Common Enzymes of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Catabolism in Pseudomonas putida

Two types of Pseudomonas putida PpG2 mutants which were unable to degrade branched-chain amino acids were isolated after mutagenesis and selection for ability to grow on succinate, but not valine, as a sole source of carbon. These isolates were characterized by growth on the three branched-chain amino acids (valine, isoleucine, and leucine), on the corresponding branched-chain keto acids (2-ketoisovalerate, 2-keto-3-methylvalerate, and 2-ketoisocaproate), and on other selected intermediates as carbon sources, and by their enzymatic composition. One group of mutants lost 2-ketoisovalerate-inducible branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase that was active on all three keto acids. There was also a concomitant loss of ability to grow on all three branched-chain amino acids as well as on all three corresponding keto acids, but there was retention of ability to use subsequent intermediates in the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Another type of mutant showed a marked reduction in branched-chain amino acid transaminase activity and grew poorly at the expense of all three amino acids, but it utilized subsequent intermediates as carbon sources. Both the transaminase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase mutants retained the ability to degrade camphor. These findings are consistent with the view that branched-chain amino acid transaminase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase are common enzymes in the catabolism of valine, isoleucine, and leucine.     

The catabolism of branched-chain amino acids occurs via 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.4) similar to that found in mammalian cells. The activity is readily detected in cells which have been cultured in a minimal medium containing a branched-chain amino acid. Mutants defective in lipoamide dehydrogenase also lack 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase and are thus unable to catabolize branched-chain amino acids: 2-oxoacids accumulate in the cultures of these cells. The 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase activity is distinct from both 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, because it could not be detected in assay conditions which permitted the measurement of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and vice versa. In addition, a strain lacking 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (kgd1::URA3) retained 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase as did a mutant specifically lacking pyruvate dehydrogenase (pda1::Tn5ble). In complex media the specific activity of this enzyme is highest in YEP (yeast extract-peptone)-glycerol and lowest in YEP-acetate and YEP-fructose. 2-Oxoacid dehydrogenase could not be detected in cells which had been transferred to sporulation medium. These results suggest that in S. cerevisiae the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids occurs via 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase, not via the 'Ehrlich Pathway'.     

Inhibition by the branched-chain 2-oxo acids of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in developing rat and human brain

1. The effect of the branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine and valine and their corresponding 2-oxo acids on the metabolism of 2-oxoglutarate by developing rat and human brain preparations was investigated. 2. The decarboxylation of 2-oxo[1-(14)C]glutarate to (14)CO(2) by mitochondria from adult rat brain was inhibited by the branched-chain 2-oxo acids whereas the branched-chain amino acids had no inhibitory effect on this process. 3. The activity of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex was about 0.2unit/g of brain from 2-day-old rats and increased by about fourfold reaching an adult value by the end of the third postnatal week. 4. The K(m) value for 2-oxoglutarate of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in rat and human brain was 100 and 83mum respectively. 5. The branched-chain 2-oxo acids competitively inhibited this enzyme from suckling and adult rats brains as well as from foetal and adult human brains, whereas the branched-chain amino acids had no effect on this enzyme. 6. Approximate K(i) values for the branched-chain 2-oxo acids found for this enzyme were in the range found for these 2-oxo acids in plasma from patients with maple-syrup-urine disease. 7. The possible significance of the inhibition by the branched-chain 2-oxo acids of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in brains of untreated patients with maple-syrup-urine disease is discussed in relation to the energy metabolism and the biosynthesis of lipids from ketone bodies.     

Increase of the activity state and loss of total activity of the branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase in rat diaphragm during incubation.

Actual and total branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase activities were determined in homogenates of incubated diaphragms from fed and starved rats. Incubation in Krebs-Ringer buffer increased the activity state, but caused considerable loss of total activity. Palmitate oxidation rates and citrate synthase activities did not significantly change on incubation. Starved muscles showed a higher extent of activation after 15 min of incubation (not after 30 and 60 min) and a smaller loss of total activity. Experiments with the transaminase inhibitor amino-oxyacetate confirm that the contribution of endogenous amino acids to the oxidation precursor pool is also smaller in diaphragms from starved rats on incubation in vitro. These phenomena together cause the higher 14CO2 production from 14C-labelled branched-chain amino acids and 2-oxo acids in muscles from starved than from fed rats. High concentrations of branched-chain 2-oxo acids, and the presence of 2-chloro-4-methyl-pentanoate, octanoate or ketone bodies, increase the extent of activation of the dehydrogenase complex; glucose and pyruvate had no effect. The observed changes of the activity state by these metabolites are discussed in relation to their interaction with branched-chain 2-oxo acid oxidation in incubated hemidiaphragms.     

