Studies of adenosine triphosphate transphosphorylases. XIV. Equilibrium binding properties of the crystalline rabbit and calf muscle ATP--AMP transphosphorylase (adenylate kinase) and derived peptide fragments.

Both a fluorescence-quenching technique and a uv-difference spectral method have been used to study the binding of 1,N⁶-etheno analogs of the adenine nucleotides (?ATP, ?ADP, ?AMP) (J. A. Secrist III, J. R. Barrio, N. J., Leonard, and G. Weber, 1972, Biochemistry, 11, 3499–3506) to crystalline rabbit and calf muscle ATP-AMP transphosphorylase in the presence and absence of Mg²⁺, at 0.16 ($\text{Γ}\text{2}$), 25 °C, and pH 7.4. In addition, the binding of the ?-analogs of the adenine nucleotides has been studied to two S-[¹⁴C]carboxymethylated peptide fragments of the rabbit muscle enzyme (residues 1–44 = MT-I; residues 171–193 = MT-XII), as well as to a synthetic nonapeptide corresponding to residues 32 ? 40 of the rabbit muscle enzyme. In the case of the rabbit and calf enzymes: Mg?ATP^2?, ?ATP^4?, Mg?ADP^?, and ?AMP^2? are bound stoichiometrically (n ～- 1), Mg?AMP is insignificantly bound, and n ～- 2 for ?ADP^3? (n = maximal number of moles bound per mole of protein). In the case of S-carboxymethylated peptide fragments: MT-I binds stoichiometrically to Mg?ATP^2?, ?ATP^4?, Mg?ADP^?, and ?ADP^3? with values of n ～- 1; but MT-I does not bind to ?AMP^2? significantly. MT-XII binds stoichiometrically to uncomplexed ?AMP^2? or to uncomplexed ?ADP^3? (both with n ～- 1); whereas, the binding of Mg?ADP^?, ?ATP^4?, and Mg?AMP to MT-XII are comparatively insignificant. Other peptide fragments in the molecule, viz. fragments MT-IV (residues 77–96) or MT-VI (residues 106–126) did not bind significantly to any of the ethenoanalogs; nor did insulin, nor, e.g., did bo vine serum albumin. The binding of the etheno analogs was also studied to an equimolar mixture of peptides MT-I + MT-XII, which qualitatively duplicated the binding pattern of the entire native molecule, and except for ?ATP^4? or Mg?ATP^2? (which are bound more tightly to the entire native molecule), even quantitatively. The synthetic peptide (residues 32 to 40) was found to bind to Mg?ATP^2?, ?ATP^4?, and Mg?ADP^?, with n ～- 1; but it does not significantly bind to ?AMP^2?, nor to ?ADP^3?. These binding data support the idea that there are two separate sites for the binding of either (a) the complexed nucleotide substrate (MgATP^2? or MgADP^?) residing in the sequence of MT-I (residues 1 to 44) and in the neighborhood of residues 32 to 40, or (b) the uncomplexed nucleotide substrate (AMP^2? or ADP^3?) residing in the sequence of MT-XII (residues 171 to 193) of the rabbit muscle enzyme.     

Studies on NADPH-cytochrome c reductase I: Isolation and several properties of the crystalline enzyme from ale yeast.

