Thermal stability of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in Drosophila

Thermal stability of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase-1 (-Gpdh-1) in nine Drosophila species was studied at pH's ranging from 6.4 to 8.5. This was done by measuring the changes in the activity of enzymes during the heat denaturation process. In addition to temperature, the rate of denaturation is highly dependent on the pH of the incubation buffer. The results of this study show that the thermal stability of enzyme molecules is different in different species. This holds true also in the species in which the enzymes have been found to be identical by other means. The differences between species of the Drosophila virilis group are discussed.This study was supported by funds from the National Research Council of Sciences of Finland.     

Genetics and ontogeny of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase isozymes in Drosophila melanogaster

-Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) occurs in Drosophila melanogaster in three isozymic forms. These are separable by starch gel electrophoresis and have been tentatively numbered 1, 2, and 3. GPDH-1 is most concentrated in the adult thorax and GPDH-3 in the abdomen; 1 and 3 are in approximately equal amounts in the head. GPDH-2 is relatively weak in all preparations. In larvae, only GPDH-3 is present. Purified GPDH-1 has optimal activity at pH 6.7–7.0. GPDH-3 at pH 7.5, and GPDH-2 is intermediate. Changes in total GPDH activity parallel larval growth, pupal histolysis, and differentiation of adult tissues. In the latter period the ratio of activity at pH 6.7 to pH 7.6 increases, reflecting the shift from GPDH-3 to GPDH-1. Two types of homozygous GPDH patterns which differ in the electrophoretic mobilities of all three isozymes have been found in inbred strains. In heterozygous adults six bands, the parental forms of GPDH-1 and GPDH-3 and hybrid forms of each, can be resolved. Analysis of F₂ and backcross progeny suggests that a single genetic locus affects all three isozymes. Heterozygous embryos have only the maternal form of GPDH-3 until just before they hatch as first instar larvae. At this stage they have maternal and paternal GPDH-3 plus an intermediate band.This project was supported in part by National Institutes of Health research grant GM-15597.     

The NAD-linked α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase of trypanosomes

NAD-linked α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase plays a key role in the α-glycerophosphate cycle of $\text{Trypanosoma brucei}$. The activity in cell lysates was ample for this role. The enzyme was activated by salts (e.g. MgCl₂ or NaCl); it had a broad pH-optimum for the reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate centred at pH 7.4, with an apparent K_m of 0.5 mM; and it was weakly bound to particulate components of cell lysates. The enzyme from $\text{T. vivax}$ was similar to that of $\text{T. brucei}$. These trypanosomal enzymes resemble that of the trypanosomatid $\text{Crithidia fasciculata}$, but are rather different from the enzymes of mammals, birds and insects.     

The distribution of monoamine oxidase and α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in pig brain

Activities of the enzymes monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4), alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.5) and cytochrome oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) were determined in homogenates and in the mitochondrial fraction prepared from individual regions of pig brain. The variation in the activity of alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase paralleled that of cytochrome oxidase, but this was not the case with monoamine oxidase. The differences in the activities of the enzymes among homogenates of the various regions of the brain persisted in mitochondria prepared from these homogenates. The purification of these three enzymes paralleled each other when mitochondria were prepared, suggesting that the three enzymes are bound to the same particles.     

Heat stability studies at the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus in populations of Drosophila melanogaster

The level of hidden variation in populations of Drosophila melanogaster at the Gpdh ⁺ locus was determined by thermal stability studies of the protein. The results indicate a lack of variation using these methods both in and between the two common electrophoretic variants. It is suggested that -GPDH is conserved in primary structure, which may be related to its critical role in flight muscle metabolism.This investigation was supported by NIH Research Grants No. GM-11546 and GM-23617. Paper No. 5262 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607.     

