The molecular origins of specificity in the assembly of a multienzyme complex

The pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) multienzyme complex is central to oxidative metabolism. We present the first crystal structure of a complex between pyruvate decarboxylase (E1) and the peripheral subunit binding domain (PSBD) of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2). The interface is dominated by a "charge zipper" of networked salt bridges. Remarkably, the PSBD uses essentially the same zipper to alternately recognize the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3) component of the PDH assembly. The PSBD achieves this dual recognition largely through the addition of a network of interfacial water molecules unique to the E1-PSBD complex. These structural comparisons illuminate our observations that the formation of this water-rich E1-E2 interface is largely enthalpy driven, whereas that of the E3-PSBD complex (from which water is excluded) is entropy driven. Interfacial water molecules thus diversify surface complementarity and contribute to avidity, enthalpically. Additionally, the E1-PSBD structure provides insight into the organization and active site coupling within the approximately 9 MDa PDH complex.     

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum: novel subunit composition and domain structure of the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase component.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) from muscle of the adult parasitic nematode Ascaris suum plays a unique role in its anaerobic mitochondrial metabolism. Resolution of the intact complex in high salt dissociates the pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit but leaves the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase subunit (E3) and two other proteins with apparent M(r)s of 45 and 43 kDa bound to the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2) core. These proteins are not observable on Coomassie brilliant blue-stained gels of other eukaryotic PDCs, but the 45-kDa protein is similar in apparent M(r), pI, and sensitivity to trypsin to the Kb subunit of the bovine kidney PDH alpha kinase. Acetylation of the ascarid PDC with [2-14C]pyruvate under conditions designed to maximize the incorporation of label into protein yielded only a single radiolabeled subunit, E2. These results confirm earlier reports that the ascarid PDC lacks protein X, an integral component recently identified in other eukaryotic PDCs. About 1.6 to 1.8 mol of 14C was incorporated/mole of E2, suggesting that the ascarid E2 contained two lipoly-bearing domains. Domain mapping of the 14C-acetylated ascarid E2 by limited tryptic digestion identified two lipoyl-bearing fragments with apparent M(r)s of 50 and 34 kDa and two core fragments with apparent M(r)s of 46 and 30 kDa. The ascarid E2 domain structure appears to be similar to that of other E2s. However, it appears that the subunit-binding domain (E2B) of the ascarid E2 may be significantly larger or be flanked by larger than normal interdomain regions. An enlarged E2B domain may be necessary to accommodate the additional binding of E3 to the E2 subunit in the ascarid complex, in the absence of protein X.     

Branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex from bovine kidney: radial distribution of mass determined from dark-field electron micrographs

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was used to determine the radial distribution of mass within the bovine kidney branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (E1-E2) and its core enzyme, dihydrolipoamide acyltransferase (E2). The particle mass of E2 measured by STEM is (1.19 +/- 0.02) x 10(6). Assuming 24 subunits per E2 core, this value corresponds to a subunit molecular weight of (4.96 +/- 0.08) x 10(4), which agrees well with the subunit molecular weight estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 5.2 x 10(4) (Pettit et al., 1978) and that deduced from the gene sequence, 46,518 (Griffin et al., 1988). Thus, the STEM data reaffirms the 24-subunit model for this E2. Previous studies indicated that the E2 subunits contain an extended, outer lipoyl-bearing domain connected by a trypsin-sensitive segment to a compact, inner catalytic domain. The assemblage of 24 inner domains comprises a cubelike inner core. The quantity and spatial distribution of mass determined from STEM images for the E2 inner core are consistent with this model. The lipoyl-bearing domains are shown to occupy a zone defined by radii of 80-130 A over which the lipoyl moiety may range. This zone overlaps the positions of the 24 branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (E1) molecules, which apparently are located on the of the cubelike inner core.     

