Alteration of mitochondrial protein complexes in relation to metabolic regulation under short-term oxidative stress in Arabidopsis seedlings

Plants reconfigure their metabolic network under stress conditions. Changes of mitochondrial metabolism such as tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and amino acid metabolism are reported in Arabidopsis roots but the exact molecular basis underlying this remains unknown. We here hypothesise the reassembly of enzyme protein complexes to be a molecular mechanism for metabolic regulation and tried in the present study to find out mitochondrial protein complexes which change their composition under oxidative stress by the combinatorial approach of proteomics and metabolomics. Arabidopsis seedlings were treated with menadione to induce oxidative stress. The inhibition of several TCA cycle enzymes and the oxidised NADPH pool indicated the onset of oxidative stress. In blue native/SDS-PAGE analysis of mitochondrial protein complexes the intensities of 18 spots increased and those of 13 spots decreased in menadione treated samples suggesting these proteins associate with, or dissociate from, protein complexes. Some spots were identified as metabolic enzymes related to central carbon metabolism such as malic enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and alanine aminotransferase. The change in spot intensity was not directly correlated to the total enzyme activity and mRNA level of the corresponding enzyme but closely related to the metabolite profile, suggesting the metabolism is regulated under oxidative stress at a higher level than translation. These results are somewhat preliminary but suggest the regulation of the TCA cycle, glycolysis, ascorbate and amino acid metabolism by reassembly of plant enzyme complexes.     

Effects of pentylenetetrazole and glutamate on metabolism of [U-(13)C]glucose in cultured cerebellar granule neurons.

This study was performed to analyze the effects of glutamate and the epileptogenic agent pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) on neuronal glucose metabolism. Cerebellar granule neurons were incubated for 2 h in medium containing 3 mM [U-(13)C]glucose, with and without 0.25 mM glutamate and/or 10 mM PTZ. In the presence of PTZ, decreased glucose consumption with unchanged lactate release was observed, indicating decreased glucose oxidation. PTZ also slowed down tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity as evidenced by the decreased amounts of labeled aspartate and [1,2-(13)C]glutamate. When glutamate was present, glucose consumption was also decreased. However, the amount of glutamate, derived from [U-(13)C]glucose via the first turn of the TCA cycle, was increased. The decreased amount of [1,2-(13)C]glutamate, derived from the second turn in the TCA cycle, and increased amount of aspartate indicated the dilution of label due to the entrance of unlabeled glutamate into TCA cycle. In the presence of glutamate plus PTZ, the effect of PTZ was enhanced by glutamate. Labeled alanine was detected only in the presence of glutamate plus PTZ, which indicated that oxaloacetate was a better amino acid acceptor than pyruvate. Furthermore, there was also evidence for intracellular compartmentation of oxaloacetate metabolism. Glutamate and PTZ caused similar metabolic changes, however, via different mechanisms. Glutamate substituted for glucose as energy substrate in the TCA cycle, whereas, PTZ appeared to decrease mitochondrial activity.     

The metabolic role of isoleucine in detoxification of ammonia in cultured mouse neurons and astrocytes

Cerebral hyperammonemia is a hallmark of hepatic encephalopathy, a debilitating condition arising secondary to liver disease. Pyruvate oxidation including tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolism has been suggested to be inhibited by hyperammonemia at the pyruvate and -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase steps. Catabolism of the branched-chain amino acid isoleucine provides both acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA, thus by-passing both the pyruvate dehydrogenase and the -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase steps. Potentially, this will enable the TCA cycle to work in the face of ammonium-induced inhibition. In addition, this will provide the -ketoglutarate carbon skeleton for glutamate and glutamine synthesis by glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase (astrocytes only), respectively, both reactions fixing ammonium. Cultured cerebellar neurons (primarily glutamatergic) or astrocytes were incubated in the presence of either [U-¹³C]glucose (2.5 mM) and isoleucine (1 mM) or [U-¹³C]isoleucine and glucose. Cell cultures were treated with an acute ammonium chloride load of 2 (astrocytes) or 5 mM (neurons and astrocytes) and incorporation of ¹³C-label into glutamate, aspartate, glutamine and alanine was determined employing mass spectrometry. Labeling from [U-¹³C]glucose in glutamate and aspartate increased as a result of ammonium-treatment in both neurons and astrocytes, suggesting that the TCA cycle was not inhibited. Labeling in alanine increased in neurons but not in astrocytes, indicating elevated glycolysis in neurons. For both neurons and astrocytes, labeling from [U-¹³C]isoleucine entered glutamate and aspartate albeit to a lower extent than from [U-¹³C]glucose. Labeling in glutamate and aspartate from [U-¹³C]isoleucine was decreased by ammonium treatment in neurons but not in astrocytes, the former probably reflecting increased metabolism of unlabeled glucose. In astrocytes, ammonia treatment resulted in glutamine production and release to the medium, partially supported by catabolism of [U-¹³C]isoleucine. In conclusion, i) neuronal and astrocytic TCA cycle metabolism was not inhibited by ammonium and ii) isoleucine may provide the carbon skeleton for synthesis of glutamate/glutamine in the detoxification of ammonium.     

