Kinetic analysis of L-glutamine transport into porcine jejunal enterocyte brush-border membrane vesicles

L-Glutamine transport into porcine jejunal enterocyte brush border membrane vesicles was studied. Uptake was mediated by a Na(+)-dependent and a Na(+)-independent pathway as well as by diffusion. The initial rates of glutamine uptake over a range of concentrations is both Na(+)-gradient and Na(+)-free conditions were analyzed and kinetic parameters were obtained. Na(+)-dependent glutamine transport had a K(m) of 0.77 +/- 0.16 mM and a Jmax of 70.7 +/- 5.8 pmol mg protein-1 s-1; Na(+)-independent glutamine transport had a K(m) of 3.55 +/- 0.78 mM and a Jmax of 55.1 +/- 6.6 pmol mg protein-1 s-1. The non-saturable component measured with HgCl2-poisoned brush border membrane vesicles in the Na(+)-free condition contained passive diffusion and non-specific membrane binding and was defined to be apparent glutamine diffusion and the glutamine permeability coefficient (Kdiff) was estimated to be Kdiff = 3.78 +/- 0.06 pmol 1 mg protein-1 mmol-1 s-1. Results of inhibition experiments showed that Na(+)-dependent glutamine uptake occurred primarily through the brush border system-B degree transporters, whereas Na(+)-independent glutamine uptake occurred via the system-L transporters. Furthermore, the kinetics of L-leucine and L-cysteine inhibition of L-glutamine uptake demonstrated that neutral amino acids sharing the same brush border transporters can effectively inhibit each other in their transport.     

Cell volume regulatory responses of isolated perfused rat liver. The effect of amino acids

1) Addition of glutamine, glycine, alanine, serine, phenylalanine, proline at a concentration of 3mM, each, or of an amino-acid mixture resembling the physiological amino-acid composition of portal venous blood, to influent perfusate of isolated perfused rat liver led to a 4-6% increase of liver mass without increase of the [3H]inulin space, and biphasic K+ movements across the plasma membrane. These K+ movements consisted of an initial net K+ uptake (0.4-0.9 mumol X g-1 liver) for about 2 min, being followed by a net K+ release (1.0-2.8 mumol X g-1 liver) during the next 10 min. Withdrawal of the amino acids from influent perfusate caused a slow net K+ reuptake by the liver and restored the initial liver mass. No effects on liver mass and K+ fluxes were observed following addition of glutamate or glucose at a concentration of 3mM, each. 2) Aminooxyacetate did not affect the alanine (3 mM) induced increase in liver mass. However, in presence of aminooxyacetate the alanine-induced net K+ release from the liver (i.e. K+ release from 2-10 min minus initial K+ uptake) increased from 0.1 to 2.2 mumol X g-1 liver, whereby simultaneously the alanine tissue level rose from 6.8 to 13.3 mumol X g-1 (corresponding to an increase of the intracellular alanine concentration from about 12 to 25 mM) in presence of aminooxyacetate. 3) When livers were perfused with different glutamine concentrations, a maximal increase in liver mass of 5-6% was observed at glutamine concentrations above 1.5-2mM. A halfmaximal increase in liver mass was observed at 0.6-1.0mM glutamine in influent, i.e. at the physiological portal glutamine concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of NH4+ and K+ on the energy metabolism in Sp2/0-Ag14 myeloma cells