NADPH-cytochrome c reductase has been isolated from a top-fermenting ale yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Narragansett strain), after ca. a 240-fold purification over the initial extract of an acetone powder, with a final specific activity (at pH 7.6, 30 °C) of ca. 150 μmol cytochrome c reduced min^?1mg^?1 protein. The preparation appears to be homogeneous by the criteria of: sedimentation velocity; electrophoresis on cellulose acetate in buffers above neutrality; and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Although the reductase appeared to partially separate into species “A” and “B” on DEAE-cellulose at pH 8.8, the two species have proven to be indistinguishable electrophoretically (above pH 8) and by sedimentation. By sedimentation equilibrium at 20 °C, a molecular weight of ca. 6.8 (± 0.4) × 10⁴ was obtained with use of a $\text{V}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{20\; °}}\text{= 0.741}$ calculated from its amino acid composition. After disruption in 4 m guanidinium chloride- 10 mm dithioerythritol- 1 mm EDTA, pH 6.4 at 20 °C, an $\text{M}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>r</mtext>}}$ of 3.4 (± 0.1) × 10⁴ resulted, which points to a subunit structure of two polypeptide chains per mole. Confirmatory evidence of the two-subunit structure with similar, if not identical, polypeptide chains was obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in dodecyl-sulfate, after disruption in 4 m urea and 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and yielded a subunit molecular weight of ca. 4 × 10⁴. Sulfhydryl group titration with 4,4′-dithiodipyridine under acidic conditions revealed one sulfhydryl group per monomer, which apparently is necessary for the catalytic reduction of cytochrome c. NADPH, as well as FAD, protects this-SH group from reaction with 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoate). The visible absorption spectrum of the oxidized enzyme (as prepared) has absorption maxima at 383 and 455 nm, typical of a flavoprotein. Flavin analysis (after dissociation by thermal denaturation of the “A” protein) conducted fluorometrically, revealed the presence of 2.0 mol of FAD per 70,000 g, in confirmation of the deduced subunit structure. The identity of the FAD dissociated from either “A” or “B” protein was confirmed by recombination with apo-d-amino acid oxidase and by thin-layer chromatography. A kinetic approach was used to estimate the dissociation constant for either FAD or FMN (which also yields a catalytically active enzyme) to the apoprotein reductase at 30 °C and pH 7.6 (0.05 m phosphate) and yielded values of 4.7 × 10^?8m for FAD and 4.4 × 10^?8m for FMN.     

Studies on muscular dystrophy: a comparison by physical and chemical means of the normal human ATP-creatine transphosphorylases (creatine kinases) with those from tissues of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The four human Duchenne dystrophic isoenzymes (M-M, M-B, B-B, from the muscle and B-B from the brain) of ATP-creatine transphosphorylase (S. A. Kuby, H. J. Keutel, K. Okabe, H. K. Jacobs, F. Ziter, D. Gerber, and F. H. Tyler, 1977, J. Biol. Chem.252, 8382–8390) have now been compared physically and chemically with their normal human counterparts (viz., with the three isoenzymes, M-M, M-B, B-B, 2). All isoenzymes proved to be composed of two noncovalently linked polypeptide chains, by sedimentation equilibrium analyses in the presence and absence of disruptive agents. In the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol at 0.16(Γ/2), pH 7.8, the two native muscle types yielded identical values for s_20,w, concentration dependencies, and molecular weight, and similarly for the brain types (from the brain). But the human brain type proved to be slightly heavier than the muscle type (viz. 88,400 vs 85,900). All of the isoenzymes showed similar electrophoretic behavior between their several counterparts between pH 5–8, except perhaps between pH 8–10, where small differences appeared. The three native normal human isoenzymes, as well as the dystrophic human isoenzymes (M-M from the muscle and B-B from the brain) all contain 2 reactive sulfhydryl groups per mole or 1 per polypeptide chain of these two-chain proteins, which may be titrated with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (Nbs₂); and under acidic conditions, quantitative titrations with 4,4′-dithiodipyridine yield a total of 10 -SH groups per mole of each brain type and 8 -SH groups per mole of muscle type, in the case of man, dystrophic man, calf, and rabbit. The kinetics of reactions between Nbs₂ and the sulfhydryl groups of all three normal human isoenzymes and two dystrophic human isoenzymes have been measured under several sets of denaturing conditions. A comparison of their reactive calculated second-order velocity constants reveal significant differences between these three normal human isoenzymes, but the k_{second order} values for the reactions of the sulfhydryl groups of the dystrophic M-M and B-B with Nbs₂, when compared with their normal counterparts, gave identical values in the presence of 7.3 m urea or 1.8% laurylsulfate, from which it may be inferred that very similar, if not identical, environments surround these two sets of sulfhydryl groups. A comparison of the amino acid compositions of the normal human muscle type and brain type with the human dystrophic M-M and B-B (from the brain) reveal essentially identical values for the muscle types but nearly identical values for the brain types, with a few differences. Their respective tryptic peptide maps have been compared of the S-carboxy-methylated proteins (alkylated with iodo[2-¹⁴C]acetic acid at the two exposed -SH groups per mole). Thus, the muscle types, normal and dystrophic, yield identical maps, but the brain types nearly identical maps, with a few significant differences. Isolation of the tryptic tridecapeptide from the S-carboxymethylated normal human and dystrophic human dimeric muscle-type ATP-creatine transphosphorylases, labeled at the single exposed SH group per polypeptide chain with iodo[2-¹⁴C]acetate, yielded the following sequence for both proteins: ValLeuThrCys(CH₂COOH)ProSerAsnLeuGlyThr GlyLeuArg [where Cys(CH₂COOH) is S-carboxymethyl cysteine]. This sequence showed remarkable homology with a few other equivalent peptides reported to be derived from the exposed SH group of other ATP-creatine transphosphorylases. In conclusion, there does not appear to be a mutation in the structural genes for the muscle-type creatine kinases detectable by the analyses presented here. However, the brain types warrant further investigation.     

