Transient behavior of the ammonium-limited chemostatic cultures of Escherichia coli ML 30]

In connection with the bistability of pyruvate formation in ammonium limited continuous cultures of E. coli ML 30 (Bergter u. Roth 1977) the transient behaviour of cell density and pyruvate concentration were studied. Immediately after a shift up in the dilution rate from D = 0.15 h-1 to D = 0.6 h-1 the bacteria excreted pyruvate into the medium, followed by a resumption of pyruvate. The specific pyruvate formation rate as well as the specific growth rate reached the new steady state with damped oscillations. Possibly the excretion of pyruvate after the shift is caused by the higher non limiting concentrations of ammonium during the first of the transition. This hypothesis is supported by the transient behaviour of an ammonium limited continuous culture after a pulse of ammonium to the culture. The relations between ammonium metabolism and pyruvate formation are discussed.     

Dependence of the specific growth rate of Escherichia coli MI 30 on the ammonia concentration]

The transient behaviour of ammonium limited continuous cultures of E. coli ML 30 led to the hypothesis that the bistability of pyruvate formation primarily is caused by a bistability of the ammonia metabolism. Therefore, a function of mu([NH+4]) should be expected different from that of Monod type. Measurements of the specific growth rate during washout of continuous cultures at different ammonium concentrations and at such low cell concentrations that the changes in the ammonium concentration of the medium could be neglected, showed a complex function with a relative minimum near 2 mg/1NH+4. This function allows bistability of the ammonium concentration in an ammonium limited continuous culture. The results are discussed on the basis of the two systems of ammonia assimilation found in prokaryotic cells.     

Critical role of specific ions for ligand-induced changes regulating pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 2

In the complete absence of K+ and phosphate (Pi), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 2 (PDHK2) was catalytically very active but with an elevated Km for ATP, and this activity is insensitive to effector regulation. We find that K+ or 5-fold lower levels of NH4+ markedly enhanced quenching of Trp383 fluorescence of PDHK2 by ADP and ATP. K+ binding caused an approximately 40-fold decrease in the equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) for ATP from approximately 120 to 3.0 microM and an approximately 25-fold decrease in Kd for ADP from approximately 950 to 38 microM. Linked reductions in Kd of PDHK2 for K+ were from approximately 30 to approximately 0.75 mM with ATP bound and from approximately 40 to approximately 1.7 mM with ADP bound. Without K+, there was little effect of ADP on pyruvate binding, but with 100 mM K+ and 100 microM ADP, the L0.5 of PDHK2 for pyruvate was reduced by approximately 14 fold. In the absence of K+, Pi had small effects on ligand binding. With 100 mM K+, 20 mM Pi modestly enhanced binding of ADP and hindered pyruvate binding but markedly enhanced the binding of pyruvate with ADP; the L0.5 for pyruvate was specifically decreased approximately 125-fold with 100 microM ADP. Pi effects were minimal when NH4+ replaced K+. We have quantified coupled binding of K+ with ATP and ADP and elucidated how linked K+ and Pi binding are required for the potent inhibition of PDHK2 by ADP and pyruvate.     

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 2 activity limited and further inhibited by slowing down the rate of dissociation of ADP

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 2 (PDK2) activity is enhanced by the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase core (E2 60mer) that binds PDK2 and a large number of its pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) substrate. With E2-activated PDK2, K(+) at approximately 90 mM and Cl(-) at approximately 60 mM decreased the K(m) of PDK2 for ATP and competitive K(i) for ADP by approximately 3-fold and enhanced pyruvate inhibition. Comparing PDK2 catalysis +/- E2, E2 increased the K(m) of PDK2 for ATP by nearly 8-fold (from 5 to 39 microM), increased k(cat) by approximately 4-fold, and decreased the requirement for E1 by at least 400-fold. ATP binding, measured by a cold-trapping technique, occurred at two active sites with a K(d) of 5 microM, which equals the K(m) and K(d) of PDK2 for ATP measured in the absence of E2. During E2-aided catalysis, PDK2 had approximately 3 times more ADP than ATP bound at its active site, and the pyruvate analogue, dichloroacetate, led to 16-fold more ADP than ATP being bound (no added ADP). Pyruvate functioned as an uncompetitive inhibitor versus ATP, and inclusion of ADP transformed pyruvate inhibition to noncompetitive. At high pyruvate levels, pyruvate was a partial inhibitor but also induced substrate inhibition at high ATP levels. Our results indicate that, at physiological salt levels, ADP dissociation is a limiting step in E2-activated PDK2 catalysis, that PDK2.[ADP or ATP].pyruvate complexes form, and that PDK2.ATP.pyruvate.E1 reacts with PDK2.ADP.pyruvate accumulating.     