Potassium ions decrease the transport rate of ammonium ions into myeloma and hybridoma cells, one effect of the involved transport processes being an increased energy demand (Martinelle and Häggström, 1993; Martinelle et al., 1998b). Therefore, the effects of K+ and NH4+ on the energy metabolism of the murine myeloma cell line, Sp2/0-Ag14, were investigated. Addition of NH4Cl (10 mM) increased the metabolism via the alanine transaminase (alaTA) pathway, without increasing the consumption of glutamine. As judged by the alanine production, the energy formation from glutamine increased by 155%. The presence of elevated concentrations of KCl (10 mM) was positive, resulting in a decreased uptake of glutamine (45%), and an even larger suppression of ammonium ion formation (70%), while the same throughput via the alaTA pathway (and energy production from glutamine) was retained as in the control culture. However, the simultaneous presence of 10 mM K+ and 10 mM NH4+ was more inhibitory than NH4Cl alone; an effect that could not be ascribed to increased osmolarity. Although the culture with both K+ and NH4+ consumed 60% more glutamine than the culture with NH4+ alone, the energy generation from glutamine could not be increased further, due to the suppression of the glutamate dehydrogenase pathway. Furthermore, the data highlighted the importance of evaluating the metabolism via different energy yielding pathways, rather than solely considering the glutamine consumption for estimating energy formation from glutamine.     

Development of a simple high-throughput screening protocol based on biosynthetic activity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase for the identification of novel Inhibitors

A high-throughput screening protocol has been developed for Mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase by quantitative estimation of inorganic phosphate. The K(m) values determined at pH 6.8 are 22 mM for L-glutamic acid, 0.75 mM for NH(4)Cl, 3.25 mM for MgCl(2), and 2.5 mM for adenosine triphosphate. The K(m) value for glutamine is affected significantly by the increase in pH of assay buffer. At the saturating level of the substrate, the enzyme activity at pH 6.8 and 25 degrees C is found to be linear up to 3 h. The reduction of enzyme activity is negligible even in presence of 10% DMSO. The Z' factor and signal-to-noise ratio are found to be 0.75 and 6.18, respectively, when the enzyme is used at 62.5 microg/ml concentration. The IC(50) values obtained at pH 6.8 for both L-methionine S-sulfoximine and DL-phosphothriacin are 500 microM and 30 microM, respectively, which is lowest compared to the values obtained at other pH levels. The Beckman Coulter high-throughput screening platform was found to take 5 h 9 min to complete the screening of 60 plates. For each assay plate, a replica plate is used to normalize the data. Screening of 1164 natural product fractions/extracts and synthetic molecules from an in-house library was able to identify 12 samples as confirmed hits. Altogether, the validation data from screening of a small set of an in-house library coupled with Z' and signal-to-noise values indicate that the protocol is robust for high-throughput screening of a diverse chemical library.     

Interactions between glutamine metabolism and cell-volume regulation in perfused rat liver

1. In the presence of near-physiological glutamine concentrations, exposure of perfused rat liver to hypotonic perfusion media switched glutamine balance across the liver from net release to net uptake. This was due to both stimulation of flux through glutaminase and inhibition of flux through glutamine synthetase. Conversely, during exposure to hypertonic media, net glutamine release from the liver increased due to inhibition of glutaminase flux and slight stimulation of flux through glutamine synthetase. The effect of perfusate osmolarity on glutaminase flux was observed at an NH4Cl concentration (0.5 mM) sufficient for near-maximal ammonia stimulation of glutaminase. This indicates the involvement of different mechanisms of glutaminase flux control by extracellular osmolarity changes and ammonia. The effects of anisotonicity on flux through glutamine-metabolizing enzymes were fully reversible. Glutamine (0.6 mM) stimulated urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mM) during hypotonic and normotonic conditions. 2. Exposure to hypotonic and hypertonic media led, after initial liver-cell swelling and shrinkage, respectively to volume-regulatory K+ fluxes which largely restored the initial liver-cell volume despite the continuing osmotic challenge. Even after completion of cell-volume regulatory K+ fluxes, the effects of perfusate osmolarity on hepatic glutamine metabolism persisted. This indicates that in anisotonicity the liver cell is left in an altered metabolic state, even after completion of volume-regulatory responses. 3. During perfusion with isotonic media, addition of glutamine (3 mM) led to an increase of liver mass by about 4% within 2 min, which was accompanied by a net K+ uptake by the liver. Thereafter, the new steady state of increased liver mass was maintained throughout glutamine infusion. When the liver mass had reached this new steady state, a net release of K+ from the liver of about 3 mumol/g liver was observed during the following 10 min. Withdrawal of glutamine was followed by a slow reuptake of K+ and the liver mass returned to its initial value. Following exposure to glutamine (3 mM), the intracellular glutamine concentration (as calculated from glutamine tissue levels, taking into account the extracellular space determined with the [3H]inulin technique) rose from about 1 mM to 30-35 mM within about 12 min, indicating a 10-12-fold concentrative uptake of glutamine into the liver cells and an osmotic challenge for the hepatocyte. When intracellular glutamine had reached its steady-state concentration, net K+ efflux from the liver was also terminated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Regulation of Nitrogen Fixation in Klebsiella pneumoniae: Evidence for a Role of Glutamine Synthetase as a Regulator of Nitrogenase Synthesis

