Lactate dehydrogenase in Phycomyces blakesleeanus.

1. An NAD-specific L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) from the mycelium of Phycomyces blakesleeanus N.R.R.L. 1555 (-) was purified approximately 700-fold. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 135,000-140,000. The purified enzyme gave a single, catalytically active, protein band after polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. It shows optimum activity between pH 6.7 and 7.5. 2. The Phycomyces blakesleeanus lactate dehydrogenase exhibits homotropic interactions with its substrate, pyruvate, and its coenzyme, NADH, at pH 7.5, indicating the existence of multiple binding sites in the enzyme for these ligands. 3. At pH 6.0, the enzyme shows high substrate inhibition by pyruvate. 3-hydroxypyruvate and 2-oxovalerate exhibit an analogous effect, whereas glyoxylate does not, when tested as substrates at the same pH. 4. At pH 7.5, ATP, which inhibits the enzyme, acts competitively with NADH and pyruvate, whereas at pH 6.0 and low concentrations of ATP it behaves in a allosteric manner as inhibitor with respect to NADH, GTP, however, has no effect under the same experimental conditions. 5. Partially purified enzyme from sporangiophores behaves in entirely similar kinetic manner as the one exhibited by the enzyme from mycelium.     

Differential effects of 2-oxo acids on pyruvate utilization and fatty acid synthesis in rat brain

1. The effects of 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoate, 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoate and 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoate on the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.1), citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7), acetyl-CoA carboxylase, (EC 6.4.1.2) and fatty acid synthetase derived from the brains of 14-day-old rats were investigated. 2. The pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme activity was competitively inhibited by 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoate with respect to pyruvate with a K(i) of 2.04mm but was unaffected by 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoate or 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoate. 3. The citrate synthase activity was inhibited competitively (with respect to acetyl-CoA) by 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoate (K(i)~7.2mm) and 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoate (K(i)~14.9mm) but not by 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoate. 4. The acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was not inhibited significantly by any of the 2-oxo acids investigated. 5. The fatty acid synthetase activity was competitively inhibited (with respect to acetyl-CoA) by 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoate (K(i)~930mum) and 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoate (K(i)~3.45mm) but not by 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoate. 6. Preliminary experiments indicate that 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoate and 2-oxo-3-phenylpropionate (phenylpyruvate) significantly inhibit the ability of intact brain mitochondria from 14-day-old rats to oxidize pyruvate. 7. The results are discussed with reference to phenylketonuria and maple-syrup-urine disease. A biochemical mechanism is proposed to explain the characteristics of these diseases.     

Zinc inhibition of pyruvate kinase of M-type isozyme

Inhibitory effect of Zn on the pyruvate kinase of M (muscle)-type isozyme was analyzed for the purpose of elucidating the cytotoxicity of Zn. Zn inhibited pyruvate kinase uncompetitively with respect to the substrate PEP, and competitively with respect to ADP. Quotient velocity plot calculated from the Zn-inhibition curves showed that Zn²⁺ as a ZnADP complex acted as competitive and uncompetitive inhibitors of the enzyme with respect to the substrate ADP and PEP, respectively: Zn²⁺ forms a ZnADP complex, which may bind to the ADP-binding site of the free enzyme with the K_i value of 1.4 μM causing competitive inhibition, or to the ADP-site of the enzyme-PEP complex with 2.6 μM resulting in uncompetitive inhibition. The inhibition of pyruvate kinase by Zn²⁺ may be responsible for the cytotoxicity of this metal by decreasing glycolytic flux.     