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.     

Oxidation of glutamine in HeLa cells: Role and control of truncated TCA cycles in tumour mitochondria

The oxidative metabolism of glutamine in HeLa cells was investigated using intact cells and isolated mitochondria. The concentrations of the cytoplasmic amino acids were found to be aspartate, 8.0 mM; glutamate, 22.2 mM; glutamine, 11.3 mM; glycine, 9.8 mM; taurine, 2.3 mM; and alanine, <1 mM. Incubation of the cells with [¹⁴C]glutamine gave steady-state recoveries of ¹⁴C-label (estimated as exogenous glutamine) in the glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate pools, of 103%, 80%, and 25%, respectively, indicating that glutamine synthetase activity was absent and that a significant proportion of glutamate oxidation proceeded through aspartate aminotransferase. No label was detected in the alanine pool, suggesting that alanine aminotransferase activity was low in these cells. The clearance rate of [¹⁴C]glutamine through the cellular compartment was 65 nmol/min per mg protein. There was a 28 s delay after [¹⁴C]glutamine was added to the cell before ¹⁴C-label was incorporated into the cytoplasm, while the formation of glutamate commenced 10 s later. Aspartate was the major metabolite formed when the mitochondria were incubated in a medium containing either glutamine, glutamate, or glutamate plus malate. The transaminase inhibitor AOA inhibited both aspartate efflux from the mitochondria and respiration. The addition of 2-oxoglutarate failed to relieve glutamate plus malate respiration, indicating that 2-oxoglutarate is part of a well-coupled truncated cycle, of which aspartate aminotransferase has been shown to be a component [Parlo and Coleman (1984): J Biol Chem 259:9997–10003]. This was confirmed by the observation that, although it inhibited respiration, AOA did not affect the efflux of citrate from the mitochondria. Thus citrate does not appear to be a cycle component and is directly transported to the medium. Therefore, it was concluded that the truncated TCA cycle in HeLa cells is the result of both a low rate of citrate synthesis and an active citrate transporter. DNP (10 μM) induced a state III-like respiration only in the presence of succinate, which supports the evidence that NAD-linked dehydrogenases were not coupled to respiration, and suggests that these mitochondria may have a defect in complex I of the electron transport chain. Arising from the present results with HeLa cells and results extant in the literature, it has been proposed that a major regulating mechanism for the flux of glutamate carbon in tumour cells is the competitive inhibition exerted by 2-oxoglutarate on aspartate and alanine aminotransferases. This has been discussed and applied to the data. J. Cell. Biochem. 68:213–225, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Metabolism of [1,6-13C]Glucose and [U-13C]Glutamine and Depolarization Induced GABA Release in Superfused Mouse Cerebral Cortical Mini-slices

Mouse cerebral cortical mini-slices were used in a superfusion system to monitor depolarization-induced (55 mM K⁺) release of preloaded [2,3-³H]GABA and to investigate the biosynthesis of glutamate, GABA and aspartate during physiological and depolarizing (55 mM K⁺) conditions from either [1,6-¹³C]glucose or [U-¹³C]glutamine. Depolarization-induced GABA release could be reduced (50%) by the GABA transport inhibitor tiagabine (25 μM) or by replacing Ca²⁺ with Co²⁺. In the presence of both tiagabine and Co²⁺ (1 mM), release was abolished completely. The release observed in the presence of 25 μM tiagabine thus represents vesicular release. Superfusion in the presence of [1,6-¹³C]glucose led to considerable labeling in the three amino acids, the labeling in glutamate and aspartate being increased after depolarization. This condition had no effect on GABA labeling. For all three amino acids, the distribution of label in the different carbon atoms revealed on increased tricarboxylic acid (TCA) activity during depolarization. When [U-¹³C]glutamine was used as substrate, labeling in glutamate was higher than that in GABA and aspartate and the fraction of glutamate and aspartate being synthesized by participation of the TCA cycle was increased by depolarization, an effect not seen for GABA. However, GABA synthesis reflected TCA cycle involvement to a much higher extent than for glutamate and aspartate. The results show that this preparation of brain tissue with intact cellular networks is well suited to study metabolism and release of neurotransmitter amino acids under conditions mimicking neural activity. Special issue article in honor of Dr. Ricardo Tapia.     