Properties of a newly characterized protein of the bovine kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

The dihydrolipoyl transacetylase component, which serves as the structural core of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes, is acetylated when treated with either pyruvate or with acetyl-CoA in the presence of NADH. Besides the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase component, we have found that another protein, referred to as protein X, is rapidly acetylated at thiol residues. Protein X remains fully bound to the transacetylase core under conditions that remove the pyruvate dehydrogenase and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase components. Mapping of 125I-tryptic peptides indicated that the transacetylase subunits and protein X are structurally distinct; however, under the same mapping conditions, there is considerable similarity in the positions of acetylated peptides derived from these subunits. Affinity-purified rabbit immunoglobulin G prepared against the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase core reacted exclusively with the transacetylase and with both its tryptic-derived inner domain and outer lipolyl-bearing domain. Those results further indicate that protein X is not derived from the transacetylase subunit Affinity-purified mouse antibody to protein X reacted selectively with large tryptic polypeptides derived from protein X and did not react with the inner domain of the transacetylase. However, the anti-protein X antibody did react with the intact transacetylase subunit, the lipoyl-bearing domain of the transacetylase, and weakly with the transsuccinylase component of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. This cross-reactivity reflected specificity of a portion of the polyclonal antibodies for a related structural region in the transacetylase and protein X (possibly a similar lipoyl-bearing region). Furthermore, a major portion of that polyclonal antibody was shown to react exclusively with protein X. Thus, protein X subunits differ substantially from transacetylase subunits but the two components have a region of structural similarity. We estimate that there are about 5 mol of protein X per mol of the kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Under a variety of conditions that result in a wide range of levels of acetylation of sites in the complex, about 1 acetyl group is incorporated into protein X per 10 acetyl groups incorporated into the transacetylase subunits per mol of complex. That ratio is close to the ratio of protein X subunits of transacetylase subunits in the complex, indicating that there are efficient mechanisms for acylation and deacylation of protein X.     

Disruption and mutagenesis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PDX1 gene encoding the protein X component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Disruption of the PDX1 gene encoding the protein X component of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae did not affect viability of the cells. However, extracts of mitochondria from the mutant, in contrast to extracts of wild-type mitochondria, did not catalyze a CoA- and NAD(+)-linked oxidation of pyruvate. The PDH complex isolated from the mutant cells contained pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1 alpha + E1 beta) and dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2) but lacked protein X and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3). Mutant cells transformed with the gene for protein X on a unit-copy plasmid produced a PDH complex that contained protein X and E3, as well as E1 alpha, E1 beta, and E2, and exhibited overall activity similar to that of the wild-type PDH complex. These observations indicate that protein X is not involved in assembly of the E2 core nor is it an integral part of the E2 core. Rather, protein X apparently plays a structural role in the PDH complex; i.e., it binds and positions E3 to the E2 core, and this specific binding is essential for a functional PDH complex. Additional evidence for this conclusion was obtained with deletion mutations. Deletion of most of the lipoyl domain (residues 6-80) of protein X had little effect on the overall activity of the PDH complex. This observation indicates that the lipoyl domain, and its covalently bound lipoyl moiety, is not essential for protein X function. However, deletion of the putative subunit binding domain (residues approximately 144-180) of protein X resulted in loss of high-affinity binding of E3 and concomitant loss of overall activity of the PDH complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Properties of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase bound to and separated from the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase-protein X subcomplex and evidence for binding of the kinase to protein X

Studies were conducted on four pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-containing fractions: purified pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase-protein X-kinase subcomplex (E2.X.K), a kinase fraction (K fraction) prepared from the E2.X.K subcomplex, and a kinase fraction generated by limited trypsin-digestion of E2.X.K. We characterized the gel electrophoresis properties of dissociated subunits (one-dimensional and two-dimensional), the catalytic and ATP binding properties of kinase-containing fractions, and the subunit requirements for kinase binding to and being activated by the transacetylase-protein X subcomplex (E2.X). A significant portion of protein X was retained with the transacetylase core following release of virtually all the kinase. The K fraction had four major bands separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-slab gel electrophoresis which corresponded to the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, protein X, the trypsin-resistant catalytic subunit of the kinase and a chymotrypsin-resistant subunit which had a high pI and comigrated in one-dimensional systems with the chymotrypsin-sensitive alpha-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase component. While purified kidney complex contained only about three molecules of kinase (determined by [14C]ATP binding), one molecule of E2.X subcomplex activated a large number (greater than 15) molecules of kinase associated with the protein X-containing K fraction. Sephadex G-200 chromatography of the K fraction in the presence of dithiothreitol led to coelution of protein X and kinase subunits. Limited trypsin digestion converted the transacetylase into subdomains and cleaved protein X and the high pI subunit of the kinase. Under those conditions, the intact catalytic subunit of the kinase did not bind to the large inner domain of the transacetylase but could be activated by untreated E2.X subcomplex. Thus, binding of the catalytic subunit of the kinase and its activation by E2.X required either protein X or the lipoyl-bearing outer domain of the transacetylase. In combination, our results suggest that protein X serves to anchor the kinase to the core of the complex.     