Regulation of C4 photosynthesis: identification of a catalytically important histidine residue and its role in the regulation of pyruvate,Pi dikinase

These studies provide further information regarding the mechanism of the light/dark-mediated regulation of pyruvate,Pi dikinase in leaves. It is shown that a catalysis-linked phosphorylation of pyruvate,Pi dikinase can be demonstrated following incubation of the enzyme with [32P]phosphoenolpyruvate or [beta-32P]ATP plus Pi, that the enzyme-bound phosphate is located on a histidine residue, and that this phosphate is retained during ADP-mediated inactivation. Further evidence is provided that phosphorylation of this histidine is a prerequisite for ADP-mediated inactivation through phosphorylation of a threonine residue from the beta-phosphate of ADP. It is demonstrated that diethylpyrocarbonate (which forms a derivative with histidine residues) prevents [32P]phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent labeling (catalytic labeling) and [beta-32P]ADP-dependent labeling (inactivation labeling) of the enzyme. In addition, it is demonstrated that oxalate, an analog of pyruvate, competitively inhibits ADP-dependent inactivation with respect to ADP. The significance of these results is discussed with regard to the mechanism of regulation of pyruvate,Pi dikinase in vivo.     

Pyruvate:NADP+ oxidoreductase from Euglena gracilis: the kinetic properties of the enzyme

The kinetic properties for the native forward reaction of pyruvate:NADP+ oxidoreductase from Euglena gracilis were determined. The substrate kinetics gave a pattern of a ping-pong mechanism involving a competitive substrate inhibition of CoA against pyruvate. The Km values for pyruvate, CoA, and NADP+ were estimated to be 27, 6.6, and 28 microM, respectively, and the Ki value of CoA against pyruvate was 28 microM. CO2 inhibited noncompetitively against pyruvate and NADP+, and uncompetitively against CoA. Acetyl-CoA showed a competitive inhibition with respect to pyruvate and an uncompetitive inhibition with respect to NADP+. NADPH inhibited competitively versus NADP+, noncompetitively versus CoA, and uncompetitively versus pyruvate. The kinetic behavior is consistent with a two-site ping-pong mechanism involving the substrate inhibition. From the kinetic mechanism, it is proposed that the enzyme has two catalytic sites linked by an intramolecular electron-transport chain. One of these is a thiamine pyrophosphate-containing catalytic site which reacts with pyruvate and CoA to form CO2 and acetyl-CoA, and the other site functions in the reduction of NADP+. In contrast, when methyl viologen was used as an artificial one-electron acceptor substituting for NADP+, the reaction gave a pattern characteristic of an octa uni ping-pong mechanism involving a competitive substrate inhibition of CoA against pyruvate.     

Interaction of thiamin diphosphate with phosphorylated and dephosphorylated mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Kinetic and binding studies were carried out on substrate and cofactor interaction with the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from bovine heart. Fluoropyruvate and pyruvamide, previously described as irreversible and allosteric inhibitors, respectively, are strong competitive inhibitors with respect to pyruvate. Binding of thiamin diphosphate was used to study differences between the active dephosphorylated and inactive phosphorylated enzyme states by spectroscopic methods. The change in both the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and the fluorescence of the 6-bromoacetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene-labelled enzyme complex produced on addition of the cofactor showed similar binding behaviour for both enzyme forms, with slightly higher affinity for the phosphorylated form. Changes in the CD spectrum, especially the negative Cotton effect at 330 nm as a function of cofactor concentration, both in the absence and presence of pyruvate, also revealed no drastic differences between the two enzyme forms. Thus, inactivation of the enzyme activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is not caused by impeding the binding of substrate or cofactor.     

A study of the allosteric kinetics of Phycomyces pyruvate kinase as judged by the effect of L-alanine and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate

The influence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and L-alanine on the kinetics of pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate O2-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) from Phycomyces blakesleeanus NRRL 1555 (-) was studied at pH 7.5. By addition of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate the sigmoid kinetics with respect to phosphoenol pyruvate and Mg2+ were abolished and the velocity curves became hyperbolic. In the presence of L-alanine the positive homotropic cooperativity with respect to phosphoenol pyruvate increased with Hill coefficient values close to 4, while the sigmoid kinetics with respect to Mg2+ became hyperbolic. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate overcomes the inhibition produced by L-alanine, the antagonism between phosphoenol pyruvate and L-alanine also being evident. Inhibition has been found at high Mg2+ concentrations, compatible with the binding of the magnesium ions to an inactive conformational state of the enzyme. The data were analysed on the basis of the two-states concerted-symmetry model of Monod, Wyman and Changeux, and the parameters of the model were calculated. Phosphoenol pyruvate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate appeared to show exclusive binding to the active conformational state (R), whereas magnesium ions bind preferentially, by a factor of 45, to the R state. L-Alanine binds more readily to the inactive T state of the enzyme.     