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.     

Ligand-induced effects on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 2

Tryptophan fluorescence was used to analyze binding of ligands to human pyruvate dehydrogenase isoform 2 (PDHK2) and to demonstrate effects of ligand binding on distal structure of PDHK2 that is required for binding to the inner lipoyl domain (L2) of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase. Ligand-altered binding of PDHK2 to L2 and effects of specific ligands on PDHK2 oligomeric state were characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation. ATP, ADP, and pyruvate markedly quenched the tryptophan fluorescence of PDHK2 and gave maximum quenching/L0.5 estimates: approximately 53%/3 microM for ATP; approximately 49%/15 microM for ADP; and approximately 71%/approximately 590 microM for pyruvate. The conversion of Trp-383 to phenylalanine completely removed ATP- and ADP-induced quenching and > or = 80% of the absolute decrease in fluorescence due to pyruvate. The W383F-PDHK2 mutant retained high catalytic activity. Pyruvate, added after ADP, quenched Trp fluorescence with an L0.5 of 3.4 microM pyruvate, > or = 150-fold lower concentration than needed with pyruvate alone. ADP-enhanced binding of pyruvate was maintained with W383F-PDHK2. Binding of PDHK2 dimer to L2 is enhanced when L2 are housed in oligomeric structures, including the glutathione S-transferase (GST)-L2 dimer, and further strengthened by reduction of the lipoyl groups (GST-L2(red)) (Hiromasa and Roche (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 33681-33693). Binding of PDHK2 to GST-L2(red) was modestly hindered by 200 microM level of ATP or ADP or 5.0 mM pyruvate; a marked change to nearly complete prevention of binding was observed with ATP or ADP plus pyruvate at only 100 microM levels, and these conditions caused PDHK2 dimer to associate to a tetramer. These changes should make major contributions to synergistic inhibition of PDHK2 activity by ADP and pyruvate. Ligand-induced changes that interfere with PDHK2 binding to GST-L2(red) may involve release of an interdomain cross arm between PDHK2 subunits in which Trp-383 plays a critical anchoring role.     

The concentration of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier in rat liver and heart mitochondria determined with alpha-cyano-beta-(1-phenylindol-3-yl)acrylate.

alpha-Cyano-beta-(1-phenylindol-3-yl)acrylate inhibited pyruvate transport into both liver and heart mitochondria approximately linearly with respect to its concentration until 65% inhibition was achieved. The extent of inhibition was dependent on the mitochondrial protein concentration. By extrapolation of plots of inhibition versus inhibitor concentration to total inhibition, or by mathematical analysis of the plots, the concentration of pyruvate transporter molecules per mg of protein was calculated to be approximately 100 pmol/mg for both heart and liver mitochondria, and the Ki about 7 nM. The data also suggest that pyruvate transport is rate-limiting for pyruvate oxidation by heart mitochondria in State 3, but not by liver mitochondria.     

