline and o-phenanthroline, suggesting that the reaction is dependent on the presence of a metal ion. It has not been possible, however, to demonstrate that the enzyme is a metalloprotein.     

Mammalian and avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Alternate substrates and inhibition by analogues of oxaloacetate

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from chicken liver mitochondria and rat liver cytosol catalyzes the phosphorylation of alpha-substituted carboxylic acids such as glycolate, thioglycolate, and DL-beta-chlorolactate in reactions with absolute requirements for divalent cation activators. 31P NMR analysis of the reaction products indicates that phosphorylation occurs at the alpha-position to generate the corresponding O- or S-bridged phosphate monoesters. In addition, the enzymes catalyze the bicarbonate-dependent phosphorylation of hydroxylamine. The chicken liver enzyme also catalyze the bicarbonate-dependent phosphorylation of hydroxylamine. The chicken liver enzyme also catalyzes the bicarbonate-dependent phosphorylation of fluoride ion. The kappa cat values for these substrates are 20-1000-fold slower than the kappa cat for oxaloacetate. Pyruvate and beta-hydroxypyruvate are not phosphorylated, since the enzyme does not catalyze the enolization of these compounds. Oxalate, a structural analogue of the enolate of pyruvate, is a competitive inhibitor of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Ki of 5 microM) in the direction of phosphoenolpyruvate formation. Oxalate is also an inhibitor of the chicken liver enzyme in the direction of oxaloacetate formation and in the decarboxylation of oxaloacetate. The chicken liver enzyme is inhibited by beta-sulfopyruvate, an isoelectronic analogue of oxaloacetate. The extensive homologies between the reactions catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and pyruvate kinase suggest that the divalent cation activators in these reactions may have similar functions. The substrate specificity indicates that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase decarboxylates oxaloacetate to form the enolate of pyruvate which is then phosphorylated by MgGTP on the enzyme.     

Characterization of the second metal site on avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) requires two divalent cations for activity. One cation activates the enzyme through a direct interaction with the protein at site n(1). The second cation, at site n(2), acts in the cation-nucleotide complex that serves as a substrate. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK and Cr(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK complexes were used to examine the kinetic, mechanistic, and binding properties of the n(2) metal. EPR studies performed on the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-GTP complex yielded a stoichiometry of 1 mol of Mn(2+) bound per mole of Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-GTP with a K(D) of 5 microM. PRR studies show a significant enhancement for the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GDP complex. A change in enhancement in the presence of PEP suggests that PEP interacts with the second metal ion. The distance between Mn(2+) at site n(2) on PEPCK and the cis and trans protons and the (31)P of PEP are 7.0, 7.5, and 4.8 A, respectively, as measured by high-resolution NMR. PRR studies of the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GTP and Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GDP complexes as a function of frequency (omega(I)) were used to estimate the hydration number of the n(2) metal to be between 0.5 and 0.7. The metal-metal distance for the M(n(1))-PEPCK-M(n(2))-GTP complex is approximately 8.3 A, and the distance for the M(n(1))-PEPCK-M(n(2))-GDP complex is 9.2 A. The change in the metal-metal distance suggests a conformational change at the active site of PEPCK occurs during catalysis. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK complex was incubated with Co(2+), GTP, and H(2)O(2) to create a doubly labeled and inactive Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Co(3+)(n(2))-GTP complex. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Co(3+)(n(2))-GTP complex was digested by LysC, and two cobalt-containing peptides were purified using RP-HPLC. Amino acid sequencing of the second cobalt-containing peptide points to the region of Tyr57-Lys76 of PEPCK. Asp66, Asp69, and Glu74 are all feasible ligands to the site n(2) metal.     

pH Dependence of the reaction catalyzed by avian mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The pH dependence of the reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) provides significant insight into the chemical mechanism. The pH dependence of k(cat) shows the importance of two acidic ionizations with pK(a) values of 6.5 and 7.0 assigned to the active site metal ligands H249 and K228. A single basic ionization is observed with an apparent pK(a) value of 8.4 that is assigned to K275 that is located in the P-loop motif and is essential for phosphoryl transfer. The pH dependence of k(cat)/K(M,PEP) demonstrates the importance of the same two acidic ionizations in the interaction of phosphoenolpyruvate with PEPCK and a single basic ionization with a pK(a) value of 8.1 that is assigned to Y220. The interaction of Mg-IDP with PEPCK is dependent upon a single acidic ionization attributed to K228 and two basic ionizations, both having an average pK(a) value of 8.1. One of the basic ionizations is attributed to the P-loop lysine (K275) and the other to C273.     

Role of cysteine 306 in the catalytic mechanism of Ascaris suum phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Biochemical and metabolic data lead to the conclusion that the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) contributes to a critical point of divergence in energy conservation pathways between mammals and nematodes. The Ascaris suum PEPCK shares considerable homology with PEPCK from avian liver and is a good candidate for mutagenesis studies. The Cys306 substitution by Ser and Ala produced active enzymes and the two mutants are kinetically indistinguishable from each other. This substitution affects the catalytic affinity for the formation of the specific enzyme-nucleotide complex (k(cat)/K(m)) in the forward and reverse reactions. Studies with the substrate analogs 2(')dGDP and 2(')dGTP indicate that Cys306 in A. suum PEPCK is one of the residues important in nucleotide binding and may interact with the 2(')OH group in the ribose ring. Alternatively, mutation of this residue could cause protein changes that interfere with the proper conformation of the nucleotides for optimal catalysis to take place.     

A mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from rat brain

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the rat brain has been purified approximately 6000-fold. This purified enzyme was stable at −20 °C for several months.     