Kinetic model of the functioning of pyruvate kinase from bovine adrenal cortex

The dependence of pyruvate kinase reaction rate on the concentration of one of the ligands--ADP or MgCl2--at constant concentrations of the other ligand was studied. The enzyme activity vs ligand concentration curves have fairly symmetrical peaks which correspond to the range of approximately equal ligand concentrations. The S-shaped dependence is observed only over the range of concentrations close to the dissociation constant for the Mg-ADP- complex (0.7 mM) under the given experimental conditions. The data obtained are consistent with the results of the first model kinetics within the framework of the London-Steck theory. The substrate for pyruvate kinase is the Mg-ADP- complex, while free Mg2+ and ADP3- competitively inhibit the enzyme. The inhibition constants are equal to 44 and 1 mM, respectively. The inhibiting effects of the metal and dinucleotide may be due to the competition with the substrate for the enzyme active site. Taking into consideration the fact that the binding of one of the ligands to the enzyme depends on the presence of the other ligand, a conclusion is drawn that Mg2+ forms a bridge with ADP3- and pyruvate kinase from adrenal cortex.     

Purification and characterizaton of plastidic pyruvate kinase from developing seeds of Brassica campestris L.

Plastidic pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) was purified to near homogeneity as judged by native PAGE with about 4% recovery from developing seeds of Brassica campestris using (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration through Sepharose-CL-6B and affinity chromatography through reactive blue Sepharose-CL-6B. The purified enzyme having molecular mass of about 266 kDa was quite stable and showed a broad pH optimum between pH 6.8-7.8. Typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics was obtained for both the substrates with K(m) values of 0.13 and 0.14 mM for PEP and ADP, respectively. The enzyme could also utilize CDP, GDP or UDP as alternative nucleotide to ADP, but with lower Vmax and higher K(m). The enzyme had an absolute requirement for a divalent and a monovalent cation for activity and was inhibited by oxalate, fumarate, citrate, isocitrate and ATP, and activated by AMP, aspartate, 3-PGA, tryptophan and inorganic phosphate. ATP inhibited the enzyme competitively with respect to PEP and non-competitively with respect to ADP. Similarly, oxalate inhibition was also of competitive type with respect to PEP and non-competitive with respect to ADP. This inhibition by either ATP or oxalate was not due to chelation of Mg2+, as the inhibition was not relieved on increasing Mg2+ concentration even upto 30 mM. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies demonstrated the reaction mechanism to be compulsory ordered type. The enzyme seems to be regulated synergistically by ATP and citrate.     

Localization and kinetics of pyruvate-metabolizing enzymes in relation to aerobic alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae CBS 8066 and Candida utilis CBS 621

The role of pyruvate metabolism in the triggering of aerobic, alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied. Since Candida utilis does not exhibit a Crabtree effect. this yeast was used as a reference organism. The localization, activity and kinetic properties of pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) in cells of glucose-limited chemostat cultures of the two yeasts were compared. In contrast to the general situation in fungi, plants and animals, pyruvate carboxylase was found to be a cytosolic enzyme in both yeasts. This implies that for anabolic processes, transport of C4-dicarboxylic acids into the mitochondria is required. Isolated mitochondria from both yeasts exhibited the same kinetics with respect to oxidation of malate. Also, the affinity of isolated mitochondria for pyruvate oxidation and the in situ activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was similar in both types of mitochondria. The activity of the cytosolic enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase in S. cerevisiae from glucose-limited chemostat cultures was 8-fold that in C. utilis. The enzyme was purified from both organisms, and its kinetic properties were determined. Pyruvate decarboxylase of both yeasts was competitively inhibited by inorganic phosphate. The enzyme of S. cerevisiae was more sensitive to this inhibitor than the enzyme of C. utilis. The in vivo role of phosphate inhibition of pyruvate decarboxylase upon transition of cells from glucose limitation to glucose excess and the associated triggering of alcoholic fermentation was investigated with 31P-NMR. In both yeasts this transition resulted in a rapid drop of the cytosolic inorganic phosphate concentration. It is concluded that the relief from phosphate inhibition does stimulate alcoholic fermentation, but it is not a prerequisite for pyruvate decarboxylase to become active in vivo. Rather, a high glycolytic flux and a high level of this enzyme are decisive for the occurrence of alcoholic fermentation after transfer of cells from glucose limitation to glucose excess.     