Mutations causing constitutive synthesis of glutamine synthetase (GlnC(-) phenotype) were transferred from Klebsiella aerogenes into Klebsiella pneumoniae by P1-mediated transduction. Such GlnC(-) strains of K. pneumoniae have constitutive levels of glutamine synthetase. Two of three GlnC(-) strains of K. pneumoniae studied, each containing independently isolated mutations that confer the GlnC(-) phenotype, continue to synthesize nitrogenase in the presence of NH(4) (+). One strain, KP5069, produces 30% as much nitrogenase when grown in the presence of 15 mM NH(4) (+) as in its absence. The GlnC(-) phenotype allows the synthesis of nitrogenase to continue under conditions that completely repress nitrogenase synthesis in the wild-type strain. Glutamine auxotrophs of K. pneumoniae, that do not produce catalytically active glutamine synthetase, are unable to synthesize nitrogenase during nitrogen limited growth. Complementation of K. pneumoniae Gln(-) strains by an Escherichia coli episome (F'133) simultaneously restores glutamine synthetase activity and the ability to synthesize nitrogenase. These results indicate a role for glutamine synthetase as a positive control element for nitrogen fixation in K. pneumoniae.     

Benzoate stimulates glutamate release from perfused rat liver.

In isolated perfused rat liver, benzoate addition to the influent perfusate led to a dose-dependent, rapid and reversible stimulation of glutamate output from the liver. This was accompanied by a decrease in glutamate and 2-oxoglutarate tissue levels and a net K+ release from the liver; withdrawal of benzoate was followed by re-uptake of K+. Benzoate-induced glutamate efflux from the liver was not dependent on the concentration (0-1 mM) of ammonia (NH3 + NH4+) in the influent perfusate, but was significantly increased after inhibition of glutamine synthetase by methionine sulphoximine or during the metabolism of added glutamine (5 mM). Maximal rates of benzoate-stimulated glutamate efflux were 0.8-0.9 mumol/min per g, and the effect of benzoate was half-maximal (K0.5) at 0.8 mM. Similar Vmax. values of glutamate efflux were obtained with 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, ketomethionine (4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate) and phenylpyruvate; their respective K0.5 values were 1.2 mM, 3.0 mM and 3.8 mM. Benzoate decreased hepatic net ammonia uptake and synthesis of both urea and glutamine from added NH4Cl. Accordingly, the benzoate-induced shift of detoxication from urea and glutamine synthesis to glutamate formation and release was accompanied by a decreased hepatic ammonia uptake. The data show that benzoate exerts profound effects on hepatic glutamate and ammonia metabolism, providing a new insight into benzoate action in the treatment of hyperammonaemic syndromes.     