Branched-chain amino acid oxidation by isolated rat tissue preparations

Branched-chain amino acid transaminase activity, branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase activity, and leucine oxidation were measured in homogenates and slices of several rat tissues. Transaminase activity was highest in heart, while dehydrogenase activity was highest in liver. Leucine oxidation in isolated tissues may be limited by either transaminase or dehydrogenase activity depending upon the relative activities of these two enzymes in the tissue. The results suggest that, as the load of branched-chain amino acids increases, the liver may become an increasingly important site for the degradation of branched-chain α-keto acids.     

Regulation of valine catabolism in Pseudomonas putida

The activities of six enzymes which take part in the oxidation of valine by Pseudomonas putida were measured under various conditions of growth. The formation of four of the six enzymes was induced by growth on d- or l-valine: d-amino acid dehydrogenase, branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Branched-chain amino acid transaminase and isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase were synthesized constitutively. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase were induced during growth on valine, leucine, and isoleucine, and these enzymes were assumed to be common to the metabolism of all three branched-chain amino acids. The segment of the pathway required for oxidation of isobutyrate was induced by growth on isobutyrate or 3-hydroxyisobutyrate without formation of the preceding enzymes. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase was induced by growth on l-alanine without formation of other enzymes required for the catabolism of valine. d-Valine was a more effective inducer of d-amino acid dehydrogenase than was l-valine. Therefore, the valine catabolic pathway was induced in three separate segments: (i) d-amino acid dehydrogenase, (ii) branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, and (iii) 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase plus methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. In a study of the kinetics of formation of the inducible enzymes, it was found that 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenases were coordinately induced. Induction of enzymes of the valine catabolic pathway was studied in a mutant that had lost the ability to grow on all three branched-chain amino acids. Strain PpM2106 had lowered levels of branched-chain amino acid transaminase and completely lacked branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase when grown in medium which contained valine. Addition of 2-ketoisovalerate, 2-ketoisocaproate, or 2-keto-3-methylvalerate to the growth medium of strain PpM2106 resulted in induction of normal levels of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase; therefore, the branched-chain keto acids were the actual inducers of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase.     

Metabolism of valine and 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate by the isolated perfused rat kidney.

Metabolism of branched-chain amino and 2-oxo acids was studied in the isolated perfused kidney. Significant amounts of 2-oxo acids were released by perfused kidney with all concentrations of amino acids tested (0.1-1.0 mM each), despite the high activity of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase in kidney. As perfusate valine concentration was increased from 0.2 to 1.0 mM, [1-14C]valine transamination (2-oxo acid oxidized + released) increased roughly linearly; [1-14C]valine oxidation, however, increased exponentially. Increasing perfusate concentration of 3-methyl-2-oxo[1-14C]butanoate from 0 to 1.0 mM resulted in a linear increase in the rate of its oxidation and a rise in perfusate valine concentration; at the same time significant decreases occurred in perfusate isoleucine and leucine concentrations, with corresponding increases in rates of release of their respective 2-oxo acids. Comparison of rates of oxidation of [1-14C]valine and 3-methyl-2-oxo[1-14C]butanoate suggests that 2-oxo acid arising from [1-14C]valine transamination has freer access to the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase than has the 2-oxo acid from the perfusate. The observations indicate that, when branched-chain amino and 2-oxo acids are present in perfusate at near-physiological concentrations, rates of transamination of the amino and 2-oxo acids by isolated perfused kidney are greater than rates of oxidation.     