Fructose-1,6-Diphosphate-Dependent Lactate Dehydrogenase from a Cariogenic Streptococcus: Purification and Regulatory Properties

The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449 is under stringent metabolic control. The partially purified enzyme was specifically activated by high concentrations of fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) and was inhibited by adenosine triphosphate. There appeared to be at least two binding sites for the activator which interacted in a cooperative manner. The interaction between the FDP sites was independent of the pH of the assay system, although the relative affinity of the enzyme for the activator was influenced by pH. There also appeared to be at least two pyruvate binding sites on the S. mutans LDH with some cooperative interaction between them, and the interaction between these sites was also independent of the hydrogen ion concentration. Two pyruvate analogues had different effects on the interaction of pyruvate with the LDH. One of the analogues, alpha-ketobutyrate, stimulated enzyme activity at limiting pyruvate concentrations, but had no significant effect at saturating concentrations of the substrate. The net effect of alpha-ketobutyrate was to shift the pyruvate saturation curve from sigmoidal to hyperbolic and to decrease the Hill coefficient from about 2.0 to 1.0. The other pyruvate analogue, oxamate, inhibited enzyme activity at all pyruvate concentrations but had no effect on the sigmoidal nature of the pyruvate saturation curve or on the apparent kinetic order of the reaction with respect to substrate. These results suggested that there may be two types of pyruvate binding sites on the LDH from S. mutans. Other kinetic properties of the S. mutans NCTC 10449 enzyme were studied and compared with those exhibited by the LDH from several other strains of the organism.     

Inhibition of monkey liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase by Cibacron Blue 3G-A.

Cibacron Blue 3G-A inhibited monkey liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase competitively with respect to tetrahydrofolate and non-competitively with respect to L-serine. NADH, a positive heterotropic effector, failed to protect the enzymes against inhibition by the dye and was unable to desorb the enzyme from Blue Sepharose CL-6B gel matrix. The binding of the dye to the free enzyme was confirmed by changes in the dye absorption spectrum. The results indicate that the dye probably binds at the tetrahydrofolate-binding domain of the enzyme, rather than at the 'dinucleotide fold'.     

Vanadyl(IV) complexes with pyruvate kinase: activation of the enzyme and electron paramagnetic resonance properties of ternary complexes with the protein

Complexes of the oxocation of vanadyl(IV), VO2+, with pyruvate kinase from rabbit muscle have been investigated by steady-state kinetic assays and by EPR spectroscopy. Pyruvate kinase requires 2 eq of divalent cation for activity. VO2+ alone is a poor activator of the normal physiological reaction catalyzed by the enzyme and of the enzyme-catalyzed exchange of the methyl protons of pyruvate with solvent. VO2+ alone is, however, an activator of the enzyme-catalyzed phosphorylation of glycolate by ATP. VO2+ is more effective than Mg2+ in activation of the bicarbonate-dependent ATPase reaction of pyruvate kinase, and in the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphoenolpyruvate. EPR data show that VO2+ binds to the divalent cation site on the protein competitively with respect to Mg2+. The VO2+-enzyme complex has a high affinity for bicarbonate. Direct coordination of pyruvate, oxalate, and glycolate to the enzyme-bound VO2+ has been established by EPR measurements with specifically 17O-labeled forms of these compounds.     

