Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase: physicochemical characteristics of the nucleotide binding site, as deduced from fluorescent spectroscopy measurements

Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase [ATP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.49] is inactivated by the fluorescent sulfhydryl reagent N-(iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine (1,5-IAEDANS). The inactivation reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to active enzyme to less than 10% remaining enzyme activity, with a second-order inactivation rate constant of 2.6 min-1 mM-1 at pH 7.5 and 30 degrees C. A stoichiometry of 1.05 mol of reagent incorporated per mole of enzyme subunit was found for the completely inactivated enzyme. Almost complete protection of the enzyme activity and of dansyl label incorporation are afforded by MnADP or MnATP, thus suggesting that 1,5-IAEDANS interacts with an enzyme sulfhydryl group at the nucleotide binding site. The fluorescence decay of the AEDANS attached to the protein shows a single-exponential behavior with a lifetime of 18 ns. A comparison of the fluorescence band position and the fluorescence decay with those of the adduct AEDANS-acetylcysteine indicates a reduced polarity for the microenvironment of the substrate binding site. The quenching of the AEDANS moiety in the protein can be described in terms of a collisional and a static component. The rate constant for the collisional component is much lower than that obtained for the adduct in a medium of reduced polarity. These last results indicate that the AEDANS moiety is considerably shielded from the solvent when it is covalently attached to PEPCK.     

Affinity labeling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of ATP

Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase [ATP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.49] is completely inactivated by the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of ATP (oATP) in the presence of Mn2+. The dependence of the pseudo-first-order rate constant on reagent concentration indicates the formation of a reversible complex with the enzyme (Kd = 60 +/- 17 microM) prior to covalent modification. The maximum inactivation rate constant at pH 7.5 and 30 degrees C is 0.200 +/- 0.045 min-1. ATP or ADP plus phosphoenolpyruvate effectively protect the enzyme against inactivation. oATP is a competitive inhibitor toward ADP, suggesting that oATP interacts with the enzyme at the substrate binding site. The partially inactivated enzyme shows an unaltered Km but a decreased V as compared with native phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Analysis of the inactivation rate at different H+ concentrations allowed estimation of a pKa of 8.1 for the reactive amino acid residue in the enzyme. Complete inactivation of the carboxykinase can be correlated with the incorporation of about one mole of [8-14C]oATP per mole of enzyme subunit. The results indicate that oATP can be used as an affinity label for yeast phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.     

Acinar zonation of cytosolic but not organelle-bound activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and aspartate aminotransferase in guinea-pig liver.

In human liver, unlike in rat liver, there is no apparent acinar heterogeneity of total cellular activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase [Wimmer, Luttringer & Columbi (1990) Histochemistry 93, 409-415]. Since the intracellular compartmentation of phosphoenolpyruvate carbonxykinase differs in rat and human liver, we examined the acinar heterogeneity of cytosolic and organelle-bound activities of this enzyme in the guinea pig, which shows a more similar intracellular compartmentation of enzyme activity to human liver than does the rat. Cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was higher in periportal than in perivenous hepatocytes, whereas the organelle-bound activity was similar in the two cell populations. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities showed a similar distribution to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, with a higher cytosolic activity in periportal than in perivenous hepatocytes but a similar organelle-bound activity in the two cell populations. Data on the acinar zonation of enzymes determined in whole cells or tissue should be interpreted cautiously if the enzyme activity is present in more than one subcellular compartment.     

Effect of triamcinolone on renal and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the newborn rat. Changes in the rate of synthesis of the enzyme and in the activity of its translatable messenger RNA.

The effects of triamcinolone on renal and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in the developing rat were investigated. The hormone induced increases in pre-existing enzyme activity of both tissues in fetal and neonatal rats, yet did not cause the primary appearance of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in utero. Neonatal hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was increased 2--3 fold by triamcinolone form the 3rd to the 15th postnatal day. This was shown to be additive to the effect of Bt2cAMP on enzyme activity. The increases in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity were demonstrated to be due to increased synthesis of the enzyme, which was accompanied by a proportionate increase in the amount of functional phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA, as measured by the polyribosomal and poly(A)-containing RNA directed cell-free synthesis of the enzyme. The demonstration of a triamcinolone effect on kidney and liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in fetal and neonatal rats provides support for a possible role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity during development.     

Hormonal control of renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity during development of the rat.