Enhanced isoamyl acetate production upon manipulation of the acetyl-CoA node in Escherichia coli

Coenzyme A (CoA) and its thioester derivative acetyl-Coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) participate in over 100 different reactions in intermediary metabolism of microorganisms. Earlier results indicated that overexpression of upstream rate-limiting enzyme pantothenate kinase with simultaneous supplementation of precursor pantothenic acid to the culture media increased intracellular CoA levels significantly ( approximately 10-fold). The acetyl-CoA levels also increased ( approximately 5-fold) but not as much as that of CoA, showing that the carbon flux from the pyruvate node is rate-limiting upon an increase in CoA levels. In this study, pyruvate dehydrogenase was overexpressed under elevated CoA levels to increase carbon flux from pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. This coexpression did not increase intracellular acetyl-CoA levels but increased the accumulation of extracellular acetate. The production of isoamyl acetate, an industrially useful compound derived from acetyl-CoA, was used as a model reporter system to signify the beneficial effects of this metabolic engineering strategy. In addition, a strain was created in which the acetate production pathway was inactivated to relieve competition at the acetyl-CoA node and to efficiently channel the enhanced carbon flux to the ester production pathway. The synergistic effect of cofactor CoA manipulation and pyruvate dehydrogenase overexpression in the acetate pathway deletion mutant led to a 5-fold increase in isoamyl acetate production. Under normal growth conditions the acetate pathway deletion mutant strains accumulate intracellular pyruvate, leading to excretion of pyruvate. However, upon enhancing the carbon flux from pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, the excretion of pyruvate was significantly reduced.     

NADH-linked substrate dependence of peroxide-induced respiratory inhibition and calcium efflux in isolated renal mitochondria

Peroxide-induced state 3 respiratory inhibition and Ca2+ efflux in isolated renal mitochondria exhibited a NADH-linked substrate dependence. ADP-stimulated respiratory rates in the presence of various concentrations of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH, 0-1000 nmol/mg protein) were determined using glutamate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, or pyruvate as substrates. Pyruvate-driven respiration was most sensitive to inhibition (Ki approximately equal to 75 nmol of tBOOH/mg protein) followed by beta-hydroxybutyrate and glutamate (Ki approximately equal to 150 nmol of tBOOH/mg protein for each). Calcium (5-10 nmol/mg protein) potentiated tBOOH-induced respiratory inhibition using all three substrates. Mitochondrial Ca2+ efflux, induced by tBOOH, was most pronounced with pyruvate as substrate. Glutamate prevented Ca2+ efflux while the efflux rate with beta-hydroxybutyrate was intermediate between glutamate and pyruvate. The substrate-dependent pattern of tBOOH-induced NAD(P)H (NADH plus NADPH) and cytochrome b oxidation was similar to that seen for respiratory inhibition and Ca2+ efflux suggesting that NAD(P)H may be a common factor in both responses. Low tBOOH concentrations inhibited pyruvate dehydrogenase flux while higher concentrations enhanced pyruvate dehydrogenase flux and activation. The results are discussed in relation to currently proposed theories of reactive oxygen-induced respiratory inhibition, Ca2+ efflux, and reperfusion injury.     

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of cDNA for serine: pyruvate aminotransferase of rat liver

Cloned cDNAs for rat liver serine: pyruvate aminotransferase were obtained by screening of a cDNA expression bank of rat liver with an antibody against the enzyme. Nineteen clones were isolated from 33 000 transformants and most of them had common fragments of cDNA on analysis by digestion with some restriction enzymes. These clones were identified as those containing cDNA for serine:pyruvate aminotransferase by the following criteria. (a) At the nucleic acid level, a 500-base-pair fragment of cDNA prepared by digestion of cDNAs with EcoRI and PstI hybridized with the mRNA coding for serine:pyruvate aminotransferase as judged by hybrid-selected and hybrid-arrested translations. (b) Specific proteins were detected in nine bacterial clones, a 40-kDa protein in one clone and a 39-kDa protein in eight clones. Among them only the 40-kDa protein was found to be solubilized from the cell by sonication, and this protein was immunoprecipitated with an antibody against serine:pyruvate aminotransferase of rat liver. (c) High activity of serine:pyruvate aminotransferase was expressed both in whole cell suspension and sonicated extract prepared from the transformant producing the 40-kDa protein, and 99% of the activity was immunoreactive with the antibody. Two types of mRNA for serine:pyruvate aminotransferase were detected on the RNA blot analysis by using cloned cDNA fragment as a probe. The larger mRNA (approximately 1600 nucleotides) was glucagon-inducible while the smaller one (approximately 1500 nucleotides) was not affected by the hormone.     