Partial characterization of the in vitro activation of inactive pyruvate, pi dikinase from darkened maize leaves

In vitro activation of dark-inactivated pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase extracted from maize (Zea mays L. cv. Golden Cross Bantam T51) leaves was examined. The inactive form of the enzyme and orthophosphate behaved kinetically as substrates for the reaction, which was catalyzed by an activating factor. This factor was bound by Blue Dextran Sepharose 4B and could be eluted by KCl at a concentration of 0.5m. The molecular weight of the maize leaf activating factor was about 88,000. Cibacron Blue 3G-A, a reactive moiety of Blue Dextran, inhibited the factor competitively with respect to the concentration of the inactive dikinase with a K(i) of 4.6 micromolar. Adenosine diphosphate and pyrophosphate were also found to be competitive inhibitors of activation, with respect to the inactive dikinase, giving K(i) values of 90 and 140 micromolar, respectively. Adenosine, other nucleotide diphosphates, and dinucleotides gave little or no inhibition of activation. These results suggest the association of a nucleotide, presumably nucleotide diphosphate, with the inactive form of pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase.     

Regulation of aconitate hydratase activity from rat kidney cortex by bicarbonate.

1. The increase in pH value and bicarbonate concentration stimulated citrate synthesis from pyruvate and malate, inhibiting simultaneously conversion of isocitrate to citrate. 2. Bicarbonate inhibited competitively the activity of aconitate hydratase, probably binding with the two active sites of the enzyme. The Ki values for the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzyme were, respectively, 27 and 38 mM. The pH optimum for both forms of the enzyme in Tris-HCl buffer was in the range 7.8-8.6, and in bicarbonate buffer varied from 7.2 to 8.0, depending on the form of the enzyme and the substrate used. 3. Only free, completely dissociated citrate anion acts as a substrate for aconitate hydratase. 4. The role of aconitate hydratase as a factor controlling the rate of citrate metabolism in kidney in metabolic alkalosis is discussed.     

Studies of the structure--function relationships of Neurospora crassa pyruvate kinase: interaction with blue dextran--sepharose and Cibacron blue 3G-A

Blue dextran--Sepharose and Cibacron blue 3G-A interact with pyruvate kinase of Neurospora crassa. The enzyme is readily released from the substituted Sepharose column by elution with 0.17 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.9), or 2 mM fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP), but not with either of the substrates, ADP and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), at 2 mM. Cibacron blue 3G A is a noncompetitive inhibitor of pyruvate kinase with respect to both substrates. It appears to compete with the allosteric effector, FDP, for binding to the enzyme surface. A lack of elution of the enzyme from the immobilized blue dextran matrix by adenine nucleotides and the absence of a difference spectrum in the 650- to 700-nm range suggest that a "dinucleotide-fold" substructure is not implicated in the dye binding sites on pyruvate kiase. The interaction of Cibacron blue 3G-A and this enzyme can be followed fluorometrically; incremental additon of the dye to the enzyme solution results in a progressive decrease in the fluorescence of surface tryptophanyl residues. The quenching of fluorescence of exposed aromatic groups is subject to reversal following addition of FDP to the pyruvte kinase--Cibacron blue complex.     

Kinetic properties of cerebral pyruvate kinase

Partly purified guinea-pig brain pyruvate kinase is not activated by fructose 1,6-diphosphate and gives hyperbolic substrate-saturation curves with phosphoenolpyruvate. It is therefore different from the L-type pyruvate kinase of mammalian liver. Inhibition by MgATP(2-) was competitive for MgADP(-) but not for phosphoenolpyruvate, and the enzyme is therefore different from the M-type pyruvate kinase, which is said to be competitively inhibited by MgATP(2-) with respect to both substrates. The K(i)(MgATP(2-)) value of approx. 8mm for the brain enzyme is higher than the values (about 2mm) reported for the muscle enzyme. Stimulation of enzymic activity was observed at low (1-2mm) concentrations of MgATP(2-). Substrate kinetic constants were K(m) (MgADP(-))=0.47mm, K(m) (phosphoenolpyruvate)=0.08mm. Free Mg(2+) at very high concentrations (over 10mm) was inhibitory (K(i)=20-32mm). Neither ADP(3-) nor 5'-AMP(2-) inhibited the activity. The brain enzyme was concluded to be different from both the M-type and the L-type of other mammalian organs such as muscle and liver.     