Comparative studies of Acyl-CoA dehydrogenases for monomethyl branched chain substrates in amino acid metabolism

Short/branched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SBCAD), isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IVD), and isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IBD) are involved in metabolism of isoleucine, leucine, and valine, respectively. These three enzymes all belong to acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACD) family, and catalyze the dehydrogenation of monomethyl branched-chain fatty acid (mmBCFA) thioester derivatives. In the present work, the catalytic properties of rat SBCAD, IVD, and IBD, including their substrate specificity, isomerase activity, and enzyme inhibition, were comparatively studied. Our results indicated that SBCAD has its catalytic properties relatively similar to those of straight-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenases in terms of their isomerase activity and enzyme inhibition, while IVD and IBD are different. IVD has relatively broader substrate specificity than those of the other two enzymes in accommodating various substrate analogs. The present study increased our understanding for the metabolism of monomethyl branched-chain fatty acids (mmBCFAs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which should also be useful for selective control of a particular reaction through the design of specific inhibitors.     

Dual role of a single multienzyme complex in the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and branched-chain 2-oxo acids in Bacillus subtilis.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase activities of Bacillus subtilis were found to co-purify as a single multienzyme complex. Mutants of B. subtilis with defects in the pyruvate decarboxylase (E1) and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were correspondingly affected in branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex activity. Selective inhibition of the E1 or lipoate acetyltransferase (E2) components in vitro led to parallel losses in pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex activity. The pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes of B. subtilis at the very least share many structural components, and are probably one and the same. The E3 component appeared to be identical for the pyruvate dehydrogenase, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes in this organism and to be the product of a single structural gene. Long-chain branched fatty acids are thought to be essential for maintaining membrane fluidity in B. subtilis, and it was observed that the ace (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) mutant 61142 was unable rapidly to take up acetoacetate, unlike the wild-type, indicative of a defect in membrane permeability. A single pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex can be seen as an economical means of supplying two different sets of essential metabolites.     

Microbial metabolism of amino alcohols. Formation of coenzyme B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase and its concerted induction in Escherichia coli.

1. A branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase was partially purified from ox liver mitochondria. 2. The preparation oxidized 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate and D- and L-3-methyl-2-oxopentanoate. The apparent Km values for the oxo acids and for thiamin pyrophosphate, CoA, NAD+ and Mg2+ were determined. 3. The oxidation of each oxo acid was inhibited by isovaleryl (3-methylbutyryl)-CoA (competitive with CoA) and by NADH (competitive with NAD+); Ki values were determined. 4. The preparation showed substrate inhibition with each 2-oxo acid. The oxidative decarboxylation of 4-methyl-2-oxo[1-14C]pentanoate was inhibited by 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate and DL-3-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, but not by pyruvate. The Vmax. with 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate as variable substrate was not increased by the presence of each of the other 2-oxo acids. 5. Ox heart pyruvate dehydrogenase did not oxidize these branched-chain 2-oxo acids and it was not inhibited by isovaleryl-CoA. The branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase activity (unlike that of pyruvate dehydrogenase) was not inhibited by acetyl-CoA. 6. It is concluded that the branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase activity is distinct from that of pyruvate dehydrogenase, and that a single complex may oxidize all three branched-chain 2-oxo acids.     

A novel branched-chain amino acid metabolon. Protein-protein interactions in a supramolecular complex

The catabolic pathways of branched-chain amino acids have two common steps. The first step is deamination catalyzed by the vitamin B(6)-dependent branched-chain aminotransferase isozymes (BCATs) to produce branched-chain alpha-keto acids (BCKAs). The second step is oxidative decarboxylation of the BCKAs mediated by the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase enzyme complex (BCKD complex). The BCKD complex is organized around a cubic core consisting of 24 lipoate-bearing dihydrolipoyl transacylase (E2) subunits, associated with the branched-chain alpha-keto acid decarboxylase/dehydrogenase (E1), dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3), BCKD kinase, and BCKD phosphatase. In this study, we provide evidence that human mitochondrial BCAT (hBCATm) associates with the E1 decarboxylase component of the rat or human BCKD complex with a K(D) of 2.8 microM. NADH dissociates the complex. The E2 and E3 components do not interact with hBCATm. In the presence of hBCATm, k(cat) values for E1-catalyzed decarboxylation of the BCKAs are enhanced 12-fold. Mutations of hBCATm proteins in the catalytically important CXXC center or E1 proteins in the phosphorylation loop residues prevent complex formation, indicating that these regions are important for the interaction between hBCATm and E1. Our results provide evidence for substrate channeling between hBCATm and BCKD complex and formation of a metabolic unit (termed branched-chain amino acid metabolon) that can be influenced by the redox state in mitochondria.     