Isolation and elucidation of some functional properties of the "mute" catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

A mute isoenzyme of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase from rat muscle has been reported that is released from the regulatory subunit by cAMP but remains inactive until combination with heat- and acid-stable modulator has occurred. This enzyme has now been obtained in isolation free of the normal catalytic subunit using affinity chromatography with both an ATP analog (Blue Dextran/Sepharose) and a protein substrate analog (Kemptide/CH-Sepharose). Separation can be effected in both cases before activation of the mute enzyme. Affinity of the mute enzyme for Blue Dextran--a ligand specific for the dinucleotide fold in this kinase--is somewhat higher than that of the normal enzyme. Conversely, before reaction with the modulatory protein the mute enzyme will not bind at all to Kemptide/CH-Sepharose, where the normal enzyme elutes at 50 mM KCl. When pretreated with the modulatory protein and so activated, mute enzyme binds to Kemptide with a very high affinity and can only be eluted using a natural substrate (phosphorylase kinase), up to 500 mM salt being ineffective. The modulator thus appears to act through alteration of the protein substrate binding site on the enzyme.     

ATP(adenosine triphosphate)-vanadyl complex

Owing to the significance of inhibitory effect of vanadium ion to Na, K-ATPase, a complex formation between ATP and vanadyl ion was investigated over a wide pH range. Formations of two types of complex are observed : a blue complex formed in acidic and neutral pH regions and a green complex at higher than pH 11. On the basis of the results on potentiometric titration, optical and EPR spectra and empirical bonding coefficients calculated from the EPR parameters, two characteristic types of coordination environment are proposed for the ATP-vanadyl complex : a blue 1:1 complex is a relatively weak complex including a phosphate-vanadyl coordination mode, whereas a green 2:1 complex is much stronger complex including a vanadyl-oxygen coordination contributed from a deprotonated hydroxyl group of the ribose moiety of ATP.     

Physical and kinetic properties of sheep liver pyridoxine kinase

Pyridoxine kinase purified from sheep liver was found to consist of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 60,000 as determined by gel filtration, sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric pH of the enzyme was 5.1, and the pH optimum was between 5.5 and 6.0. The enzyme required divalent cations for activity. At cation concentrations of 80 μm, the enzyme activity with each cation was in the order of Zn²⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Mg²⁺. At cation concentrations of 400 μm, the enzyme activity with each cation was in the order of Mn²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Mg²⁺. Excess free divalent cation inhibited the enzyme. Pyridoxine kinase also required monovalent cations. The enzyme activation was greatest with K⁺, then Rb⁺ and NH₄⁺, whereas the enzyme had very little activity with Na⁺, Li⁺, or Cs⁺. Na⁺ did not interfere with the activation by K⁺. The activation of the kinase by K⁺, NH₄⁺, and Rb⁺ followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the apparent K_m values for the cations were 8.9, 3.7, and 5.3 mm, respectively. Increasing the potassium concentration lowered the apparent K_m value of the enzyme for pyridoxine and had little or no effect on the K_m for ZnATP^2? or the V of the kinase-catalyzed reaction.     

Purification and properties of cyclic AMP dependent and independent protein kinases from rat pancreas.

Three protein kinases Ko, K1, and KII have been extracted from rat pancreas homogenate, Ko is not stimulated by cyclic AMP. K1 is poorly stimulated by cyclic AMP (1.3 times), Ku is highly stimulated (6 times). The specificity of KII with respect to various nucleotides and cyclic nucleotides has been determined. K1 and KII account for the total cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase activity in the homogenate.     

Eukaryotic ribosomal proteins. Molecular weights of proteins from rabbit liver subunits.