Crystallization of a dihydrolipoyl transacetylase--dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase subcomplex and its implications regarding the subunit structure of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Escherichia coli.

A subcomplex consisting of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, two of the three enzymes comprising the Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, has been crystallized. X-ray diffraction data establish that the space group is P2₁3 with unit cell dimension $\text{a=211 .5}\text{A}\text{?}$. The unit cell contains four molecules of the subcomplex, each possessing 3-fold crystallographic and molecular symmetry. This finding, together with biochemical and electron microscopic data reported elsewhere, establish unequivocally that dihydrolipoyl transacetylase, the core enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, consists of 24 identical subunits with octahedral (432) symmetry. In the case presented here, the 432 symmetry of the transacetylase is reduced to 3-fold symmetry in the subcomplex by the addition of dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase subunits. Crystal density measurements indicate that the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase present in these crystals is considerably smaller than the core mass generally reported for intact transacetylase. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the subunit stoichiometry and structure of the E. coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.     

alpha-Ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of Escherichia coli. A hybrid complex containing pyruvate dehydrogenase subunits from pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

The alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of Escherichia coli utilizes pyruvate as a poor substrate, with an activity of 0.082 units/mg of protein compared with 22 units/mg of protein for alpha-ketoglutarate. Pyruvate fully reduces the FAD in the complex and both alpha-keto[5-14C]glutarate and [2-14C]pyruvate fully [14C] acylate the lipoyl groups with approximately 10 nmol of 14C/mg of protein, corresponding to 24 lipoyl groups. NADH-dependent succinylation by [4-14C]succinyl-CoA also labels the enzyme with approximately 10 nmol of 14C/mg of protein. Therefore, pyruvate is a true substrate. However, the pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate activities exhibit different thiamin pyrophosphate dependencies. Moreover, 3-fluoropyruvate inhibits the pyruvate activity of the complex without affecting the alpha-ketoglutarate activity, and 2-oxo-3-fluoroglutarate inhibits the alpha-ketoglutarate activity without affecting the pyruvate activity. 3-Fluoro[1,2-14C]pyruvate labels about 10% of the E1 components (alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenases). The dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase-dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase subcomplex (E2E3) is activated as a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex by addition of E. coli pyruvate dehydrogenase, the E1 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. All evidence indicates that the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex purified from E. coli is a hybrid complex containing pyruvate dehydrogenase (approximately 10%) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (approximately 90%) as its E1 components.     

The Mr-50 000 polypeptide of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex participates in the acetylation reactions

The mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, Mr 8.5 X 10(6), contains an additional tightly bound 50 000-Mr polypeptide, component X, which copurifies with the intact assembly. Small amounts of the individual E2 and X polypeptides were obtained by elution of the protein bands from SDS/polyacrylamide gels. One-dimensional peptide mapping studies with 125I-labelled lipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) and component X subunits indicate that these two proteins are structurally distinct entities. Similar analysis of purified subunits, initially radiolabelled in the intact complex in the presence of [2-14C]pyruvate and N-ethyl-[2,3-14C]maleimide confirm that distinct 14C-labelled peptides are generated from these two species. These protein-chemical data supplement recent immunological findings, which demonstrate that component X is not a proteolytic fragment of the larger lipoyl acetyltransferase (Mr 70 000) subunit. Incubation of the native PDC in the presence of [2-14C]pyruvate leads to rapid uptake of radiolabel, presumably as acetyl groups, into both E2 and protein X. Specific incorporation of acetyl groups declines to a similar extent on both polypeptides after inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) activity by phosphorylation or omitting thiamine diphosphate (TPP) from the assay mixture. Addition of CoASH promotes the parallel deacetylation of both lipoyl acetyltransferase and protein X in a reaction which displays sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide.     