Oxidation of branched-chain amino acids in skeletal muscle and liver of rat Effects of octanoate and energy state

The effect of octanoate on the oxidative decarboxylation of ¹⁴C-labeled amino acids has been studied in perfused hindquarter and liver of rat. Regulation of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase has been further studied with α-[¹⁴C-1]ketoisovalerate in isolated rat muscle and liver mitochondria. (1) Octanoate has a stimulatory effect on the oxidation of branched-chain amino acids in perfused hindquarter. The oxidative decarboxylation of other amino acids are inhibited. Octanoate inhibits the oxidative decarboxylation of all amino acids in perfused liver. (2) The oxidation of valine is stimulated by octanoate and hexanoate also in isolated muscle mitochondria. The stimulatory effect is probably related to activation of the fatty acids since acyl-carnitines inhibit the oxidation. (3) The oxidation of α-ketoisovalerate in mitochondria is inhibited by competing substrates (pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate and succinate). This inhibition is counteracted by octanoate and ADP. (4) Low concentrations (1–5 μM) of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) activates wheras higher concentrations inactivates the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase in intact but not in solubilized muscle mitochondria. The inactivation is counteracted by ATP, but is increased by octanoate. (5) The observations seem to suggest that the activation (like the inactivation) of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase in skeletal muscle is dependent on the mitochondrial energy state which therefore may regulate both activation and inactivation of the dehydrogenase.     

Branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase interferes with the measurement of the activity and activity state of hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate by branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase can result in overestimation of the expressed and total activity of hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase. Pyruvate is a poor substrate for branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase relative to the branched-chain oxo acids; however, the comparable total activities of the two complexes in liver, the much greater activity state of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase compared with pyruvate dehydrogenase in most physiological states, and the use of high pyruvate concentrations, explain the interference that can occur in conventional radiochemical or indicator-enzyme linked assays of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Goat antibody that specifically inhibited branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase was used in this study to provide a more specific assay for pyruvate dehydrogenase.     

Amino acid catabolism by perfused rat hindquarter. The metabolic fates of valine.

Hindquarters from starved rats were perfused with plasma concentrations of amino acids, but without other added substrates. Release of amino acids was similar to that previously reported, but, if total amino acid changes were recorded, alanine and glutamine were not formed in excess of their occurrence in muscle proteins. In protein balance (excess insulin) there was no net formation of either alanine or glutamine, even though the branched-chain amino acids and methionine were consumed. If [U-14C]valine was present, radiolabelled 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and, to a lesser extent, 2-oxo-3-methylbutyrate accumulated and radiolabel was incorporated into citrate-cycle intermediates and metabolites closely associated with the citrate cycle (glutamine and glutamate, and, to a smaller extent, lactate and alanine). If a 2-chloro-4-methylvalerate was present to stimulate the branched-chain oxo acid dehydrogenase, flux through this step was accelerated, resulting in increased accumulation of 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, decreased accumulation of 2-oxo-3-methylbutyrate, and markedly increased incorporation of radiolabel (specific and total) into all measured metabolites formed after 3-hydroxyisobutyrate. It is concluded that: amino acid catabolism by skeletal muscle is confined to degradation of the branched-chain amino acids, methionine and those that are interconvertible with the citrate cycle; amino acid catabolism is relatively minor in supplying carbon for net synthesis of alanine and glutamine; and partial degradation products of the branched-chain amino acids are quantitatively significant substrates released from muscle for hepatic gluconeogenesis. For valine, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate appears to be quantitatively the most important intermediate released from muscle. A side path for inter-organ disposition of the branched-chain amino acids is proposed.     