The effect of injections of hormones in utero on fetal rat kidney and liver extramitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity has been studied. Glucagon and thyroxine induced the liber enzyme but none of the hormones tested affected the renal enzyme. In the postnatal rat, the hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate barboxykinase activity is increased after triamcinolone or thyroxine injection but only triamcinolone injection increases the activity of the kidney enzyme. It is suggested that the rise in renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity at about 10 days of age is due to the increase in blood corticosterone content occurring at the same age.     

An active-site lysine in avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The participation of lysine in the catalysis by avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied by chemical modification and by a characterization of the modified enzyme. The rate of inactivation by 2,4-pentanedione is pseudo-first-order and linearly dependent on reagent concentration with a second-order rate constant of 0.36 +/- 0.025 M-1 min-1. Inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate of the reversible reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase follows bimolecular kinetics with a second-order rate constant of 7700 +/- 860 M-1 min-1. A second-order rate constant of inactivation for the irreversible reaction catalyzed by the enzyme is 1434 +/- 110 M-1 min-1. Treatment of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate gives incorporation of 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mole of enzyme or one lysine residue modified concomitant with 100% loss in activity. A stoichiometry of 1:1 is observed when either the reversible or the irreversible reactions catalyzed by the enzyme are monitored. A study of kobs vs pH suggests this active-site lysine has a pKa of 8.1 and a pH-independent rate constant of inactivation of 47,700 M-1 min-1. The phosphate-containing substrates IDP, ITP, and phosphoenolpyruvate offer almost complete protection against inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Modified, inactive enzyme exhibits little change in Mn2+ binding as shown by EPR. Proton relaxation rate measurements suggest that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modification alters binding of the phosphate-containing substrates. 31P NMR relaxation rate measurements show altered binding of the substrates in the ternary enzyme.Mn2+.substrate complex. Circular dichroism studies show little change in secondary structure of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modified phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. These results indicate that avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has one reactive lysine at the active site and it is involved in the binding and activation of the phosphate-containing substrates.     

Cysteine 288: an essential hyperreactive thiol of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP)

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the cytosol of rat liver has 13 cysteines, at least one of which is known to be very reactive and essential for catalytic activity (Carlson, G. M., Colombo, G., and Lardy, H. A. (1978) Biochemistry 17, 5329-5338). In order to identify the essential cysteine, this enzyme was modified with the fluorescent sulfhydryl reagent N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)maleimide. Incubation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with a 10% molar excess of this maleimide at 0 degrees C results in the rapid and nearly complete loss of catalytic activity. Under these conditions, 1 mol of the maleimide is incorporated per mol inactivated enzyme. The substrate GDP provides almost complete protection against inactivation and modification, while phosphoenolpyruvate protects against the rate, but not the extent, of modification. The pH dependence of the rate of enzyme inactivation suggests that the modified residue has a pK alpha of approximately 7.0. Purification and sequencing of the labeled peptide identifies the hyperreactive essential cysteine as Cys-288. This cysteine lies between two putative phosphoryl-binding domains and within a hydrophobic sequence.     

Stimulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (guanosine triphosphate) activity by low concentrations of circulating glucose in perfused rat liver.

1. After nicotinic acid treatment, rat liver glycogen is depleted and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity increased, to about twice the initial value. 2. The increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity promoted by nicotinic acid is prevented by cycloheximide or actinomycin D, suggesting that this effect is produced by synthesis of the enzyme de novo. 3. Despite the enhancement of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity and glycogen depletion, which occurs 5h after the injection of nicotinic acid, the gluconeogenic capacity of liver is low and considerably less than the values found in rats starved for 48h. 4. When the livers of well-fed rats are perfused in the presence of low concentrations of glucose, the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase significantly increases compared with the control. 5. This increase is not related to the glycogen content, but seems to be also the result of synthesis of the enzyme de novo, since this effect is counteracted by previous treatment with cycloheximide or actinomycin D. 6. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity is not increased in the presence of low concentrations of circulating glucose when 40 mM-imidazole (an activator of phosphodiesterase) is added to the perfusion medium. 7. Addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP to the perfusion medium results in an increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity, in spite of the presence of normal concentrations of circulating glucose. On the other hand, the concentration of cyclic AMP in the liver increases when that of glucose in the medium is low. 8. These results suggest that, in the absence of hormonal factors, the regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase can be accomplished by glucose itself, inadequate concentrations of it resulting in the induction of the enzyme. The mediator in this regulation, as in hormonal regulation, seems to be cyclic AMP.     

High glucose concentration and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in human and rat fetal liver cultures.

