Role of pyruvate and S-adenosylmethioine in activating the pyruvate formate-lyase of Escherichia coli

The pyruvate formate-lyase activity of extracts of Escherichia coli is stimulated and the dilution effect is abolished by the addition of pyruvate to the extract. The activity can be purified fourfold from pyruvate-supplemented extracts by isoelectric precipitation under anaerobic conditions. The activity of extracts not supplemented with pyruvate has been separated into two fractions by treatment with protamine sulfate-fraction PS, the soluble portion, and fraction N, an extract of the precipitate formed upon the addition of protamine sulfate. After treatment of these fractions with charcoal, pyruvate formate-lyase activity is stimulated by the addition of S-adenosylmethionine. When sodium pyruvate is added to the crude extract before the fractionation, fraction PS has full enzymatic activity and is not stimulated by fraction N or by S-adenosylmethionine. Incubation of the inactive fractions with pyruvate and S-adenosylmethionine in the absence of other substrates similarly results in a highly active preparation, not subject to the "dilution effect" obtained when the fractions are added separately to the assay. These observations suggest that the component in the protamine supernatant fraction is activated by the other fraction and that S-adenosylmethionine and pyruvate are required for the activation reaction. The activating factor present in the protamine precipitate fraction may be further purified by heating for 10 min at 100 C under H(2) atmosphere. The yield of this factor from crude extract is not affected by activation of the pyruvate formate-lyase of the extract, indicating that the factor acts catalytically. The requirement for pyruvate is only partially satisfied by alpha-ketobutyrate and not at all by other alpha-keto acids, acetyl phosphate, or adenosine triphosphate. The rate of activation is maximal at 0.01 m sodium pyruvate and 3 x 10(-4)mS-adenosylmethionine; it is linearly dependent on the amount of activating factor added. The rate of activation is the same when the activation reaction is initiated by addition of any of the four required components, indicating that no slow step of activation can be carried out by any three of the components. A similar pyruvate formate-lyase system was found in extracts of the methionine/B(12) autotroph 113-3, grown with methionine supplement, indicating that vitamin B(12) derivatives do not participate in the system.     

Role of pyruvate in enhancing pyruvate decarboxylase stability towards benzaldehyde

Biotransformation of benzaldehyde and pyruvate into (R)-phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC) catalysed by Candida utilis pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) at low buffer concentration (20 mM MOPS) was enhanced by maintenance of neutral pH through acetic acid addition. PDC was very stable in this buffer (half-life 138 h at 6 degrees C), however a benzaldehyde emulsion (400 mM) caused rapid deactivation. The inclusion of 2M glycerol did not protect PDC from inactivation by benzaldehyde but initial rates were increased by 50% and the final PAC level was enhanced from 40 to 51 g l(-1). Low levels of by-products acetaldehyde (0.1-0.15 g l(-1)) and acetoin (1.1-1.3 g l(-1)) were formed in both the presence and absence of 2 M glycerol. Interestingly PDC was more stable towards benzaldehyde when pyruvate was present: no activity was lost during the first hour of biotransformation (2 M glycerol, benzaldehyde concentration decreased from 400 to 345 mM, pyruvate from 480 to 420 mM) but PDC was completely inactivated in less than 30 min when exposed to the same concentrations of benzaldehyde in the absence of pyruvate. Thus the enzyme in catalytic action was more stable than the resting enzyme.     

The pyruvate branch point in fish liver mitochondria: Effects of acylcarnitine oxidation on pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase activities

Summary Palmitoyldl-carnitine inhibits¹⁴CO₂ production from 1-[¹⁴C]-pyruvate and from 1-[¹⁴C]-alanine by mitochondria from rainbow trout liver. The inhibitory effect occurs in both respiratory states III and IV. Fixation of H¹⁴CO ₃ ^– into acid-stable products by intact mitochondria requires pyruvate and ATP and is inhibited by sodium arsenite. This inhibitory effect is completely abolished by acetyldl-carnitine. It is proposed that under these conditions, oxidation of palmitoyldl-carnitine results in inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase while oxidation of acetyldl-carnitine results in activation of pyruvate carboxylase in intact rainbow trout liver mitochondria.     