Lipoic acid-dependent oxidative catabolism of alpha-keto acids in mitochondria provides evidence for branched-chain amino acid catabolism in Arabidopsis

Lipoic acid-dependent pathways of alpha-keto acid oxidation by mitochondria were investigated in pea (Pisum sativum), rice (Oryza sativa), and Arabidopsis. Proteins containing covalently bound lipoic acid were identified on isoelectric focusing/sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis separations of mitochondrial proteins by the use of antibodies raised to this cofactor. All these proteins were identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Lipoic acid-containing acyltransferases from pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex were identified from all three species. In addition, acyltransferases from the branched-chain dehydrogenase complex were identified in both Arabidopsis and rice mitochondria. The substrate-dependent reduction of NAD(+) was analyzed by spectrophotometry using specific alpha-keto acids. Pyruvate- and alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent reactions were measured in all three species. Activity of the branched-chain dehydrogenase complex was only measurable in Arabidopsis mitochondria using substrates that represented the alpha-keto acids derived by deamination of branched-chain amino acids (Val [valine], leucine, and isoleucine). The rate of branched-chain amino acid- and alpha-keto acid-dependent oxygen consumption by intact Arabidopsis mitochondria was highest with Val and the Val-derived alpha-keto acid, alpha-ketoisovaleric acid. Sequencing of peptides derived from trypsination of Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteins revealed the presence of many of the enzymes required for the oxidation of all three branched-chain amino acids. The potential role of branched-chain amino acid catabolism as an oxidative phosphorylation energy source or as a detoxification pathway during plant stress is discussed.     

Inhibition of glycine synthase by branched-chain α-keto acids: A possible mechanism for abnormal glycine metabolism in ketotic hyperglycinemia

The effect of various amino acid metabolites on glycine oxidation by rat liver homogenate was investigated. Three compounds, α-ketoisovaleric acid, α-ketoisocaproic acid, and α-keto-β-methylvaleric acid, were found to inhibit glycine oxidation by 40–60%. In addition, these compounds also inhibited the glycine-CO₂ exchange reaction, a partial reaction of glycine synthase. The reverse reaction, glycine synthesis, was stimulated 4-fold by these α-keto acids. Pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate had no effect on any of these reactions. The parent amino acids, valine, isoleucine, and leucine, also had no effect on the reactions nor did any of their other metabolites with the exception of the branched-chain α-keto acids. The concentration dependence of the inhibition of glycine oxidation and stimulation of glycine synthesis by these branched-chain α-keto acids suggested that the inhibition of glycine oxidation by these compounds was the result of their further oxidation by branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase. However, the products of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase, isobutyryl CoA, isovaleryl CoA, or α-methylbutyryl CoA had no effect on glycine oxidation. Thus, it appeared that either the branched-chain α-keto acids altered glycine oxidation by direct binding to glycine synthase or that electrons derived from the oxidation of branched-chain α-keto acids were transferred to the glycine synthase system. It is proposed that glycine synthase and branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase either share a common subunit, possibly lipoamide dehydrogenase, or are so arranged on the mitochondrial membrane that electron transfer between these two enzymes occurs.     

Branched-chain Amino Acid Metabolon: INTERACTION OF GLUTAMATE DEHYDROGENASE WITH THE MITOCHONDRIAL BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINOTRANSFERASE (BCATm)*

The catabolic pathway for branched-chain amino acids includes deamination followed by oxidative decarboxylation of the deaminated product branched-chain α-keto acids, catalyzed by the mitochondrial branched-chain aminotransferase (BCATm) and branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase enzyme complex (BCKDC). We found that BCATm binds to the E1 decarboxylase of BCKDC, forming a metabolon that allows channeling of branched-chain α-keto acids from BCATm to E1. The protein complex also contains glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH1), 4-nitrophenylphosphatase domain and non-neuronal SNAP25-like protein homolog 1, pyruvate carboxylase, and BCKDC kinase. GDH1 binds to the pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate (PMP) form of BCATm (PMP-BCATm) but not to the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-BCATm and other metabolon proteins. Leucine activates GDH1, and oxidative deamination of glutamate is increased further by addition of PMP-BCATm. Isoleucine and valine are not allosteric activators of GDH1, but in the presence of 5′-phosphate-BCATm, they convert BCATm to PMP-BCATm, stimulating GDH1 activity. Sensitivity to ADP activation of GDH1 was unaffected by PMP-BCATm; however, addition of a 3 or higher molar ratio of PMP-BCATm to GDH1 protected GDH1 from GTP inhibition by 50%. Kinetic results suggest that GDH1 facilitates regeneration of the form of BCATm that binds to E1 decarboxylase of the BCKDC, promotes metabolon formation, branched-chain amino acid oxidation, and cycling of nitrogen through glutamate.     