Alterations in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex during adaptation to glucose by Neurospora

A 20-fold induction of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, pyruvate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.1) plus dihydrolipoate S-acetyltransferase, (lipoyltransacetylase) (EC 2.3.1.12) plus dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, NADH : lipoamide oxidoreductase, (EC 1.6.4.3), from a specific activity of 3.5–65.0 was observed in mitochondrial extracts during adaptation of Neurospora to glucose from acetate media. The extent of ATP-dependent, time-dependent inactivation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was approximately the same in both acetate- and glucose-grown cells, thereby indicating that the low pyruvate dehydrogenerase complex activities in acetate-grown cells did not represent phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex molecules. High levels of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (EC 2.3.1.12) were observed in mitochondrial extracts from acetate-grown cells; this lipoyltransacetylase was analyzed on sucrose density gradients and found to be associated with the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Digitonin fractionation of mitochondria revealed that both the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and lipoyltransacetylase were primarily associated with the mitochondrial outer membrane.     

Glyceroneogenesis and the supply of glycerol-3-phosphate for glyceride-glycerol synthesis in liver slices of fasted and diabetic rats

The pathways of glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) generation for glyceride synthesis were examined in precision-cut liver slices of fasted and diabetic rats. The incorporation of 5 mM [U-(14)C]glucose into glyceride-glycerol, used to evaluate G3P generation via glycolysis, was reduced by approximately 26-36% in liver slices of fasted and diabetic rats. The glycolytic flux was reduced by approximately 60% in both groups. The incorporation of 1.0 mM [2-(14)C]pyruvate into glyceride-glycerol (glyceroneogenesis) increased approximately 50% and approximately 36% in slices of fasted and diabetic rats, respectively, which also showed a two-fold increase in the activity phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. The increased incorporation of 1.0 mM [2-(14)C]pyruvate into glyceride-glycerol by slices of fasted rats was not affected by the addition of 5 mM glucose to the incubation medium. The activity of glycerokinase and the incorporation of 1 mM [U-(14)C]glycerol into glyceride-glycerol, evaluators of G3P formation by direct glycerol phosphorylation, did not differ significantly from controls in slices of the two experimental groups. Rates of incorporation of 1 mM [2-(14)C]pyruvate and [U-(14)C]glycerol into glucose of incubation medium (gluconeogenesis) were approximately 140 and approximately 20% higher in fasted and diabetic slices than in control slices. It could be estimated that glyceroneogenesis by liver slices of fasted rats contributed with approximately 20% of G3P generated for glyceride-glycerol synthesis, the glycolytic pathway with approximately 5%, and direct phosphorylation of glycerol by glycerokinase with approximately 75%. Pyruvate contributed with 54% and glycerol with 46% of gluconeogenesis. The present data indicate that glyceroneogenesis has a significant participation in the generation of G3P needed for the increased glyceride-glycerol synthesis in liver during fasting and diabetes.     

Cytosolic and mitochondrial malic enzyme isoforms differentially control insulin secretion

In islet beta-cells and INS-1 cells both the high activity of malic enzyme and the correlation of insulin secretion rates with pyruvate carboxylase (PC) flux suggest that a pyruvate-malate cycle is functionally relevant to insulin secretion. Expression of the malic enzyme isoforms in INS-1 cells and rat islets was measured, and small interfering RNA was used to selectively reduce isoform mRNA expression in INS-1 cells to evaluate its impact on insulin secretion. The cytosolic NADP(+)-specific isoform (ME1) was the most abundant, with the mitochondrial isoforms NAD(+)-preferred (ME2) expressed at approximately 50%, and the NADP(+)-specific (ME3) at approximately 10% compared with ME1. Selective reduction (89 +/- 2%) of cytosolic ME1 mRNA expression and enzyme activity significantly reduced glucose (15 mM:41 +/- 6%, p < 0.01) and amino acid (4 mM glutamine +/- 10 mM leucine: 39 +/- 6%, p < 0.01)-stimulated insulin secretion. Selective small interfering RNA reduction (51 +/- 6%) of mitochondrial ME2 mRNA expression did not impact glucose-induced insulin secretion, but decreased amino acid-stimulated insulin secretion by 25 +/- 4% (p < 0.01). Modeling of the metabolism of [U-(13)C]glucose by its isotopic distribution in glutamate indicates a second pool of pyruvate distinct from glycolytically derived pyruvate in INS-1 cells. ME1 knockdown decreased flux of both pools of pyruvate through PC. In contrast, ME2 knockdown affected only PC flux of the pyruvate derived from glutamate metabolism. These results suggest a physiological basis for two metabolically and functionally distinct pyruvate cycles. The cycling of pyruvate by ME1 generates cytosolic NADPH, whereas mitochondrial ME2 responds to elevated amino acids and serves to supply sufficient pyruvate for increased Krebs cycle flux when glucose is limiting.     