Pyruvate decarboxylation in astrocytes and in neurons in primary cultures in the presence and the absence of ammonia

Oxidative decarboxylation of [1-¹⁴C]pyruvate was studied in primary cultures of neurons and of astrocytes. The rate of this process, which is a measure of carbon flow into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and which is inhibited by its end product, acetyl CoA, was determined under conditions which would either elevate or reduce the components of the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS). Addition of aspartate (1 mM) was found to stimulate pyruvate decarboxylation in astrocytes whereas addition of glutamate (or glutamine) had no effect. Since aspartate is a precursor for extramitochondrial malate, and thus intramitochondrial oxaloacetate, whereas glutamate and glutamine are not, this suggests that an increase in oxaloacetate level stimulates TCA cycle activity. Conversely, a reduction of the glutamate content by 3 mM ammonia, which might reduce exchange between glutamate and aspartate across the mitochondrial membrane, suppressed pyruvate decarboxylation. This effect was abolished by addition of glutamate or glutamine or exposure to methionine sulfoximine (MSO). These findings suggest that impairment of MAS activity by removal of MAS constituents decreases TCA cycle activity whereas replenishment of these compounds restores the activity of the TCA cycle. No corresponding effects were observed in neurons.     

siRNA knock down of glutamate dehydrogenase in astrocytes affects glutamate metabolism leading to extensive accumulation of the neuroactive amino acids glutamate and aspartate

Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and astrocytes are key players in sustaining glutamate homeostasis. Astrocytes take up the predominant part of glutamate after neurotransmission and metabolism of glutamate is necessary for a continuous efficient removal of glutamate from the synaptic area. Glutamate may either be amidated by glutamine synthetase or oxidatively metabolized in the mitochondria, the latter being at least to some extent initiated by oxidative deamination by glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). To explore the particular importance of GDH for astrocyte metabolism we have knocked down GDH in cultured cortical astrocytes employing small interfering RNA (siRNA) achieving a reduction of the enzyme activity by approximately 44%. The astrocytes were incubated for 2h in medium containing either 1.0mM [(15)NH(4)(+)] or 100μM [(15)N]glutamate. For those exposed to [(15)N]glutamate an additional 100μM was added after 1h. Metabolic mapping was performed from isotope incorporation measured by mass spectrometry into relevant amino acids of cell extracts and media. The contents of the amino acids were measured by HPLC. The (15)N incorporation from [(15)NH(4)(+)] into glutamate, aspartate and alanine was decreased in astrocytes exhibiting reduced GDH activity. However, the reduced GDH activity had no effect on the cellular contents of these amino acids. This supports existing in vivo and in vitro studies that GDH is predominantly working in the direction of oxidative deamination and not reductive amination. In contrast, when exposing the astrocytes to [(15)N]glutamate, the reduced GDH activity led to an increased (15)N incorporation into glutamate, aspartate and alanine and a large increase in the content of glutamate and aspartate. Surprisingly, this accumulation of glutamate and net-synthesis of aspartate were not reflected in any alterations in either the glutamine content or labeling, but a slight increase in mono labeling of glutamine in the medium. We suggest that this extensive net-synthesis of aspartate due to lack of GDH activity is occurring via the concerted action of AAT and the part of TCA cycle operating from α-ketoglutarate to oxaloacetate, i.e. the truncated TCA cycle.     

Involvement of glutamate in the respiratory metabolism of Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids.

Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids were isolated anaerobically and supplied with 14C-labeled succinate, malate, aspartate, or glutamate for periods of up to 60 min in the presence of myoglobin to control the O2 concentration. Succinate and malate were absorbed about twice as rapidly as glutamate and aspartate. Conversion of substrate to CO2 was most rapid for malate, followed by succinate, glutamate, and aspartate. When CO2 production was expressed as a proportion of total carbon taken up, malate was still the most rapidly respired substrate, with 68% of the label absorbed converted to CO2. The comparable values for succinate, glutamate, and aspartate were 37, 50, and 38%, respectively. Considering the fate of labeled substrate not respired, greater than 95% of absorbed glutamate remained as glutamate in the bacteroids. In contrast, from 39 to 66% of the absorbed succinate, malate, or aspartate was converted to glutamate. An increase in the rate of CO2 formation from labeled substrates after 20 min appeared to coincide with a maximum accumulation of label in glutamate. The results indicate the presence of a substantial glutamate pool in bacteroids and the involvement of glutamate in the respiratory metabolism of bacteroids.     