The molecular weights of the proteins from rabbit liver ribosomal 40 S and 60 S subunits were determined after preliminary separation of these proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis: each spot present in the polyacrylamide slab was cut off, eluted and rerun in a SDS one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel. The molecular weights range from 9,000 to 35,000 with a number-average molecular weight of 19,600 for the 40 S proteins, and from 9,400 to 52,000 with a number-average molecular weight of 23,600 for 60 S proteins.     

Purification, composition, and some properties of rat liver carbamyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia).

Hepatic microsomes prepared from vitamin E deficient and supplemented rats were analyzed for cytochrome P-450 content and drug metabolizing activity. Reduced levels of benzo[α]pyrene hydroxylase and ethylmorphine N-demethylase activities were observed in microsomes derived from rats fed a diet deficient in vitamin E compared to those of control rats. NADPH-mediated destruction of P-450, and pentobarbital and zoxazolamine sleeping times were similar in the two groups. Induction with 3-methylcholanthrene raised the levels of benzo[α]pyrene hydroxylase activity of both supplemented and deficient rats to the same absolute levels. No differences were noted in cytochrome P-450 or P-448 content between control and tocopherol deficient rats, nor did the activity of liver catalase differ between the two dietary groups. Thus, these studies did not demonstrate any impairment of heme protein synthesis in vitamin E deficient rats.     

Purification and some properties of free and cell-associated dextransucrase from Streptococcus sanguis.

Dextransucrase of Streptococcus sanguis occurred in cell-free and cell-associated forms. Cell-free dextransucrase was purified by four successive chromatographies on Bio-Gel P 60, DEAE-cellulose, and Bio-Gel P 200 from the culture supernatant. The purification of cell-associated dextransucrase was made from the pellet of Streptococcus sanguis culture. Bacterial pellet was extracted with 1 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) and chromatographied by using an immunosorbent column. The two enzymes gave single bands in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel was about 100 000 daltons for the two forms of dextransucrases. The optimum pH of the cell-free and cell-associated enzymes was around 6 and the temperature optimum was broad for the two enzymes. The KM values for sucrose were respectively 2 mM and 3 mM for cell-free and cell-associated enzymes. When primer dextran was added, the reaction velocity increased but the KM for sucrose remained the same, and the KA for dextran was 200 muM for the two dextransucrases. Trehalose and maltose acted also as glucosyl residue acceptors. Purified enzymes had dextran synthesising activity and invertase-like activity. The same properties of the two forms of enzymes and the positive cross reaction against anti free and anti cell-associated globulins stongly suggest the identity of the two enzymes.     

Isolation and properties of an aminopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis

An extracellular aminopeptidase, purified 465-fold from culture filtrates of Bacillus licheniformis, was found to be a metalloenzyme consisting of a single peptide chain. Sedimentation equilibrium yielded a molecular weight of 43,270 and two polyacrylamide electrophoretic procedures gave values of 37,500 and 36,000, respectively. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited severely by 1,10-phenanthroline and to a lesser extent by EDTA, cyanide, and fluoride. The addition of Co²⁺ ions greatly stimulated enzymatic activity, but analysis of the purified enzyme revealed the presence of zinc, not cobalt, in stoichiometric quantities. Moreover, the ratio of zinc to protein was found to increase during fractionation, reaching a final value corresponding to 1 g-atom/mol. The aminopeptidase possessed characteristics of a euglobulin, sparingly soluble in water and dilute buffer solutions, but soluble in buffers containing higher concentrations of salts. Both activity and pH optimum were substantially influenced by ionic strength; as the latter was increased over the range from 0.01 to 0.1, activity increased and the pH optimum was shifted to more acidic values. Enzymatic activity was affected by the identity of the buffer, being markedly greater in Tris-HCl than in sodium barbital and strongly inhibited by phosphate. The Bacillus aminopeptidase hydrolyzed substrates with unsubstituted amino groups of the l configuration, including dipeptides, aminoacylnaphthylamides, and amino acid amides.     

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent and -independent protein kinase activity of renal brush border membranes.