Carbohydrate metabolism during prolonged exercise and recovery: interactions between pyruvate dehydrogenase, fatty acids, and amino acids.

During prolonged exercise, carbohydrate oxidation may result from decreased pyruvate production and increased fatty acid supply and ultimately lead to reduced pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity. Pyruvate also interacts with the amino acids alanine, glutamine, and glutamate, whereby the decline in pyruvate production could affect tricarboxycylic acid cycle flux as well as gluconeogenesis. To enhance our understanding of these interactions, we studied the time course of changes in substrate utilization in six men who cycled at 44+/-1% peak oxygen consumption (mean+/-SE) until exhaustion (exhaustion at 3 h 23 min+/-11 min). Femoral arterial and venous blood, blood flow measurements, and muscle samples were obtained hourly during exercise and recovery (3 h). Carbohydrate oxidation peaked at 30 min of exercise and subsequently decreased for the remainder of the exercise bout (P<0.05). PDH activity peaked at 2 h of exercise, whereas pyruvate production peaked at 1 h of exercise and was reduced (approximately 30%) thereafter, suggesting that pyruvate availability primarily accounted for reduced carbohydrate oxidation. Increased free fatty acid uptake (P<0.05) was also associated with decreasing PDH activity (P<0.05) and increased PDH kinase 4 mRNA (P<0.05) during exercise and recovery. At 1 h of exercise, pyruvate production was greatest and was closely linked to glutamate, which was the predominant amino acid taken up during exercise and recovery. Alanine and glutamine were also associated with pyruvate metabolism, and they comprised approximately 68% of total amino-acid release during exercise and recovery. Thus reduced pyruvate production was primarily associated with reduced carbohydrate oxidation, whereas the greatest production of pyruvate was related to glutamate, glutamine, and alanine metabolism in early exercise.     

Control of reversible intracellular transfer of reducing potential.

Isolated rat liver mitochondria were incubated in the presence of a reconstituted malate-aspartate shuttle under carboxylating conditions in the presence of glutamate, octanoyl-carnitine and pyruvate, or a preset lactate/pyruvate ratio. The respiration and attendant energy state were varied with soluble F1-ATPase. Under these conditions reducing equivalents are exported due to pyruvate carboxylation. This was shown by lactate production from pyruvate and by a substantial increase in the lactate/pyruvate ratio. This led to a competition between malate export and energy-driven malate cycling via the malate-aspartate shuttle, resulting in a lowered redox segregation of the NAD systems between the mitochondrial and extramitochondrial spaces. If pyruvate carboxylation was blocked, this egress of reducing equivalents was also blocked, leading to an elevated value of redox segregation, delta G(redox) (in kJ) = -5.7 log(NAD+/NADHout)/(NAD+/NADHin) being then equal to approximately one-half of the membrane potential, in accordance with electrogenic glutamate/aspartate exchange. Reconstitution of malate-pyruvate cycling led to a further kinetic decrease in the original malate-aspartate shuttle-driven value of delta G(redox). Therefore, the value of segregation of reducing potential between mitochondria and cytosol caused by glutamate/aspartate exchange can be diminished kinetically by processes exporting reducing equivalents from mitochondria, such as pyruvate carboxylation and pyruvate cycling.     