Effects of thiopental on transport and metabolism of glutamate in cultured cerebellar granule neurons

This study was performed to analyze the effects of the barbiturate thiopental on neuronal glutamate uptake, release and metabolism. Since barbiturates are known to bind to the GABA(A) receptor, some experiments were carried out in the presence of GABA. Cerebellar granule neurons were incubated for 2 h in medium containing 0.25 mM [U-(13)C]glutamate, 3 mM glucose, 50 microM GABA and 0.1 or 1 mM thiopental when indicated. When analyzing cell extracts, it was surprisingly found that in addition to glutamate, aspartate and glutathione, GABA was also labeled. In the medium, label was observed in glutamate, aspartate and lactate. Glutamate exhibited different labeling patterns, indicating metabolism in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and subsequent release. A net uptake of [U-(13)C]glutamate and unlabeled glucose was seen under all conditions. The amounts of most metabolites synthesized from [U-(13)C]glutamate were unchanged in the presence of GABA with or without 0.1 mM thiopental. In the presence of 1 mM thiopental, regardless of the presence of GABA, decreased amounts of [1,2, 3-(13)C]glutamate and [U-(13)C]aspartate were found in the medium. In the cell extracts increased [U-(13)C]glutamate, [1,2, 3-(13)C]glutamate, labeled glutathione and [U-(13)C]aspartate were observed in the 1 mM thiopental groups. Glutamate efflux and uptake were studied using [(3)H]D-aspartate. While efflux was substantially reduced in the presence of 1 mM thiopental, this barbiturate only marginally inhibited uptake even at 3 mM. These results may suggest that the previously demonstrated neuroprotective action of thiopental could be related to its ability to reduce excessive glutamate outflow. Additionally, thiopental decreased the oxidative metabolism of [U-(13)C]glutamate but at the same time increased the detectable metabolites derived from the TCA cycle. These latter effects were also exerted by GABA.     

Glutamate Metabolism in Rat Cortical Astrocyte Cultures

Glutamate metabolism in rat cortical astrocyte cultures was studied to evaluate the relative rates of flux of glutamate carbon through oxidative pathways and through glutamine synthetase (GS). Rates of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glutamate were determined, as was the metabolic fate of [14C(U)]glutamate in the presence and absence of the transaminase inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid and of methionine sulfoximine, an irreversible inhibitor of GS. The effects of subculturing and dibutyryl cyclic AMP treatment of astrocytes on these parameters were also examined. The vast majority of exogenously added glutamate was converted to glutamine and exported into the extracellular medium. Inhibition of GS led to a sustained and greatly elevated intracellular glutamate level, thereby demonstrating the predominance of this pathway in the astrocytic metabolism of glutamate. Nevertheless, there was some glutamate oxidation in the astrocyte culture, as evidenced by aspartate production and labeling of intracellular aspartate pools. Inhibition of aspartate aminotransferase caused a greater than 70% decrease in 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glutamate. Inhibition of GS caused an increase in aspartate production. It is concluded that transamination of glutamate rather than oxidative deamination catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase is the first step in the entry of glutamate carbon into the citric acid cycle in cultured astrocytes. This scheme of glutamate metabolism was not qualitatively altered by subculturing or by treatment of the cultures with dibutyryl cyclic AMP.     