Purification and characterization of cytosol-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from chicken liver

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase of chicken liver cytosol was purified to homogeneity by procedures including affinity chromatography with GTP as a ligand. The purified enzyme showed a molecular weight of 68,000 on gel electrophoresis in the presence of dodecyl sulfate. Comparative studies on this enzyme and its isozyme purified from chicken liver mitochondria were performed. As regards amino acid composition, the cytosolic enzyme was quite different from the mitochondrial enzyme, but was rather similar to rat liver cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Specific activities of the cytosolic enzyme were 30-100% higher than those of the mitochondrial enzyme for oxaloacetate-CO2 exchange, oxaloacetate decarboxylation, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylation reactions, though the relative rates of the activities were similar, decreasing in the order given. Apparent Michaelis constants for oxaloacetate in the oxaloacetate decarboxylation reaction were 11.6 and 17.9 microM for the cytosolic and the mitochondrial enzyme, respectively, but the values for GTP, GDP, phosphoenolpyruvate, and CO2 in the oxaloacetate decarboxylation and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylation reactions were 1.3-2.2 times higher for the cytosolic enzyme than for the mitochondrial enzyme. Thus, the fundamental catalytic properties of the chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase isozymes were rather similar, despite the marked difference in amino acid compositions.     

Regulation of hormonal induction of chick liver cytosol-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Administration of glucagon, epinephrine, or dibutyryl cAMP to chicks induced cytosol-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in liver. In vitro translation assay with poly(A)+RNA indicated that this induction was due to the increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-coding mRNA synthesis which resulted from an increased level of hepatic cAMP. Either hydrocortisone or alpha-adrenergic agonist was ineffective for the induction by itself, but showed a significant effect when administered together with one of the inducing agents given above. In particular, hydrocortisone enhanced the synthesis of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-specific mRNA without changing the profile of the time courses of the induction and of hepatic cAMP level. Those observations suggest that the fundamental machinery required for induction of cytosol-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in liver is shared in common between rat and chick, and that the absence of appreciable induction of cytosol-specific hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in starved chicks is due to neither lack nor impairment of the hormone-mediated induction mechanism, but is due to the difference in usage of the genetic information between the two animal species.     

Stereoselective ligand interactions of chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with fluorophosphoenolpyruvate

The stereospecific interactions of chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase) with the two geometric isomers of 3-fluorophosphoenolpyruvate (F-P-enolpyruvate) were examined. Previous studies have shown that the Z isomer of F-P-enolpyruvate is a substrate for P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase but the E isomer is a competitive inhibitor [T. H. Duffy and T. Nowak (1984) Biochemistry 23, 661-670]. The reasons for this substrate selectivity were investigated. Studies of the 1H, 19F, and 31P relaxation rates of the ligands in the binary Mn-ligand complexes indicate the formation of direct coordination complexes. The temperature and frequency dependence of the proton relaxation rates (PRR) of the respective enzyme-Mn-ligand complexes demonstrates that the perturbation of the electronic environment at the Mn(II) site on the enzyme is different upon binding of the inhibitor (E-F-P-enolpyruvate) in contrast to the binding of substrates (P-enolpyruvate or Z-F-P-enolpyruvate). Structural studies demonstrate that Z-F-P-enolpyruvate forms a second sphere coordination complex with enzyme-bound Mn(II). E-F-P-enolpyruvate exchanges slowly from the ternary complex and binds less than or equal to 10 A from the bound Mn(II). CD studies in the far-uv region demonstrate that the alpha-helical content of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase is increased at the expense of antiparallel and parallel beta-sheet structure upon binding of Mn(II) and substrate (P-enolpyruvate or Z-F-P-enolpyruvate) to the apoenzyme, but show no such structural change upon binding of Mn(II) and E-F-P-enolpyruvate. Analogous results are observed from CD studies at the aromatic amino acid region (250-350 nm). The stereoselective catalytic activities of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase with F-P-enolpyruvate analogs can be explained by different interactions of these ligands within the catalytic site of the enzyme.     

Stereochemistry of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylation catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The stereochemistry of the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate to yield oxalacetate, catalyzed by chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and by Ascaris muscle phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, was determined. The substrate (Z)-3-fluorophosphoenolpyruvate was used for the stereochemical analysis. The carboxylation reaction was coupled to malate dehydrogenase to yield 3-fluoromalate, and the stereochemistry of the products was identified by 19F NMR. In separate experiments, the enantiomeric tautomers of 3-fluorooxalacetate were shown to be utilized by malate dehydrogenase to yield (2R,3R)- and (2R,3S)-3-fluoromalate in nearly identical amounts. The products were identified by 19F NMR. When (Z)-3-fluorophosphoenolpyruvate was used as a substrate for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from avian liver and from Ascaris, and malate dehydrogenase was used to trap the product, only a single diastereomer was observed. This product was shown to be (2R,3R)-3-fluoromalate in each case. The assignments were based on coupling constants taken from Keck et al. [Keck, R., Hess, H., & Rétey, J. (1980) FEBS Lett. 114, 287]. These results indicate that the stereochemistry of carboxylation, catalyzed by chicken phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and by Ascaris phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, is identical and takes place from the si side of the enzyme-bound phosphoenolpyruvate. The carboxylation reaction was run both in H2O and in D2O. No deuterium incorporation into fluoromalate was shown to occur. The product 3-fluorooxalacetate is thus released from phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as the keto form and is reduced more rapidly by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with malate dehydrogenase than by the occurrence of tautomerization.