Effect of thiamine phosphates on the activity of regulatory enzymes of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

The effect of thiamine triphosphate (ThTP) and thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) on the activity of rat liver pyruvate dehydrogenase complex regulatory enzymes (kinase and phosphatase) was studied in experiments with isolated enzyme preparations. It is shown that ThDP caused a pronounced activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (Ka is equal to 65.0 nM). ThTP inhibits phosphatase competitively against the substrate--the phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. The both thiamine phosphates inhibit the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity almost similarly in concentrations exceeding 10 microM. The physiological significance of the antagonistic action of ThDP and ThTP on the pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase activity is discussed.     

Protein ligand interactions:isoquinoline alkaloids as inhibitors for lactate and malate dehydrogenase

Kinetic analysis has shown that isoquinoline, papaverine and berberine act as reversible competitive inhibitors to muscle lactate dehydrogenase and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase with respect to the coenzyme NADH. The inhibitor constants Ki vary from 7.5 microM and 12.6 microM berberine interaction with malate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase respectively to 91.4 microM and 196.4 microM with papaverine action on these two enzymes. Isoquinoline was a poor inhibitor with Ki values of 200 microM (MDH) to 425 microM (LDH). No inhibition was observed for both enzymes in terms of their respective second substrate (oxaloacetic acid - malate dehydrogenase; pyruvate - lactate dehydrogenase). A fluorimetric analysis of the binding of the three alkaloids show that the dissociation constants (Kd) for malate dehydrogenase are 2.8 microM (berberine), 46 microM (papaverine) and 86 microM (isoquinoline); the corresponding values for lactate dehydrogenase are 3.1 microM, 52 microM and 114 microM. In all cases the number of binding sites averaged at 2 (MDH) and 4 (LDH). The binding of the alkaloids takes place at sites close to the coenzyme binding site. No conformational non equivalence of subunits is evident.     

Partial identity of the 2-oxoglutarate and ascorbate binding sites of prolyl 4-hydroxylase

Various hydroxybenzenes, hydroxybenzoic acids, and related compounds resemble structurally both 2-oxoglutarate and ascorbate, two reactants needed in the reaction of prolyl 4-hydroxylase. These substances were found to inhibit prolyl 4-hydroxylase competitively with respect to both cosubstrates. Ortho-dihydroxy derivatives, which are capable of chelating the enzyme-bound iron, were the most effective inhibitors, with Ki values of about 5 microM. In contrast, pyridine 2-carboxylates, which have previously been reported to inhibit the enzyme competitively with respect to 2-oxoglutarate, were found to inhibit it uncompetitively with respect to ascorbate. In a separate set of experiments the side chain of the ascorbate molecule was shown to make no significant contribution to the binding of the reductant to the enzyme, as D(-)-isoascorbate and 5,6-O-isopropylidene ascorbate gave essentially the same Vmax and Km values as ascorbate. On the other hand, structural modifications of the ring atoms that abolished the chelating capacity destroyed both the cosubstrate and inhibitory activity, as in L-galactono gamma-lactone. The ascorbate binding site therefore appears to consist of two cis-positioned coordination sites of the enzyme-bound iron and is thus partially identical to the binding site of 2-oxoglutarate. This mode of interaction suggests that ascorbate reduces the enzyme-bound iron through an "inner-sphere" mechanism. The inhibitors studied appear to react at different phases of the catalytic cycle, determined by the oxidation state of the enzyme-bound iron atom.