Amino acid deprivation induces translation of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase

Leucine, isoleucine, andvaline are used by cells for protein synthesis or are catabolized intosources for glucose and lipid production. These branched-chain aminoacids influence proteolysis, hormone release, and cell cycleprogression along with their other metabolic roles. The branched-chainamino acids play a central role in regulating cellular protein turnoverby reducing autophagy. These essential amino acids are committed totheir catabolic fate by the activity of the branched-chain -ketoaciddehydrogenase complex. Activity of the branched-chain -ketoaciddehydrogenase complex is regulated by phosphorylation/inactivation ofthe -subunit performed by a complex specific kinase. Here we showthat elimination of the branched-chain amino acids from the medium ofcultured cells results in a two- to threefold increased production ofthe branched-chain -ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase with a decrease inthe activity state of the branched-chain -ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. The mechanism cells use to increase kinase production underthese conditions involves recruitment of the kinase mRNA intopolyribosomes. Promoter activity and the steady-state concentration ofthe mRNA are unchanged by these conditions.

     

Amino acid metabolism by perfused rat hindquarter. Effects of insulin, leucine and 2-chloro-4-methylvalerate.

Hindquarters from starved rats were perfused without substrates but in the presence of an O2- and CO2-carrying perfluorocarbon emulsion to evaluate principally the metabolism of individual endogenous and protein-derived amino acids by this muscle preparation. This experimental model was shown, by a battery of metabolite measurements, to maintain cellular homoeostasis for at least 2h. The net appearance of most amino acids closely approximated their frequency of occurrence in muscle proteins, showing that they are not significantly metabolized. Exceptions were the branched-chain amino acids, methionine and those amino acids that are interconvertible with intermediates of the citrate cycle and pyruvate through coupled transaminations. The evidence indicates that only valine, isoleucine, aspartate and probably methionine can be catabolized by skeletal muscle to provide carbon precursors for glutamate/glutamine and alanine that are formed de novo by protein-catabolic muscle. The protein-sparing effects of insulin and leucine were confirmed. Although each decreased proteolysis and the net appearance of free amino acids, they were generally without effect on the ratios of amino acids formed. 2-Chloro-4-methylvalerate selectively stimulated the removal rate for the branched-chain amino acids, confirming the idea that the branched-chain oxo acid dehydrogenase normally limits the rate of their oxidation by muscle. It is also concluded that, since alanine was not formed in excess of that found in muscle proteins when no glucose was added as substrate, the excess of alanine (carbon) released from muscles in other studies is derived to a large extent, but not exclusively, from preformed carbohydrate.     

Transamination of neutral amino acids and 2-keto acids in pancreatic B-cell mitochondria

High aminotransferase activities catalyzing the reactions between L-glutamate and L-glutamine and the aliphatic ketomonocarboxylic acids 2-ketoisocaproate, 2-ketocaproate, and 2-ketoisovalerate were observed in pancreatic B-cell mitochondria. While maximal rates of transamination with L-glutamate were observed in the presence of micromolar concentrations of keto acid, maximal rates of transamination with L-glutamine were recorded only in the presence of millimolar concentrations of keto acid. The insulin secretagogue 2-ketoisocaproate was the most effective transamination partner for L-glutamate, while the insulin secretagogue 2-ketocaproate was the most effective transamination partner for L-glutamine. Since B-cell mitochondria are well supplied with L-glutamate and L-glutamine, 2-ketoglutarate generation in the presence of these two neutral 2-keto acids may be an important prerequisite for their insulin secretory potency. High rates of transamination of 2-ketoglutarate were observed in the pancreatic B-cell mitochondria with the branched-chain amino acids L-leucine and L-valine, but not with L-norleucine. In connection with the ability of L-leucine to activate glutamate dehydrogenase, this high activity of the branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase in pancreatic B-cell mitochondria may provide an explanation for the insulin secretory potency of this amino acid.