The catalytic requirements for reduction and acetylation of protein X and the related regulation of various forms of resolved pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase

The pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase consists of a catalytic subunit (Kc) and a basic subunit (Kb) which appear to be anchored to the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase core component (E2) by another subunit, referred to as protein X (Rahmatullah, M., Jilka, J. M., Radke, G. A., and Roche, T. E. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 6515-6523). We determined the catalytic requirements for reduction and acetylation of the lipoyl moiety in protein X and linked those changes in protein X to regulatory effects on kinase activity. Using fractions prepared by resolution and proteolytic treatments, we evaluated which subunits are required for regulatory effects on kinase activity. With X-KcKb fraction (treated to remove the mercurial agent used in its preparation), we found that the resolved pyruvate dehydrogenase component, the isolated inner domain of E2 (lacking the lipoyl-bearing region of E2), and the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase component directly utilize protein X as a substrate. The resulting reduction and acetylation of protein X occurs in association with enhancement of kinase activity. Following tryptic cleavage of E2 and protein X into subdomains, full acetylation of the lipoyl-bearing subdomains of these proteins is retained along with the capacity of acetylating substrates to stimulate kinase activity. All kinase-containing fractions, including those in which the Kb subunit was digested, were inhibited by pyruvate or ADP, alone, and synergistically by the combination suggesting that pyruvate and ADP bind to Kc. Our results suggest that the Kb subunit of the kinase does not contribute to the observed regulatory effects. A dynamic role of protein X in attenuating kinase activity based on changes in the mitochondrial redox and acetylating potentials is considered.     

Cryoelectron microscopy of frozen-hydrated alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes from Escherichia coli

The native architectures of the pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes have been investigated by cryoelectron microscopy of unstained, frozen-hydrated specimens. In pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex the transacylase (E2) components exist as 24-subunit, cube-shaped assemblies that form the structural cores of the complexes. Multiple copies (12-24) of the alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (E1) and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3) components bind to the surface of the cores. Images of the frozen-hydrated enzyme complexes do not appear consistent with a symmetric arrangement of the E1 and E3 subunits about the octahedrally symmetric E2 core. Often the E1 or E3 subunits appear separated from the surface of the E2 core by 3-5 nm, and sometimes thin bridges of density appear in the gap between the E2 core and the bound subunits; studies of subcomplexes consisting of the E2 core from 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and E1 or E3 show that both E1 and E3 are bound in this manner. Images of the E2 cores isolated from pyruvate dehydrogenase complex appear surrounded by a faint fuzz that extends approximately 10 nm from the surface of the core and likely corresponds to the lipoyl domains of the E2.     

Cryoelectron microscopy of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Cryoelectron microscopy has been performed on frozen-hydrated pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes from bovine heart and kidney and on various subcomplexes consisting of the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase-based (E2) core and substoichiometric levels of the other two major components, pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3). The diameter of frozen-hydrated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is 50 nm, which is significantly larger than previously reported values. On the basis of micrographs of the subcomplexes, it is concluded that the E1 and E3 are attached to the E2-core complex by extended (4-6 nm maximally) flexible tethers. PDC constructed in this manner would probably collapse and appear smaller than its native size when dehydrated, as was the case in previous electron microscopy studies. The tether linking E1 to the core involves the hinge sequence located between the E1-binding and catalytic domains in the primary sequence of E2, whereas the tether linking E3 is probably derived from a similar hinge-type sequence in component X. Tilting of the E2-based cores and comparison with model structures confirmed that their overall shape is that of a pentagonal dodecahedron. The approximately 6 copies of protein X present in PDC do not appear to be clustered in one or two regions of the complex and are not likely to be symmetrically distributed.     