In cultures of human and rat fetal liver, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity increases during the first 24 hr of culturing. This increase can be suppressed by adding cycloheximide to the culture medium or by adding a high glucose concentration. This, however, applies only to human fetal liver and to fetal liver from rats obtained just before term. In younger rat fetal liver, glucose, on the contrary, increases the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. A high glucose concentration in the medium also leads to higher citrate cleavage enzyme activity and to lower alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (cytoplasmic) activity in rat fetal liver cultures.     

Activation of liver cytosol phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by Ca2+ through intracellular redistribution of Mn2+

Calcium has no known direct effect on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from rat liver cytosol. However, addition of calcium salts to liver postnuclear supernatant led to an increase in assayable enzyme activity in cytosols. This indicates that mitochondria and microsomes present in postnuclear supernatant can participate in observed enzyme activation. The stimulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was prevented by the manganese complexion 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol, was not additive with activation by MnCl2 and was inhibited by La3+, Sr2+ and ruthenium red. These data indicate that manganese and mitochondrial or microsomal calcium carriers participate in the mechanism of indirect calcium effect. Measuring of manganese content in cytosols directly, by atomic absorption spectrometry, has provided evidence that there is a pool of manganese associated with mitochondrial and microsomal fraction of rat liver that can be mobilized to the cytosol by calcium ions. The direct addition of this pool of manganese to the cytosol caused the stimulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity to the same levels as did calcium ions in the postnuclear supernatant. It is postulated that calcium can effect enzyme activity indirectly by releasing manganese from specific cellular compartments into the cytosol.     

Increase in level of functional messenger RNA coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) during induction by cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate.

The administration of N6, O2'-dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline to fasted-refed rats produces an 8-fold stimulation of the relative rate of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis in 90 min, as measured by isotopic immunochemical techniques in vivo. The mechanism of this induction was studied first by using a homologous, noninitiating cell-free protein-synthesizing system derived from the liver of fasted-refed, cyclic AMP-treated rats. In such a system, a 5-fold increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase synthseis is observed at 20 min post-treatment and a 9-fold stimulation at 75 min, indicating a rapid increase in the number of ribosomes engaged in the translation of the enzyme mRNA after exposure to cyclic AMP. The level of functional mRNA coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was then assayed in a wheat germ protein-synthesizing system capable of using rat liver mRNA as template. The template activity for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis is greatly increased in the poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from cyclic AMP-induced animals. Both the increase in the capacity of the liver extract for in vitro phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis and the emergence of enzyme mRNA detected in the wheat germ assay are completely prevented by a pretreatment with cordycepin at doses which inhibit the appearance in the cytoplasm of newly synthesized poly(A)-containing RNA. These data demonstrate that the induction of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by cyclic AMP is characterized by the rapid build-up of newly synthesized, actively translated mRNA coding for the enzyme. The messenger accumulation could be due to an increase in the rate of its production or a decrease in the rate of its degradation.     

Arginine residues at the active site of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The presence of arginine at the active site of avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied by chemical modification followed by a characterization of the modified enzyme. The arginine-specific reagents phenylglyoxal, 2,3-butanedione, and 1,2-cyclohexanedione all irreversibly inhibit the enzyme with second-order rate constants of 3.42 M-1 min-1, 3.13 M-1 min-1 and 0.313 M-1 min-1, respectively. The substrates phosphoenolpyruvate, IDP, and the activator Mn2+ offer little to modest protection from inhibition. Either CO2 or CO2 in the presence of any of the other substrates elicited potent protection against modification. Protection by CO2 against modification by phenylglyoxal or 1,2-cyclohexanedione gave a biphasic pattern. Rapid loss in activity to 40-60% occurred, followed by a very slow loss. Kinetics of inhibition suggest that the modification of arginine is specific and leads to loss of enzymatic activity. Substrate protection studies indicate an arginine residue(s) at the CO2 site of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Apparently no arginine residues are at the binding site of the phosphate-containing substrates. Partially inactive (40-60% activity) enzyme, formed in the presence of CO2, has a slight change of its kinetic constants, and no alteration of its binding parameters or secondary structure as demonstrated by kinetic, proton relaxation rate, and circular dichroism studies. Labeling of enzyme with [(7-)14C]phenylglyoxal in the presence of CO2 (40-60% activity) showed 2 mol of phenylglyoxal/enzyme or 1 arginine or cysteine residue modified. Labeling of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the absence of CO2 yielded 6 mol of label/enzyme. Labeling results indicate that avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has 2 or 3 reactive arginine residues out of a total of 52 and only 1 or 2 are located at the active site and are involved in CO2 binding and activation.     