Kinase(s) in brush border membranes, isolated from rabbit renal proximal tubules, phosphorylated proteins intrinsic to the membrane and exogenous proteins. cAMP stimulated phosphorylation of histone; phosphorylation of protamine was cAMP independent. cAMP-dependent increases in phosphorylation of endogenous membrane protein were small, but highly reproducible. Most of the ³²P incorporated into membranes represented phosphorylation of serine residues, with phosphorylthreonine comprising a minor component. cAMP did not alter the electrophoretic pattern of ³²P-labeled membrane polypeptides. The small cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of brush border membrane proteins was not due to membrane phosphodiesterase or adenylate cyclase activities. Considerable cAMP was found “endogenously” bound to the membranes as prepared. However, this did not result in preactivation of the kinase since activity was not inhibited by a heat-stable protein inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinases. With intrinsic membrane protein as phosphate acceptor, the relationship between rate of phosphorylation and ATP concentration appeared to follow Michaelis-Menton kinetics. With histone the relationship was complex. cAMP did not affect the apparent K_m for histone. One-half maximal stimulation of the rate of histone phosphorylation was obtained with 7 × 10^?8m cAMP. The K_a values for dibutyryl cAMP, cIMP, and cGMP were one to two orders of magnitude greater. Treatment of brush border membranes with detergent greatly increased the dependency of histone phosphorylation on cAMP. Phosphorylations of intrinsic membrane protein and histone were nonlinear with time, due in part to the lability of the protein kinase, the hydrolysis of ATP, and minimally to the presence of phosphoprotein phosphatase in the border membrane. The membrane phosphoprotein phosphatase was unaffected by cyclic nucleotides. Protein kinase activity was also found in cytosolic and crude particulate fractions of the renal cortex. Activity was enriched in the brush border membrane relative to that in the crude membrane preparation. The kinase activities in the different loci were distinct both in relative activities toward different substrates and in responsiveness to cAMP.     

Isolation and properties of a cyclic guanosine-monophosphate sensitive intracellular ribonuclease from Bacillus subtilis.

A ribonuclease was isolated and completely purified from sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis. This RNase has a M.W. of about 150,000 daltons. It hydrolyzes single stranded RNA and single stranded synthetic polynucleotides yielding nucleoside 5'-monophosphates. The enzyme is an exonuclease which degrades polynucleotides from the 3'-end in the direction of the 5'-terminal. The RNase activity is strikingly inhibited by cGMP and to a lesser extent by cAMP. This inhibition (Ki = 0.1 mM) is of a non competitive nature. It appeared that in addition to the inhibition site, the enzyme contains a high affinity binding site for the two cyclic mononucleotides (K (cAMP) = 8.3 x 10-8; K (cGMP) = 2.5 x 10-7). The RNase activity is also strongly inhibited by spermidine. This inhibition appeared to be due to the polyamine binding with the RNA, thus lowering the affinity of the substrate for the active site of the enzyme. This RNase may play a role in vivo in selective degradation of newly synthesized mRNA during sporulation.     

Isolation and characterization of an anionic glutathione S-transferase from rat liver cytosol

An anionic glutathione S-transferase representing approximately 20% of the total glutathione S-transferase protein and 10% of the total transferase activity toward 1-chloro 2,4-dinitrobenzene has been purified to homogeneity from the 105,000 x g supernatant of rat liver homogenate. The SDS gel electrophoretic data on subunit composition revealed that the anionic isozyme is composed of two subunits with an identical Mr of 26,000. The Km values for 1-chloro 2,4-dinitrobenzene and reduced glutathione were determined to be 0.94 mM and 0.23 mM respectively. A significant amount of glutathione peroxidase activity toward cumene hydroperoxide is associated with the new isozyme.     

Ovine pancreatic lipase : purification and some properties.

Lipase has been isolated from sheep pancreas. The lipoprotein complex formed in pancreas homogenates by the enzyme and endogenous lipids is split by treatment with acetone. Lipase is further purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weight and the amino-acid composition of ovine lipase are very similar to that of the porcine and bovine enzymes. As previously found in bovine lipase, no carbohydrate is covalently bound to the polypeptide chain which has a N-terminal residue of lysine. The study of the catalytic properties of ovine pancreatic lipase indicates that the enzyme is fully activated by colipase from various species in the presence of conjugated bile salt micellar solutions.     