Relationship between α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity and metabolic rate during flight in Drosophila melanogaster

Measurements of wing-beat frequency (WBF) have been used to characterize flight muscle metabolic rate in Drosophila melanogaster during tethered flight. Progeny of crosses between 17 X-chromosome substitution lines and three null-activity stocks have been studied in order to determine the effect on flight metabolism of sharply reduced activity of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH). It was found that flies with an approximate 50% reduction in GPDH activity have a metabolic rate that is, in most cases, indistinguishable from that of wild-type flies and, in the most extreme cases, reduced by only 4%. These results demonstrate that Gpdh is not a major gene for flight metabolism, in the quantitative genetic sense of the term. These results are in agreement with the Kacser and Burns (1973, 1979, 1981) theory of flux, which postulates that the activity of an enzyme embedded in a multienzyme pathway can sometimes vary from wild-type to very low levels (perhaps 5–10% wild type) with no significant effect on flux through the total pathway.This research was supported by several grants to JWC: NSF Grant 8211667, a grant from the Graduate School, University of Minnesota, and a Research Career Development Award from the NIH.     

A comparative study of enzyme activity variation between α-glycerophosphate and alcoholdehydrogenases in Drosophila melanogaster

An intraspecific comparison of -glycerophosphate (-GPDH: E.C.1.1.1.8) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH: E.C.1.1.1.1) enzyme activity levels was carried out in Drosophila melanogaster. The results indicate that (1) -GPDH is a relatively conservative and ADH a relatively variable enzyme system with regard to structurally determined activity variation but that (2) the conservative nature of -GPDH activity variation does not extend to the intra-genotypic level. The results are consistent with the view that different kinds of selective pressures are being exerted on the enzyme's structural and modifier gene loci.     

Menadione-linked α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity of motoneurons in rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus neuron pools

After injection of horseradish peroxidase into the soleus (slow twitch) and extensor digitorum longus (fast twitch) muscles, glycolytic enzyme activity as reflected by -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity of labeled motoneurons in the neuron pool was examined. No differences were found in glycolytic enzyme activity of motoneurons between slow twitch and fast twitch neuron pools.     

Linkage studies on α-glycerophosphate and isocitrate dehydrogenases in Aedes albopictus (diptera: Culicidae)

Linkage studies were carried out on -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (-GPDH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) in the mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus. Only one locus coding for -GPDH was revealed on agar gels by applying adult homogenates. Two loci for IDH were observed using either fourth-instar larvae, pupae, or adults. This study was restricted to the more anodal Idh-2 of the two loci, and -Gpdh. Both -Gpdh and Idh-2 encode dimeric enzymes. Thirteen backcrosses indicated that the -Gpdh and Idh-2 loci are arranged in linkage group 2 in the following order: p (pigmented pupa)—(ca. 2 map units)—Wb (white-body)—(7.5–17.8)—Idh-2—(13.1)—-Gpdh. Females exhibited more recombination than males.This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Co-operative Research from the Ministry of Education, Japan.     

Extensive variation at the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus in species of waterstriders (Gerridae: Hemiptera)

Variation at the -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (-Gpdh; EC 1.1.1.8) locus was surveyed in 11 species of waterstriders (Gerridae: Hemiptera) and five other species of aquatic Hemiptera. Species of waterstriders exhibited considerable inter- and intraspecific variation in degree of winglessness. Average heterozygosity (0.401±0.090) and average number of observed electromorphs (5.36±0.96) for the 11 gerrid species were well above values reported for nearly all other insect species surveyed to date. Wing-monomorphic and wing-polymorphic species did not differ in average -Gpdh heterozygosity. Of the three wing-polymorphic species surveyed geographically, two species exhibited marked variation in wing-morph frequencies but homogeneous -Gpdh allele frequencies. The third species exhibited geographically homogeneous -Gpdh and wing-morph frequencies, but no significant association between -Gpdh phenotype and wing morph was observed in any surveyed population. These results are consistent with hypotheses evoking either relaxed purifying selection at the -Gpdh locus in species of Gerridae due to the apparent reduced importance of flight, or selective maintenance of common -Gpdh electromorphs.This work was supported by NSF Grant DEB 76-20967 to Alan H. Brush, funds from the Research Foundation of the University of Connecticut to Carl W. Schaefer, and USPHS Grant GM 21133 to Richard K. Koehn.     