Transport of pyruvate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cloning of the gene encoded pyruvate permease

Pyruvate uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not observed at 0 degrees C and was prevented by the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). The initial uptake rate of S. cerevisiae kyokai No. 901 was maximum at pH 6 and Km = 4.1 mM. It seemed that lactate inhibited the pyruvate uptake competitively from the results of the Lineweaver-Burk plots. The inhibition constant (Ki) in the presence of 3 mM lactate was 1.6 mM. The pyruvate uptake was inhibited by D-glucose and deoxyglucose, but not by L-glucose, acetate or ethanol. Mutants of laboratory strain No. 5022 ((a) his(2,6), ura3) deficient in pyruvate uptake were isolated from fluoropyruvate resistant mutants. Transformation of the mutant with a yeast genomic library allowed the isolation of the gene JEN1 (YKL217w), which restored pyruvate uptake. Disruption of JEN1 abolished the uptake of pyruvate and gained the resistance against fluoropyruvate. The results indicate that no other monocarboxylate permease is able to efficiently transport pyruvate in S. cerevisiae.     

Inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase by glyoxylate

The overall reaction catalyzed by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from rat epididymal fat tissue is inhibited by glyoxylate at concentrations greater than 10 μm. The inhibition is competitive with respect to pyruvate; K_i was found to be 80 μm. Qualitatively similar results were observed using pyruvate dehydrogenase from rat liver, kidney, and heart. Glyoxylate also inhibits the pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase from rat epididymal fat, with the inhibition being readily detectable using 50 μm glyoxylate. These effects of glyoxylate are largely reversed by millimolar concentrations of thiols (especially cysteine) because such compounds form relatively stable adducts with glyoxylate. Presumably these inhibitions by low levels of glyoxylate had not been previously observed, because others have used high concentrations of thiols in pyruvate dehydrogenase assays. Since the inhibitory effects are seen with suspected physiological concentrations, it seems likely that glyoxylate partially controls the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in vivo.     

Regulation of pyruvate metabolism via pyruvate carboxylase in rat brain mitochondria

1. The fixation of CO(2) by pyruvate carboxylase in isolated rat brain mitochondria was investigated. 2. In the presence of pyruvate, ATP, inorganic phosphate and magnesium, rat brain mitochondria fixed H(14)CO(3) (-) into tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates at a rate of about 250nmol/30min per mg of protein. 3. Citrate and malate were the main radioactive products with citrate containing most of the radioactivity fixed. The observed rates of H(14)CO(3) (-) fixation and citrate formation correlated with the measured activities of pyruvate carboxylase and citrate synthase in the mitochondria. 4. The carboxylation of pyruvate by the mitochondria had an apparent K(m) for pyruvate of about 0.5mm. 5. Pyruvate carboxylation was inhibited by ADP and dinitrophenol. 6. Malate, succinate, fumarate and oxaloacetate inhibited the carboxylation of pyruvate whereas glutamate stimulated it. 7. The results suggest that the metabolism of pyruvate via pyruvate carboxylase in brain mitochondria is regulated, in part, by the intramitochondrial concentrations of pyruvate, oxaloacetate and the ATP:ADP ratio.     

Utilization of pyruvate and pyruvate precursors by normal and carcinogen-altered rat tracheal epithelial cells in culture

The metabolism of [14C]pyruvate, [14C]glucose, [14C]glutamine and [14C]alanine was compared between normal rat tracheal epithelial cells and carcinogen-altered cells derived from dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-exposed tracheal implants. Normal primary cultures (NPC) of tracheal cells are distinguished by their need for pyruvate-supplemented medium for growth and survival. The altered cells were selected out by their survival in the unsupplemented medium. Compared to the selected primary cultures (SPC), the NPC showed a three- to four-fold higher incorporation of radioactivity from [2-14C]pyruvate in all the macromolecular fractions, as well as in all the metabolites isolated from the acid soluble fraction and from lactic acid isolated from the medium. [U-14C]glucose was also incorporated at higher levels into lactic acid isolated from the acid soluble fraction and the medium of NPC. These data indicate a higher rate of glycolysis in the normal tracheal cells. This was supported by the findings of a two-fold greater glucose consumption and two-fold higher production of lactic acid isolated from the NPC medium. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was also two-fold higher in NPC. Thus, despite the apparently higher level of pyruvate production in the NPC, exogenous pyruvate is necessary to satisfy the metabolic needs of NPC. The utilization of [U-14C]glutamine or [U-14C]alanine was not markedly different between NPC and SPC. Furthermore, radioactivity from both of the amino acids was recovered in lactic acid in the medium, indicating that both cell types can derive pyruvic acid from either glutamine or alanine. SPC apparently do not use these routes to supply higher levels of pyruvic acid for survival in culture. The oxidation of none of the radioactive metabolites into CO2 was distinctly different between NPC and SPC except for the 1.7-fold higher utilization of [1-14C]glucose along the oxidative arm of the pentose cycle in the normal cells.     