13C NMR isotopomer analysis of anaplerotic pathways in INS-1 cells

Anaplerotic flux into the Kreb's cycle is crucial for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. However, the regulation of flux through various anaplerotic pathways in response to combinations of physiologically relevant substrates and its impact on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is unclear. Because different pathways of anaplerosis generate distinct products, they may differentially modulate the insulin secretory response. To examine this question, we applied 13C-isotopomer analysis to quantify flux through three anaplerotic pathways: 1) pyruvate carboxylase of pyruvate derived from glycolytic sources; 2) pyruvate carboxylase of pyruvate derived from nonglycolytic sources; and 3) glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). At substimulatory glucose, anaplerotic flux rate in the clonal INS-1 832/13 cells was approximately 40% of Kreb's cycle flux, with similar contributions from each pathway. Increasing glucose to 15 mm stimulated insulin secretion approximately 4-fold, and was associated with a approximately 4-fold increase in anaplerotic flux that could mostly be attributed to an increase in PC flux. In contrast, the addition of glutamine to the perfusion media stimulated GDH flux approximately 6-fold at both glucose concentrations without affecting insulin secretion rates. In conclusion, these data support the hypothesis that a signal generated by anaplerosis from increased pyruvate carboxylase flux is essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in beta-cells and that anaplerosis through GDH does not play a major role in this process.     

The elementary reactions of the pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. A study of the inhibition by phosphorylation.

1. A method was devised for preparing pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase free of thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), permitting studies of the binding of [35S]TPP to pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate. The Kd of TPP for pyruvate dehydrogenase was in the range 6.2-8.2 muM, whereas that for pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate was approximately 15 muM; both forms of the complex contained about the same total number of binding sites (500 pmol/unit of enzyme). EDTA completely inhibited binding of TPP; sodium pyrophosphate, adenylyl imidodiphosphate and GTP, which are inhibitors (competitive with TPP) of the overall pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction, did not appreciably affect TPP binding. 2. Initial-velocity patterns of the overall pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction obtained with varying TPP, CoA and NAD+ concentrations at a fixed pyruvate concentration were consistent with a sequential three-site Ping Pong mechanism; in the presence of oxaloacetate and citrate synthase to remove acetyl-CoA (an inhibitor of the overall reaction) the values of Km for NAD+ and CoA were 53+/- 5 muM and 1.9+/-0.2 muM respectively. Initial-velocity patterns observed with varying TPP concentrations at various fixed concentrations of pyruvate were indicative of either a compulsory order of addition of substrates to form a ternary complex (pyruvate-Enz-TPP) or a random-sequence mechanism in which interconversion of ternary intermediates is rate-limiting; values of Km for pyruvate and TPP were 25+/-4 muM and 50+/-10 nM respectively. The Kia-TPP (the dissociation constant for Enz-TPP complex calculated from kinetic plots) was close to the value of Kd-TPP (determined by direct binding studies). 3. Inhibition of the overall pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction by pyrophosphate was mixed non-competitive versus pyruvate and competitive versus TPP; however, pyrophosphate did not alter the calculated value for Kia-TPP, consistent with the lack of effect of pyrophosphate on the Kd for TPP. 4. Pyruvate dehydrogenase catalysed a TPP-dependent production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]pyruvate in the absence of NAD+ and CoA at approximately 0.35% of the overall reaction rate; this was substantially inhibited by phosphorylation of the enzyme both in the presence and absence of acetaldehyde (which stimulates the rate of 14CO2 production two- or three-fold). 5. Pyruvate dehydrogenase catalysed a partial back-reaction in the presence of TPP, acetyl-CoA and NADH. The Km for TPP was 4.1+/-0.5 muM. The partial back-reaction was stimulated by acetaldehyde, inhibited by pyrophosphate and abolished by phosphorylation. 6. Formation of enzyme-bound [14C]acetylhydrolipoate from [3-14C]pyruvate but not from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA was inhibited by phosphorylation. Phosphorylation also substantially inhibited the transfer of [14C]acetyl groups from enzyme-bound [14C]acetylhydrolipoate to TPP in the presence of NADH. 7...     