Hexokinase Binding to Mitochondria: A Basis for Proliferative Energy Metabolism

Current thought is that proliferating cells undergo a shift from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism, where the energy requirements of the rapidly dividing cell are provided by ATP from glycolysis. Drawing on the hexokinase–mitochondrial acceptor theory of insulin action, this article presents evidence suggesting that the increased binding of hexokinase to porin on mitochondria of cancer cells not only accelerates glycolysis by providing hexokinase with better access to ATP, but also stimulates the TCA cycle by providing the mitochondrion with ADP that acts as an acceptor for phosphoryl groups. Furthermore, this acceleration of the TCA cycle stimulates protein synthesis via two mechanisms: first, by increasing ATP production, and second, by provision of certain amino acids required for protein synthesis, since the amino acids glutamate, alanine, and aspartate are either reduction products or partially oxidized products of the intermediates of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. The utilization of oxygen in the course of the TCA cycle turnover is relatively diminished even though TCA cycle intermediates are being consumed. With partial oxidation of TCA cycle intermediates into amino acids, there is necessarily a reduction in formation of CO₂ from pyruvate, seen as a relative diminution in utilization of oxygen in relation to carbon utilization. This has been assumed to be an inhibition of oxygen uptake and therefore a diminution of TCA cycle activity. Therefore a switch from oxidative metabolism to glycolytic metabolism has been assumed (the Crabtree effect). By stimulating both ATP production and protein synthesis for the rapidly dividing cell, the binding of hexokinase to mitochondrial porin lies at the core of proliferative energy metabolism. This article further reviews literature on the binding of the isozymes of hexokinase to porin, and on the evolution of insulin, proposing that intracellular insulin-like proteins directly bind hexokinase to mitochondrial porin.     

13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Evidence for γ-Aminobutyric Acid Formation via Pyruvate Carboxylase in Rat Brain: A Metabolic Basis for Compartmentation0

The compartmentation of amino acid metabolism is an active and important area of brain research. 13C labeling and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are powerful tools for studying metabolic pathways, because information about the metabolic histories of metabolites can be determined from the appearance and position of the label in products. We have used 13C labeling and 13C NMR in order to investigate the metabolic history of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in rat brain. [1-13C]Glucose was infused into anesthetized rats and the 13C labeling patterns in GABA and glutamate examined in brain tissue extracts obtained at various times after infusion of the label. Five minutes after infusion, most of the 13C label in glutamate appeared at the C4 position; at later times, label was also present at C2 and C3. This 13C labeling pattern occurs when [1-13C]glucose is metabolized to pyruvate by glycolysis and enters the pool of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates via pyruvate dehydrogenase. The label exchanges into glutamate from the TCA cycle pool through glutamate transaminases or dehydrogenase. After 30 min of infusion, approximately 10% of the total 13C in brain extracts appeared in GABA, primarily (greater than 80%) at the amino carbon (C4), indicating that the GABA detected is labeled through pyruvate carboxylase. The different labeling patterns observed for glutamate and GABA show that the large detectable glutamate pool does not serve as the precursor to GABA. Our NMR data support previous experiments suggesting compartmentation of metabolism in brain, and further demonstrate that GABA is formed from a pool of TCA cycle intermediates derived from an anaplerotic pathway involving pyruvate carboxylase.     

Demonstration of pyruvate recycling in primary cultures of neocortical astrocytes but not in neurons

Pyruvate recycling was studied in primary cultures of mouse cerebrocortical astrocytes, GABAergic cerebrocortical interneurons, and co-cultures consisting of both cell types by measuring production of [4-¹³C]glutamate from [3-¹³C]glutamate by aid of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This change in the position of the label can only occur by entry of [3-¹³C]glutamate into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, conversion of labeled -ketoglutarate to malate or oxaloacetate, malic enzyme-mediated decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-mediated conversion of oxaloacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate and subsequent hydrolysis of the latter to pyruvate, and introduction of the labeled pyruvate into the TCA cycle, i.e., after exit of the carbon skeleton of pyruvate from the TCA cycle followed by re-entry of the same pyruvate molecules via acetyl CoA. In agreement with earlier observations, pyruvate recycling was demonstrated in astrocytes, indicating the ability of these cells to undertake complete oxidative degradation of glutamate. The recycled [4-¹³C]glutamate was not further converted to glutamine, showing compartmentation of astrocytic metabolism. Thus, absence of recycling into glutamine in the brain in vivo cannot be taken as indication that pyruvate recycling is absent in astrocytes. No recycling could be demonstrated in the cerebrocortical neurons. This is consistent with a previously demonstrated lack of incorporation of label from glutamate into lactate, and it also indicates that mitochondrial malic enzyme is not operational. Nor was there any indication of pyruvate recycling in the co-cultures. Although this may partly be due to more rapid depletion of glutamate in the co-cultures, this observation at the very least indicates that pyruvate recycling is not up-regulated in the neuronal-astrocytic co-cultures.     