Synthetic peptide substrates for mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase

The specificities of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase were probed using synthetic peptides corresponding to the sequence around phosphorylation sites 1 and 2 on pyruvate dehydrogenase [Tyr-His-Gly-His-Ser(P1)-Met-Ser-Asp-Pro-Gly-Val-Ser(P2)-Tyr-Arg]. The dephosphotetradecapeptide containing aspartic acid at position 8 was a better substrate for the kinase than was the tetradecapeptide containing asparagine at position 8. The apparent Km and V values for the two peptides were 0.43 and 6.1 mM and 2.7 and 2.4 nmol of 32P incorporated/min/mg, respectively. Methylation of the aspartic acid residue also increased the apparent Km of the tetradecapeptide about 14-fold. These results indicate that an acidic residue on the carboxyl-terminal side of phosphorylation site 1 is an important specificity determinant for the kinase. Phosphate was incorporated only into site 1 of the synthetic peptide by the kinase. The phosphatase exhibited an apparent Km of 0.28 mM and a V of 2.3 mumol of 32P released/min/mg for the phosphorylated tetradecapeptide containing aspartic acid. Methylation of the aspartic acid residue had no significant effect on dephosphorylation. The octapeptide and phosphooctapeptide produced by cleavage of the aspartyl-prolyl bond by formic acid were poorer substrates for the kinase and phosphatase than were the tetradecapeptide and phosphotetradecapeptide, respectively. Modification of the amino terminal by acetylation or lysine addition had only a slight effect on the kinase and phosphatase activities.     

Metabolism of pyruvate and citrate in lactobacilli

Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, L. delbrueckii , L. lactis and L. plantarum contained a pyruvate oxidase for the oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl phosphate and acetate. The presence of an acetate kinase converted the acetyl phosphate to acetate. L. casei and L. plantarum produced lactate and acetoin, in addition to acetate, under the conditions used while L. casei also produced diacetyl. L. casei and L. plantarum were the only species to utilize citrate. L. helveticus and L. helveticus subsp. jugurti did not utilize pyruvate under the conditions used.     

Effect of insulin on pyruvate metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue of the rat. Correlation of intracellular pyruvate contents and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity

A method is described to measure the intracellular content of pyruvate and lactate in epididymal adipose tissue of the rat. The intracellular pyruvate concentration was approx. 330mum. Intracellular pyruvate contents and the rates of pyruvate output were increased when NNN'N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine was added, and decreased in the presence of alanine. Insulin addition caused an increase in intracellular pyruvate contents only at the earlier time-period studied (1.5min as against 20min). Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was increased in adipose tissue incubated in vitro with insulin. This increase occurred subsequent to the rise in the intracellular pyruvate content induced by insulin addition. The possible physiological implications are discussed.     

Updates and advances in pyruvate kinase deficiency

Mutations in the PKLR gene lead to pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency, causing chronic hemolytic anemia secondary to reduced red cell energy, which is crucial for maintenance of the red cell membrane and function. Heterogeneous clinical manifestations can result in significant morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Treatment options have historically been limited to supportive care, including red cell transfusions and splenectomy. Current disease-modifying treatment considerations include an oral allosteric PK activator, mitapivat, which was recently approved for adults with PK deficiency, and gene therapy, which is currently undergoing clinical trials. Studies evaluating the role of PK activators in other congenital hemolytic anemias are ongoing. The long-term effect of treatment with disease-modifying therapy in PK deficiency will require continued evaluation.