Concerted action of lactate oxidase and pyruvate oxidase in aerobic growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae: role of lactate as an energy source

Streptococcus pneumoniae was shown to possess lactate oxidase in addition to well-documented pyruvate oxidase. The activities of both H(2)O(2)-forming oxidases in wild-type cultures were detectable even in the early exponential phase of growth and attained the highest levels in the early stationary phase. For each of these oxidases, a defective mutant was constructed and compared to the parent regarding the dynamics of pyruvate and lactate in aerobic cultures. The results obtained indicated that the energy-yielding metabolism in the wild type could be best described by the following scheme. (i) As long as glucose is available, approximately one-fourth of the pyruvate formed is converted to acetate by the sequential action of pyruvate oxidase and acetate kinase with acquisition of additional ATP; (ii) the rest of the pyruvate is reduced by lactate dehydrogenase to form lactate, with partial achievement of redox balance; (iii) the lactate is oxidized by lactate oxidase back to pyruvate, which is converted to acetate as described above; and (iv) the sequential reactions mentioned above continue to occur as long as lactate is present. As predicted by this model, exogenously added lactate was shown to increase the final growth yield in the presence of both oxidases.     

Examination of primary metabolic pathways in a murine hybridoma with carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Primary metabolism of a murine hybridoma was probed with (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Cells cultured in a hollow fiber bioreactor were serially infused with [1-(13)C] glucose, [2-(13)C] glucose, and [3-(13)C] glutamine. In vivo spectroscopy of the culture was used in conjunction with off-line spectroscopy of the medium to determine the intracellular concentration of several metabolic intermediates and to determine fluxes for primary metabolic pathways. Intracellular concentrations of pyruvate and alanine were very high relative to levels observed in normal quiescent mammalian cells. Estimates made from labeling patterns in lactate indicate that 76% of pyruvate is derived directly from glycolysis; some is also derived from the malate shunt, the pyruvate/melate shuttle associated with lipid synthesis and the pentose phosphate pathway. The rate of formation of pyruvate from the pentose phosphate pathway was estimated to be 4% of that from glycolysis; This value is a lower limit and the actual value may be higher. Incorporation of pyruvate into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle appears to occur through only pyruvate dehydrogenase; no pyruvate carboxylase activity was detected. The malate shunt rate was approximately equal to the rate of glutamine uptake. The rate of incorporation of glucosederived acetyl-CoA into lipids was 4% of the glucose uptake rate. The TCA cycle rate between isocitrate and alpha-ketoglutarate was 110% of the glutamine uptake rate. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Regulation of synthesis of pyruvate carboxylase in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus.

The synthesis of pyruvate carboxylase (PC) was studied by using quantitative immunoblot analysis with an antibody raised against PC purified from Rhodobacter capsulatus and was found to vary 20-fold depending on the growth conditions. The PC content was high in cells grown on pyruvate or on carbon substrates metabolized via pyruvate (lactate, D-malate, glucose, or fructose) and low in cells grown on tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates or substrates metabolized without intermediate formation of pyruvate (acetate or glutamate). Under dark aerobic growth conditions with lactate as a carbon source, the PC content was approximately twofold higher than that found under light anaerobic growth conditions. The results of incubation experiments demonstrate that PC synthesis is induced by pyruvate and repressed by TCA cycle intermediates, with negative control dominating over positive control. The content of PC in R. capsulatus cells was also directly related to the growth rate in continuous cultures. The analysis of intracellular levels of pyruvate and TCA cycle intermediates in cells grown under different conditions demonstrated that the content of PC is directly proportional to the ratio between pyruvate and C4 dicarboxylates. These results suggest that the regulation of PC synthesis by oxygen and its direct correlation with growth rate may reflect effects on the balance of intracellular pyruvate and C4 dicarboxylates. Thus, this important enzyme is potentially regulated both allosterically and at the level of synthesis.