Characterization of a novel dUTP-dependent activity of CTP synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

CTP synthetase [EC 6.3.4.2, UTP:ammonia ligase (ADP-forming)] from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalyzes the ATP-dependent transfer of the amide nitrogen from glutamine to the C-4 position of UTP to form CTP. In this work, we demonstrated that CTP synthetase utilized dUTP as a substrate to synthesize dCTP. The dUTP-dependent activity was linear with time and with enzyme concentration. Maximum dUTP-dependent activity was dependent on MgCl(2) (4 mM) and GTP (K(a) = 14 microM) at a pH optimum of 8.0. The apparent K(m) values for dUTP, ATP, and glutamine were 0.18, 0.25, and 0.41 mM, respectively. dUTP promoted the tetramerization of CTP synthetase, and the extent of enzyme tetramerization correlated with dUTP-dependent activity. dCTP was a poor inhibitor of dUTP-dependent activity, whereas CTP was a potent inhibitor of this activity. The enzyme catalyzed the synthesis of dCTP and CTP when dUTP and UTP were used as substrates together. CTP was the major product synthesized when dUTP and UTP were present at saturating concentrations. When dUTP and UTP were present at concentrations near their K(m) values, the synthesis of dCTP increased relative to that of CTP. The synthesis of dCTP was favored over the synthesis of CTP when UTP was present at a concentration near its K(m) value and dUTP was varied from subsaturating to saturating concentrations. These data suggested that the dUTP-dependent synthesis of dCTP by CTP synthetase activity may be physiologically relevant.     

Karyotype variation of CHO host cell lines over time in culture characterized by chromosome counting and chromosome painting

Genomic rearrangements are a common phenomenon in rapidly growing cell lines such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, a feature that in the context of production of biologics may lead to cell line and product instability. Few methods exist to assess such genome wide instability. Here, we use the population distribution of chromosome numbers per cell as well as chromosome painting to quantify the karyotypic variation in several CHO host cell lines. CHO‐S, CHO‐K1 8 mM glutamine, and CHO‐K1 cells adapted to grow in media containing no glutamine were analyzed over up to 6 months in culture. All three cell lines were clearly distinguishable by their chromosome number distribution and by the specific chromosome rearrangements that were present in each population. Chromosome Painting revealed a predominant karyotype for each cell line at the start of the experiment, completed by a large number of variants present in each population. Over time in culture, the predominant karyotype changed for CHO‐S and CHO‐K1, with the diversity increasing and new variants appearing, while CHO‐K1 0 mM Gln preferred chromosome pattern increased in percent of the population over time. As control, Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts were shown to also contain an increasing number of variants over time in culture.     

Transport of neutral, cationic and anionic amino acids by systems B, b(o,+), X(AG), and ASC in swine small intestine

Amino acid influx across the brush border membrane of the intact pig ileal epithelium was studied. It was examine whether in addition to system B, systems ASC and b(o,+) were involved in transport of bipolar amino acids. The kinetics of interactions between lysine and leucine demonstrates that system b(o,+) is present and accessible also to L-glutamine. D-aspartate (K(1/2) 0.3 mM) and L-glutamate (K(i) 0.5 mM) share a high affinity transporter with a maximum rate of 1.3 micromol cm(-2) h(-1), while only L-glutamate with a K(1/2) of 14.4 mM uses a low affinity transporter with a maximum rate of 2. 7 micromol cm(-2) h(-1), system ASC, against which serine has a K(i) of 1.6 mM. In the presence of 100 mM lysine, L-glutamine (A), leucine (B), and methionine (C) fulfilled the criteria of the ABC test for transport by one and the same transporter. However, serine inhibits not only transport of L-glutamate but also of glutamine (K(i) 0.5 mM), and L-glutamate inhibits part of the transport of glutamine. The test does, therefore, only indicate that the three bipolar amino acids have similar affinities for transport by systems B and ASC. Further study of the function of system B must be carried out under full inhibition by lysine and glutamate.     