A second novel dye-linked L-proline dehydrogenase complex is present in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3

Two distinguishable activity bands for dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase (PDH1 and PDH2) were detected when crude extract of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 was run on a polyacrylamide gel. After purification, PDH1 was found to be composed of two different subunits with molecular masses of 56 and 43 kDa, whereas PDH2 was composed of four different subunits with molecular masses of 52, 46, 20 and 8 kDa. The native molecular masses of PDH1 and PDH2 were 440 and 101 kDa, respectively, indicating that PDH1 has an alpha4beta4 structure, while PDH2 has an alphabetagammadelta structure. PDH2 was found to be similar to the dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase complex from Thermococcus profundus, but PDH1 is a different type of enzyme. After production of the enzyme in Escherichia coli, high-performance liquid chromatography showed the PDH1 complex to contain the flavins FMN and FAD as well as ATP. Gene expression and biochemical analyses of each subunit revealed that the beta subunit bound FAD and exhibited proline dehydrogenase activity, while the alpha subunit bound ATP, but unlike the corresponding subunit in the T. profundus enzyme, it exhibited neither proline dehydrogenase nor NADH dehydrogenase activity. FMN was not bound to either subunit, suggesting it is situated at the interface between the alpha and beta subunits. A comparison of the amino-acid sequences showed that the ADP-binding motif in the alpha subunit of PDH1 clearly differs from that in the alpha subunit of PDH2. It thus appears that a second novel dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase complex is produced in P. horikoshii.     

Additional binding sites for the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase but not for protein X in the assembled core of the mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex: binding region for the kinase.

A standard resolution of the bovine kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex yields a subcomplex composed of approximately 60 dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2) subunits, approximately 6 protein X subunits, and approximately 2 pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase heterodimers (KcKb). Using a preparation of resolved kinase in which Kc much greater than Kb, E2-X-KcKb subcomplex additionally bound at least 15 catalytic subunits of the kinase (Kc) and a much lower level of Kb. The binding of Kc to E2 greatly enhanced kinase activity even at high levels of bound kinase. Free protein X, functional in binding the E3 component, did not bind to E2-X-KcKb subcomplex. This pattern of binding Kc but not protein X was unchanged either with a preparation of E2 oligomer greatly reduced in protein X or with subcomplex from which the lipoyl domain of protein X was selectively removed. The bound inner domain of protein X associated with the latter subcomplex did not exchange with free protein X. These data support the conclusion that E2 subunits bind the Kc subunit of the kinase and suggest that the binding of the inner domain of protein X to the inner domain of the transacetylase occurs during the assembly of the oligomeric core. Selective release of a fragment of E2 subunits that contain the lipoyl domains (E2L fragment) releases the kinase (M. Rahmatullah et al., 1990, J. Biol. Chem. 265, 14,512-14,517). Sucrose gradient centrifugation yielded an E2L-kinase fraction with an increased ratio of the kinase to E2L fragment. A monoclonal antibody specific for E2L was attached to a gel matrix. Binding of E2L fragment also led to specific binding of the kinase. Extensive washing did not reduce the level of bound kinase. Thus, the kinase is tightly bound by the lipoyl domain region of E2.     

Isolation and characterisation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of anaerobically grown Enterococcus faecalis NCTC 775.

In this contribution the isolation and some of the structural and kinetic properties of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) of anaerobically grown Enterococcus faecalis are described. The complex closely resembles the PDC of other Gram-positive bacteria and eukaryotes. It consists of four polypeptide chains with apparent molecular masses on SDS/PAGE of 97, 55, 42 and 36 kDa, and these polypeptides could be assigned to dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2), lipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) and the two subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1 alpha and E1 beta), respectively. The E2 core has an icosahedral symmetry. The apparent molecular mass on SDS/PAGE of 97 kDa of the E2 chain is extremely high in comparison with other Gram-positive organisms (and eukaryotes) and probably due to several lipoyl domains associated with the E2 chain. NADH inhibition is mediated via E3. The mechanism of inhibition is discussed in view of the high PDC activities in vivo that are found in E. faecalis, grown under anaerobic conditions.     