Metabolic profile of wound-induced changes in primary carbon metabolism in sugarbeet root

Injury to plant products by harvest and postharvest operations induces respiration rate and increases the demand for respiratory substrates. Alterations in primary carbon metabolism are likely to support the elevated demand for respiratory substrates, although the nature of these alterations is unknown. To gain insight into the metabolic changes that occur to provide substrates for wound-induced increases in respiration, changes in the concentrations of compounds that are substrates, intermediates or cofactors in the respiratory pathway were determined in sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) roots in the 4 days following injury. Both wounded and unwounded tissues of wounded roots were analyzed to provide information about localized and systemic changes that occur after wounding. In wounded tissue, respiration increased an average of 186%, fructose, glucose 6-phosphate, ADP and UDP concentrations increased, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, triose phosphate, citrate, isocitrate, succinate, ATP, UTP and NAD⁺ concentrations decreased. In the non-wounded tissue of wounded roots, respiration rate increased an average of 21%, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate and ADP concentrations increased, and isocitrate, UTP, NAD⁺, NADP⁺, and NADPH concentrations declined. Changes in respiration rate and metabolite concentrations indicated that localized and systemic changes in primary carbon metabolism occurred in response to injury. In wounded tissue, metabolite concentration changes suggested that activities of the early glycolytic enzymes, fructokinase, phosphofructokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, and phosphoglucomutase were limiting carbon flow through glycolysis. These restrictions in the respiratory pathway, however, were likely overcome by use of metabolic bypasses that allowed carbon compounds to enter the pathway at glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle downstream locations. In non-wounded tissue of wounded roots, metabolic concentration changes suggested that glycolysis and the TCA cycle were generally capable of supporting the small systemic elevation in respiration rate. Although the mechanism by which respiration is regulated in wounded sugarbeet roots is unknown, localized and systemic elevations in respiration were positively associated with one or more indicators of cellular redox status.     

Photosynthesis and metabolism interact during acclimation of Arabidopsis thaliana to high irradiance and sulphur depletion

Arabidopsis plants were exposed to high light or sulphur depletion alone or in combination for 6 d, and changes of photosynthetic parameters and metabolite abundances were quantified. Photosynthetic electron transport rates (ETRs) of plants exposed to sulphur depletion and high light decreased strongly at day 2 of the acclimation period. After 3 d of treatment, the photosynthetic capacity recovered in plants exposed to the combined stresses, indicating a short recovery time for re‐adjustment of photosynthesis. However, at metabolic level, the stress combination had a profound effect on central metabolic pathways such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glycolysis, pentose phosphate cycle and large parts of amino acid metabolism. Under these conditions, central metabolites, such as sugars and their phosphates, increased, while sulphur‐containing compounds were decreased. Further differential responses were found for the stress indicator proline accumulating already at day 1 of the high‐light regime, but in combination with sulphur depletion first declined and after a recovery phase reached a delayed elevated level. Other metabolites such as raffinose and putrescine seem to replace proline during the early combinatorial stress response and may act as alternative protectants. Our findings support the notion that plants integrate the selectively sensed stress factors in central metabolism.     

Reconstitution of oxaloacetate metabolism in the tricarboxylic acid cycle in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: discovery of important factors that directly affect the conversion of oxaloacetate

The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is one of the most important metabolic pathways in nature. Oxygenic photoautotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria, have an unusual TCA cycle. The TCA cycle in cyanobacteria contains two unique enzymes that are not part of the TCA cycle in other organisms. In recent years, sustainable metabolite production from carbon dioxide using cyanobacteria has been looked at as a means to reduce the environmental burden of this gas. Among cyanobacteria, the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis 6803) is an optimal host for sustainable metabolite production. Recently, metabolite production using the TCA cycle in Synechocystis 6803 has been carried out. Previous studies revealed that the branch point of the oxidative and reductive TCA cycles, oxaloacetate metabolism, plays a key role in metabolite production. However, the biochemical mechanisms regulating oxaloacetate metabolism in Synechocystis 6803 are poorly understood. Concentrations of oxaloacetate in Synechocystis 6803 are extremely low, such that in vivo analysis of oxaloacetate metabolism does not seem realistic. Therefore, using purified enzymes, we reconstituted oxaloacetate metabolism in Synechocystis 6803 in vitro to reveal the regulatory mechanisms involved. Reconstitution of oxaloacetate metabolism revealed that pH, Mg²⁺ and phosphoenolpyruvate are important factors affecting the conversion of oxaloacetate in the TCA cycle. Biochemical analyses of the enzymes involved in oxaloacetate metabolism in this and previous studies revealed the biochemical mechanisms underlying the effects of these factors on oxaloacetate conversion. In addition, we clarified the function of two l- malate dehydrogenase isozymes in oxaloacetate metabolism. These findings serve as a basis for various applications of the cyanobacterial TCA cycle.