Compartmentation of TCA cycle metabolism in cultured neocortical neurons revealed by 13C MR spectroscopy

Cultured neocortical neurons were incubated in medium containing [U-13C]glucose (0.5 mM) and in some cases unlabeled glutamine (0.5 mM). Subsequently the cells were "superfused" for investigation of the effect of depolarization by 55 mM K+. Cell extracts were analyzed by 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine incorporation of 13C in glutamate, GABA, aspartate and fumarate. The importance of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for conversion of the carbon skeleton of glutamine to GABA was evident from the effect of glutamine on the labeling pattern of GABA and glutamate. Moreover, analysis of the labeling patterns of glutamate in particular indicated a depolarization induced increased oxidative metabolism. This effect was only observed in glutamate and not in neurotransmitter GABA. Based on this a hypothesis of mitochondrial compartmentation may be proposed in which mitochondria associated with neurotransmitter synthesis are distinct from those aimed at energy production and influenced by depolarization. The hypothesis of mitochondrial compartmentation was further supported by the finding that the total percent labeling of fumarate and aspartate differed significantly from each other. This can only be explained by the existence of multiple TCA cycles with different turnover rates.     

Glutamine cycling in isolated working rat heart

To what extent does glutamine turnover keep pace with oxidative metabolism in the rat heart? To address this question, the following groups of substrates were presented to the isolated, working rat heart: 1) glucose (5 mM), insulin (40 microU/ml), and [2-13C]acetate (5 mM; high workload, n = 5); 2) pyruvate (2.5 mM) and [2-13C]acetate (5 mM; normal workload, n = 5); or 3) propionate (1 mM) and [2-13C]acetate (2.5 mM; normal workload, n = 3). In a subset of these experiments, the exchange of glutamate and glutamine was quantified by separation with ion exchange chromatography and analysis by GC-MS. There was an apparent equilibration of mass isotopomers of glutamate and glutamine after 50 min of perfusion, although the extent of equilibration was not determined. The fractional enrichment in glutamine was 31% of the enrichment of glutamate with the three different perfusates. From high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, we found a ratio of glutamine to glutamate content of 94.1, 53.4, and 96.9%, respectively, for each experimental group. In experiments for which l-[1-13C]glutamine (5 mM) was included in the perfusate of group 2, [1-13C]glutamine was detected in the heart, but transfer of 13C from glutamine to glutamate was not detected (n = 4). We conclude that, in the perfused working heart, production of glutamine by amidation of glutamate takes place and can be detected, whereas the reverse process, generation of glutamate from glutamine, remains undetected.     

Asparagine uptake in rat hepatocytes: Resolution of a paradox and insights into substrate-dependent transporter regulation

Summary. Extracellular asparagine has previously been shown to markedly stimulate both ornithine decarboxylase and System N-mediated glutamine transport activities in hepatocytes by a transport-dependent mechanism. However, as a weak substrate of its inferred transporter System N, the specific route of asparagine uptake has remained enigmatic. In this study, asparagine transport was studied in detail and shown to be Na⁺-dependent, Li⁺-tolerant, stereospecific, and inhibited profoundly by glutamine and histidine. Coupled with competitive inhibition by glutamine (K_i = 2.63 ± 1.11 mM), the data indicated that asparagine was indeed slowly transported by System N in rat hepatocytes, albeit at rates an order of magnitude less than for glutamine. The differential substrate transport velocities were shown to be attributable to a low transporter asparagine affinity (K_m = 9.3 − 17.5 mM) compared to glutamine (K_m∼ 1 mM). Consistent with its slow uptake, asparagine accumulated to a fivefold lesser degree than glutamine after 60 min, yet stimulated System N activity to the same extent as glutamine. The transaminase inhibitor aminooxyacetate and starvation of the donor animal each enhanced asparagine uptake twofold and augmented subsequent transporter activation. Conversely, asparagine-dependent System N stimulation was abrogated by hyperosmotic media and blunted 30%–40% by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. Collectively, the data suggest that System N-mediated asparagine uptake serves an autostimulatory role, mediated by cellular swelling and in part by a PI3K-dependent signal transduction pathway. Received January 3, 2000 Accepted May 18, 2000     

Effect of amino acids on cryopreservation of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) sperm