Scanning transmission electron microscopic study of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex from Escherichia coli

The alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex was resolved into its three component enzymes: alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (E1), dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase (E2), and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase. Subcomplexes were prepared in vitro by incubating the resolved E2, a 24-subunit cube-shaped molecule, with E1 (dimeric). The morphology and mass of the subcomplexes were determined by scanning transmission electron microscopy of negatively stained and of freeze-dried specimens. Images of both negative stained and freeze-dried subcomplexes were consistent with E1 binding at or near the midpoints of the edges of the E2 molecule. Mass analysis of the freeze-dried specimen showed that at least 95% of E1 remains in the dimeric state (or as two closely juxtaposed monomers) when it binds to E2.     

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has only one pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, which is located in the apicoplast

The relict plastid (apicoplast) of apicomplexan parasites synthesizes fatty acids and is a promising drug target. In plant plastids, a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) converts pyruvate into acetyl-CoA, the major fatty acid precursor, whereas a second, distinct PDH fuels the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the mitochondria. In contrast, the presence of genes encoding PDH and related enzyme complexes in the genomes of five Plasmodium species and of Toxoplasma gondii indicate that these parasites contain only one single PDH. PDH complexes are comprised of four subunits (E1alpha, E1beta, E2, E3), and we confirmed four genes encoding a complete PDH in Plasmodium falciparum through sequencing of cDNA clones. In apicomplexan parasites, many nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast courtesy of two-part N-terminal leader sequences, and the presence of such N-terminal sequences on all four PDH subunits as well as phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that the P. falciparum PDH is located in the apicoplast. Fusion of the two-part leader sequences from the E1alpha and E2 genes to green fluorescent protein experimentally confirmed apicoplast targeting. Western blot analysis provided evidence for the expression of the E1alpha and E1beta PDH subunits in blood-stage malaria parasites. The recombinantly expressed catalytic domain of the PDH subunit E2 showed high enzymatic activity in vitro indicating that pyruvate is converted to acetyl-CoA in the apicoplast, possibly for use in fatty acid biosynthesis.     

Function of the nonidentical subunits of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase

The pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) component of the bovine kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) contains two nonidentical subunits. PDH catalyzes the decarboxylation of pyruvate to produce α-hydroxyethylthiamine-PP (HETPP) and the reductive acetylation of the lipoyl moieties of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase with HETPP. Phosphorylation of PDH with PDH kinase and ATP markedly inhibits the first reaction but does not inhibit the second reaction. Since the α-subunit but not the β-subunit of PDH undergoes phosphorylation, these results suggest that the α-subunit catalyzes the first reaction and the β-subunit catalyzes the second reaction. Thiamine-PP reduces the rate of phosphorylation of PDC by PDH kinase and ATP. Phosphorylation of PDC increases the K_D of the PDC-Mg-thiamine-PP complex about 12-fold. It appears that the thiamine-PP binding site and the phosphorylation site on PDH influence each other and that HETPP is bound to PDH in a different orientation or possibly at a different site than is thiamine-PP.     

Structure function studies on the lipoate-acetyltransferase--component-X-core assembly of the ox heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Component X, the recently recognised subunit of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, was shown by immune blotting to be present in all of nine tissues dissected from rat. This finding indicated that component X was not an isoenzyme of the lipoate acetyltransferase (E2) associated with one or a limited number of tissues. Native pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was shown to bind IgG raised to isolated component X, indicating that there were at least some regions of the X subunit exposed at the periphery of the complex. Lipoyl groups of ox heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were specifically cross-linked by reaction with phenylene-o-bismaleimide in the presence of pyruvate and the subunits contributing to the products of cross-linking were identified by immune blotting. Species with very high Mr containing both E2 and component X, were formed in high yield, as well as apparent E2/E2 and E2/X dimers and trimers and an X/X dimer. These results showed that acetylated lipoyl groups of different E2 and X subunits were able to interact in all possible combinations. The types of cross-linked E2 products formed suggested that two thiols, reactible with phenylene-o-bismaleimide, were rapidly generated in the presence of pyruvate. The results were most easily explained by the presence of two acetylatable lipoyl groups on each E2 polypeptide.