Polymorphism and predictability at the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus in Colias butterflies: Gradients in allele frequency within single populations

Heterozygosity at the -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus of five species of Colias butterflies is widespread in montane populations; alpine and lowland populations are not heterozygous. Within a single demographically characterized population of C. meadii where the population extends from alpine down into montane habitats, a marked cline in allele frequency is seen. Such within-population clines suggest the involvement of strong selection across the marked ecological interface. Thermal factors are the most likely causative agents, but associative overdominance is not excluded.This work was supported by grants from Washington University, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.CIW-DPB Publication No. 562.     

Polymorphism at the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Properties of adult allozymes

A biochemical comparison was made between alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase allozymes from Drosophila melanogaster. Enzymes extracted from the three major genotypes were indistinguishable in terms of their pH optima and thermal stabilities. Distinctive differences were observed for three parameters; temperature dependence of specific activity, temperature dependence of K-m, and reaction rate constancy over a physiological temperature range. These results are discussed in terms of a model of balancing selection and the existence of spatial and temporal allele frequency clines in natural populations.     

On the subsarcolemmal localization of phenazine ethosulfate-linked α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity in pigeon pectoralis white muscle fibres

Summary In this study frozen sections of avian striated muscles were incubated for mitochondrial -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (-GPD) reaction, and the effect of menadione, phenazine methosulfate (PMS) or phenazine ethosulfate (PES) as intermediate electron acceptors was evaluated. Under histochemical conditions, PMS or PES-linked -GPD reaction was poor in the chicken posterior latissimus dorsi and chicken pectoralis muscles. However, PMS or PES-linked -GPD reaction was present characteristically in ths subsarcolemmal mitochondria of the broad white fibres of the pigeon pectoralis muscle only; the subsarcolemmal mitochondria of the narrow red fibres lacked such a reaction pattern. The above reaction pattern, however, differed when compared with the menadione-linked -GPD reaction. The present histochemical evidence suggests the existence of an inherent heterogeneity in the mitochondrial populations of the different avian striated muscle fibres studied.     

The α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-gpdh) polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster: adult survival under temperature stress

Summary As a test of the hypothesis that adult temperature stress is an important component of natural selection maintaining the -gpdh polymorphism, we have looked for differential survival among genotypes subjected to (i) heat shock and (ii) cold shock. Factorial ANOVAR, taking account of genotype, sex and temperature-stress indicated that genotype did not contribute to the variance of survival proportion per vial. We have not therefore found evidence to support our hypothesis. Incidental to the above was a significant sex-temperature interaction. Thus, adult females showed higher survival than males under heat stress, while under cold stress, there was no indication of a survival difference between the sexes.     

Sequential changes in rat liver nuclear tri-iodothyronine receptors and mitochondrial α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity after administeration of tri-iodothyronine

The dynamics of the induction of nuclear tri-iodothyronine receptors and mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase were studied in rat liver after a single injection of tri-iodothyronine. The maximal binding capacity (C(max.)) and association constant (K(a)) of the nuclear receptors were determined by Scatchard analyses with and without correction for the endogenous tri-iodothyronine measured by radioimmunoassay. The administration of tri-iodothyronine induced sequential increases in the concentration of nuclear receptors and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity in the liver. The nuclear-receptor concentration was increased to 2.5 times that in the hypothyroid rat 1 day after the administration of hormone, and then decreased, with a half-life of about 2 days. alpha-Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity changed in parallel with the nuclear-receptor concentration, showing a delayed response. The total amount of non-histone protein in the liver was significantly increased 3 days after the administration. It seems likely therefore that the tri-iodothyronine-induced increase in nuclear-receptor concentration is responsible, at least in part, for the induction of this enzyme. The possibility is also suggested that nuclear receptors may be one of the non-histone proteins selectively synthesized at an early stage of the hormonal stimulation. Throughout the time course, the K(a) values of the nuclear receptors for tri-iodothyronine remained unchanged, when corrected for endogenous tri-iodothyronine bound to the non-histone proteins, although they were apparently changed when the correction was not made. The results obtained provide further evidence for hormonal modulation of the nuclear receptors which is closely linked with the hormonal effect.     