The effects of three amino acids (proline, glutamine, and glycine) added to the freezing medium Tes-Tris-egg yolk (TTE) for cryopreservation of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) spermatozoa were studied. This is the first report on the effects of amino acids on nonhuman primate sperm cryopreservation. The addition of 5mM proline, 10mM glutamine, and 10 or 20mM glycine each significantly improved post-thaw sperm motility and membrane and acrosome integrity compared with the control (TTE alone). However, a significant decrease in motility and membrane/acrosome integrity was observed when amino acid concentrations increased to 60mM for proline and glutamine, and 80 mM for glycine. The results suggest that adding a limited amount of amino acids to the freezing media is beneficial for freezing cynomolgus monkey sperm.     

Glutamate Synthase: Properties of the Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide-Dependent Enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-dependent glutamate synthase has been detected and partially purified from crude extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme is specific for NADH, glutamine, and alpha-ketoglutarate (K(m) values of 2.6 muM, 1.0 mM, and 140 muM, respectively) and has a pH optimum between 7.1 and 7.7. The stoichiometry of the reaction has been determined as 2 mol of glutamate synthesized per mol of glutamine consumed. Glutamate synthase can be distinguished from either of the glutamate dehydrogenases of yeast on the basis of its substrate requirements and behavior during agarose gel and ion exchange chromatography. Variations in the specific activity of glutamate synthase, which occur in response to changes in the growth medium, are similar in character to those observed with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent (anabolic) glutamate dehydrogenase.     

Comparative studies on glutamate metabolism in synpatic and non-synaptic rat brain mitochondria.

1. The apparent Michaelis constants of the glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3), the glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (EC 2.6.1.1) and the glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2) of rat brain mitochondria derived from non-synaptic (M) and synaptic (SM2) sources were studied. 2. The kinetics of oxygen uptake of both populations of mitochondria in the presence of a fixed concentration of malate and various concentrations of glutamate or glutamine were investigated. 3. In both mitochondrial populations, glutamate-supported respiration in the presence of 2.5 mM-malate appears to be biphasic, one system (B) having an apparent Km for glutamate of 0.25 +/- 0.04 mM (n=7) and the other (A) of 1.64 +/- 0.5 mM (n=7) [when corrected for low-Km process, Km=2.4 +/- 0.75 mM (n=7)]. Aspartate production in these experiments followed kinetics of a single process with an apparent Km for glutamate of 1.8-2 mM, approximating to the high-Km process. 4. Oxygen-uptake measurement with both mitochondrial populations in the presence of malate and various glutamate concentrations in which amino-oxyacetate was present showed kinetics approximating only to the low-Km process (apparent Km for glutamate approximately 0.2 mM). Similar experiments in the presence of glutamate alone showed kinetics approximating only to the high-Km process (apparent Km for glutamate approximately 1-1.3 mM). 5. Oxygen uptake supported by glutamine (0-3 mM) and malate (2.5 mM) by the free (M) mitochondrial population, however, showed single-phase kinetics with an apparent Km for glutamine of 0.28 mM. 6. Aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate accumulation was measured in 'free' nonsynaptic (M) brain mitochondria oxidizing various concentrations of glutamate at a fixed malate concentration. Over a 30-fold increase in glutamate concentration, the flux through the glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase increased 7--8-fold, whereas the flux through 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase increased about 2.5-fold. 7. The biphasic kinetics of glutamate-supported respiration by brain mitochondria in the presence of malate are interpreted as reflecting this change in the relative fluxes through transamination and 2-oxoglutarate metabolism.     