The enzymatic defluorination of fluoroacetate in mouse liver cytosol: the separation of defluorination activity from several glutathione S-transferases of mouse liver

The liberation of free fluoride ion from fluoroacetate (FAc) proceeds as an enzyme-catalyzed dehalogenation reaction in the soluble fractions of several organs of the CFW Swiss mouse. Liver contained the highest FAc defluorinating activity. The enzyme activity in other organs decreased in the order kidney greater than lung greater than heart greater than testes. No activity was detected in the brain. Experiments were designed to characterize and identify the enzyme species responsible for FAc metabolism in liver. Enzyme activity was dependent on the concentration of glutathione (GSH) in the assay mixture, with maximal activity occurring above 5 mM. The dehalogenation of FAc had an apparent Km of 7.0 mM when measured in the presence of a saturating concentration of GSH. An increase in the pH of the assay mixture enhanced fluoride release in both phosphate and borate buffer. The defluorination activity was reduced to negligible levels when stored for 24 h at 4 degrees C. The addition of either GSH, dithiothreitol, or 2-mercaptoethanol increased stability, with the latter providing protection for greater than 150 h at a concentration of 15 mM. DEAE anion-exchange chromatography separated the defluorinating activity from 90% of the soluble GSH S-transferase activity measured with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. FAc defluorination activity did not bind to a GSH affinity column which selectively separates it from a group of anionic GSH S-transferases. The GSH-dependent enzyme which dehalogenates FAc has unique properties and can be separated from the liver GSH S-transferases previously described in the literature.     

Optical properties of Cu(II) complexes with heparin and related glycosaminoglycans.

Absorption and circular dichroism measurements have been carried out to obtain information regarding the stability and the nature of complexes between Cu(II) and heparin, and between Cu(II) and related glycosaminoglycans. In the presence of Cu(II), all glycosaminoglycans, except keratan sulfate, show a characteristic absorption band near 237 nm, which we assign to charge-transfer bands involving ligands to metal ion. From the absorbance values, the formation constants of Cu(II)-heparin and Cu(II)-(itN)-desulfated heparin have been determined to be approximately 1 × 10⁴ and 2 × 10² mol^?1, respectively. The large difference in the stability constant values is attributed to the difference in the charge density of the polymers, and to involvement of more than one ligand in the case of heparin. The CD characteristics of the Cu(II)-heparin complex suggest that both carboxyl and sulfamino groups are involved as ligands. The appearance of extrinsic CD bands in heparin, heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and N-desulfated heparin at pH > 5 is ascribed to asymmetry of chelate rings. Absence of CD change in chondroitin sulfate and N-desulfated heparin (pH < 5) in the presence of Cu(II) suggests that only the carboxyl group is involved in those complexes. The differences either in iduronic acid conformation (C-1 vs. 1-C) or in intersaccharide linkages between dermatan sulfate and heparin (or heparan sulfate) are revealed in the difference CD spectra between the complexes and the polymers. The change in the intrinsic Cotton effect on complex formation is accounted for as a change in spatial orientation of the ligand groups rather than as a major conformational change of the polymers.     

Effects of oleate,palmitate, and octanoate on gluconeogenesis in isolated rabbit liver cells

The effect of oleate, palmitate, and octanoate on glucose formation was studied with lactate or pyruvate as substrate. Octanoate was much more quickly oxidized and utilized for ketone body production than were oleate and palmitate. Among fatty acids studied, only octanoate resulted in a marked increase of the 3-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate (3-$\text{OHB}\text{AcAc}$) ratio. Each of the fatty acids studied stimulated glucose synthesis from pyruvate. The enhancement of gluconeogenesis by long-chain fatty acids was abolished after the addition of ammonia. As concluded from the “crossover” plot, the stimulatory effect of fatty acids was due to: (i) a stimulation of pyruvate carboxylation, (ii) a provision of reducing equivalents for glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, and (iii) an acceleration of flux through hexose diphosphatase. Moreover, palmitate and oleate resulted in an increased generation of mitochondrial phosphpenolpyruvate, while in the presence of octanoate, the activity of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was diminished. When lactate was used as the glucose precursor, palmitate and oleate increased glucose production by about 50% but did not affect the contribution of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase to gluconeogenesis. In contrast, in spite of the stimulation of both pyruvate carboxylase and hexose diphosphatase, as judged from the crossover plot, the addition of octanoate resulted in a marked inhibition of both glucose formation and mitochondrial generation of phosphoenolpyruvate. The inhibitory effect of octanoate was reversed by ammonia. Results indicate that fatty acids and ammonia are potent regulatory factors of both the rate of glucose formation and the contribution of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase to gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes of the fasted rabbit.