A possible localization of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase to the inner boundary membrane of mitochondria in livers from rats fed with ethanol

Summary The morphology and respiration of liver mitochondria were studied in rats fed with ethanol for eight months. Morphometric analysis shows an increase of the volume fraction of mitochondria, a decrease of the density of crista membranes but the density of surface area remained unaltered in the ethanol treated rats as compared to the controls. The ethanol treatment caused a reduced capacity of the mitochondria to oxidize succinate. The capacity to oxidize -glycerophosphate remained unchanged.As it is known that succinate dehydrogenase as well as -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase are bound to the inner mitochondrial membrane, different localization is proposed of the two enzymes in this membrane. Thus, there is a good correlation between the reduction of inner mitochondrial membrane and succinate oxidation. As the activity of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase remained unchanged, this enzyme should be localized to that part of the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is called inner boundary membrane, and which is not altered by the ethanol treatment.The work is a part of investigations made possible by financial support from the Swedish Medical Research Council, Project No. B71-12Y-2364-04.     

The effect of some glycolytic intermediates and long-chain acyl-CoA esters on rat skeletal muscle mitochondrial α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase

Summary -Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (sn-glycerol-3-phosphate: acceptor oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.99.5) activity in mitochondria isolated from rat skeletal muscle has been studied. The pH optimum of the enzyme activity was about 7.4 and the apparent K_m value for DL--glycerophosphate was approxinately 1.6mm. The activity of this enzyme was found to be inhibited by DL-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate and 3-phosphoglycerate in a competitive manner: the apparent K_i values at pH 7.4 being 0.3mm, 1.5mm and 4.0mm respectively. The enzyme was found to be more sensitive to phosphoenolpyruvate at pH 7.0 than 7.6.The activity of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in rat skeletal muscle was also inhibited by palmitoyl-CoA and stearoyl-CoA in a competitive manner. The K_i values being about 9.0 m for both metabolites. This inhibition was partly reversed by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions. Palmitoylcarnitine also exerted inhibitory effect on -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity but palmitate, carnitine and CoA added alone was without effect. It is proposed that the activity of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in rat skeletal muscle mitochondria may be controlled by changes of the cytosolic levels of some glycolytic intermediates and long-chain acyl-CoA esters. These results are discussed with respect to the regulation of -glycerophosphate shuttle activity in skeletal muscle.     

Relationship between α-L-fucosidase deficiency in plasma and α-L-fucosidase activity in leukocytes

Summary After testing a population sample of 185 hospitalized Italian children for the plasma -L-fucosidase deficiency and establishing an approximate threshold value between heterozygotes and wild-type homozygotes, we analyzed by two statistical methods the distribution of the two genotypes. The results obtained by probit analysis agree with threshold and average values expected on the basis of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.In addition, the level of -fucosidase in leukocytes of 12 individuals with deficiency of -fucosidase in plasma was found to be significantly lower than that of 61 controls (P<0.005). These results indicate that the mutation(s) causing a deficiency of -fucosidase in plasma is (are) also expressed in leukocytes.     

Studies on α-Glucosidase in Rice

Two kinds of αglucosidase which were homogeneous in disc electrophoretic and ultra-centrifugal analysis were isolated from rice seeds by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation and CM-cellulose, Sephadex G–100 and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and designated as α-glucosidase I and α-glucosidase II.

Both α-glucosidases hydrolyzed maltose and soluble starch to glucose and showed same optimal pH (4.0) on the both substrates. In addition, both enzymes acted on various α-linked gluco-oligosaccharides and soluble starch but little or not on α-linked hetero-glucosides and α-l,6-glucan (dextran).

Activity of the enzymes on maltose and soluble starch was inhibited by Tris and erythritol. α-Glucosidase II was more sensitive to the inhibitors than α-glucosidase I.

Km value for maltose was 1.1 mM for α-glucosidase I and 2.0 mM for α-glucosidase II.