The protective action of betaine on the deleterious effects of NaCl on preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro

The development of outbred mouse (CF1) zygotes in vitro has been studied using medium SOM in which the concentrations of NaCl (85, 105, 125 mM), glutamine (0, 1, 2 mM), and betaine (0, 1, 2 mM) were varied. The effects of the compounds were studied using a 3³ factorial experimental arrangement. The inhibitory effect of relatively high concentrations of NaCl and the protective effect of glutamine were confirmed. Betaine, an organic osmolyte, can also protect against the deleterious effects of relatively high concentrations of NaCl. The intracellular contents of potassium and sodium have also been measured in single zygotes using X-ray electron probe spectrometry. When medium SOM contains 85 mM or 125 mM NaCl, the intracellular content of Na rises and the content of K decreases. These changes are partially reduced in the presence of 125 mM NaCl if betaine is also in the medium. Betaine has no effect on the intracellular content of K and Na if the concentration of NaCl is 85 mM. These results suggest that organic osmolytes may be required in embryo culture media to prevent excessive changes in the intracellular ionic concentration. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effect of glutamine and sugars after bull spermatozoa cryopreservation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of different sugars (raffinose, sucrose, and trehalose) on bull spermatozoa cryopreserved in a commercial extender (Optidyl) supplemented with glutamine on semen parameters, fertilizing ability and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Nine ejaculates for each bull were used in the study. Semen was frozen in five different extenders: raffinose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (RGO), sucrose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (SGO), trehalose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (TGO), glutamine 3 mM (GO) and control (O). Insemination doses were processed so that each 0.25 mL straw contained 15 x 10⁶sperm. Groups of GO and RGO resulted in the higher rates of subjective (54.0 ± 1.7% and 64.0 ± 1.1%; P < 0.01) and CASA motilities (53.0 ± 2.7% and 61.0 ± 4.4%; P < 0.001), respectively compared to the other groups. The supplementation of additives did not provide an effect on the level of post-thaw sperm CASA progressive motilities, the sperm motion characteristics and pregnancy rates. GO and RGO provided the better protective effect for sperm acrosome (4.0 ± 0.5% and 12.0 ± 0.6%) and total abnormalities (5.0 ± 0.3% and 13.0 ± 0.7%; P < 0.001), respectively. At the HOST values, the additives did not give to result the protective effect in comparison to Optydil extender without additives (P > 0.05). For pregnancy rates, there were no significant differences among the groups. The supplementation of additives did not provide any significant difference on the level of SOD activity (P > 0.05). It can be also thought that these sugars might have worked with glutamine in a synergy. Thereby, sugars such as raffinose and sucrose with glutamine in freezing extender may be recommended to facilitate bull semen freezability.     

Substitution of glutamine by pyruvate to reduce ammonia formation and growth inhibition of mammalian cells

In mammalian cell culture technology glutamine is required for biomass synthesis and as a major energy source together with glucose. Different pathways for glutamine metabolism are possible, resulting in different energy output and ammonia release. The accumulation of ammonia in the medium can limit cell growth and product formation. Therefore, numerous ideas to reduce ammonia concentration in cultivation broths have been developed. Here we present new aspects on the energy metabolism of mammalian cells. The replacement of glutamine (2 mM) by pyruvate (10 mM) supported cell growth without adaptation for at least 19 passages without reduction in growth rate of different adherent commercial cell lines (MDCK, BHK21, CHO-K1) in serum-containing and serum-free media. The changes in metabolism of MDCK cells due to pyruvate uptake instead of glutamine were investigated in detail (on the amino acid level) for an influenza vaccine production process in large-scale microcarrier culture. In addition, metabolite profiles from variations of this new medium formulation (1-10 mM pyruvate) were compared for MDCK cell growth in roller bottles. Even at very low levels of pyruvate (1 mM) MDCK cells grew to confluency without glutamine and accumulation of ammonia. Also glucose uptake was reduced, which resulted in lower lactate production. However, pyruvate and glutamine were both metabolized when present together. Amino acid profiles from the cell growth phase for pyruvate medium showed a reduced uptake of serine, cysteine, and methionine, an increased uptake of leucine and isoleucine and a higher release of glycine compared to glutamine medium. After virus infection completely different profiles were found for essential and nonessential amino acids.