Induction by cAMP of the mRNA encoding the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) from the chicken. Identification and characterization of a cDNA clone for the enzyme

Previous work from our laboratory (Hod, Y., Utter, M. F., and Hanson, R. W. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 13787-13794) has demonstrated that chicken kidney contains both mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) and that the two forms are distinct proteins. Using poly(A+) RNA from chicken kidney, a double-stranded cDNA library was constructed. DNA clones containing sequences complementary to the mRNA for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were initially identified by colony hybridization with 32P-labeled cDNA transcribed from an RNA fraction enriched for the enzyme mRNA. The identity of plasmids containing phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase cDNA was confirmed by hybrid-selected translation. Mature mRNA for cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase of the chicken is 2.8 kilobases in length, similar to that previously noted for mRNA coding for the same enzyme in the rat. The cDNA for the chicken enzyme hybridizes with several restriction fragments of the corresponding cDNA for the rat cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, indicating conservation of nucleotide sequences during evolution. Wide spread conservation of sequence homology is also demonstrated by the hybridization of the cDNA for the rat phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with a 2.8-kilobase RNA from the livers of a variety of vertebrates including amphibian, avian, and primate species. Specific mRNA coding for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was present in chicken kidney but absent from the liver, even in animals starved for 48 h. However, the administration of cAMP to normal fed chickens caused a rapid induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA. These findings suggest that the gene for the cytosolic enzyme in chicken liver can be expressed if the proper hormonal stimuli are present.     

Partial purification and characterization of rat-liver messenger RNA coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP).

The mRNA coding for the gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) was partially purified from the liver of cyclic-AMP-treated rats by a procedure involving multiple oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatographies and sucrose gradient fractionations. The purification was monitored by translational assay using a wheat germ extract. Relative to RNA bound once to oligo(dT)-cellulose, the final material was enriched 20-fold in template activity for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis. With this RNA preparation, cell-free enzyme synthesis amounted to 5% of total mRNA-directed protein synthesis. The apparent sedimentation coefficient of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA in sucrose gradients was between 20 and 22 S, corresponding to an average molecular weight of 0.93 X 10(6). By formamide/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the molecular weight of the enzyme mRNA was estimated at between 0.91 X 10(6) and 1.12 X 10(6). From these estimates, it was concluded that considerable non-coding sequence(s) are present in the mRNA. Approximately 20% of the enzyme mRNA in rat liver failed to bind to oligo(dT)-cellulose, presumably because of the absence of a poly(A) segment. The translation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA by the wheat germ extract was inhibited in the presence of 7-methylguanosine 5'-phosphate. The enzyme mRNA appears therefore to have a 'cap' at the 5' end.     

Degradation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (guanosine triphosphate) in vivo and in vitro

1. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) in the cytosol fraction of liver was labelled in young rats by the injection of [(3)H]leucine and then isolated with specific antibody. Antibody-antigen precipitates from ;pulse'-labelled animals and from animals in which the content of radioactive enzyme had been decreased by a period of degradation were separated by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gels. No radioactive breakdown products were found. 2. (3)H-labelled phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) was purified from rat liver and used to measure degradation in vitro. There was first a loss of catalytic activity, then a disappearance of immunological activity and finally a loss of solubility before any evidence of proteolytic cleavage. Proteolytic-cleavage fragments, when found, were also insoluble. 3. An analysis of the subcellular location of enzyme inactivation showed that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) was stable when incubated with liver cytosol fraction and was inactivated most rapidly by the microsomal fraction. 4. We propose that denaturation of the enzyme is the rate-limiting step in degradation in vivo, and precedes proteolytic cleavage when the enzyme is incubated with liver preparations in vitro.     

Activation and inactivation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by ferrous ions.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from rat liver cytosol is activated by Fe2+ ions in either direction of catalysis. Preincubation of the purified enzyme with Fe2+ ions causes a time-dependent irreversible loss of activity; this is not seen with unpurified enzyme. Purified enzyme can be protected from inactivation by Fe2+ ions by partially purified protein fractions from liver (ferroactivator fractions). The possible role of ferroactivator and Fe2+ ions in regulating phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is discussed.     

Postmaturity in the rat: phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities in the fetal liver.

Liver glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were increased in the postmature rat fetus (23.5 day old) when compared to term rat fetus (21.5 day old). Postmaturity was without effect on liver phosphorylase activity. The three liver enzyme activities were also determined in normal 2 day old neonates. These results are correlated with the mobilisation of fetal liver glycogen occuring during postmaturity in the rat and are discussed in relation to the secretory pattern of the pancreatic hormones.