Light-stimulated synthesis of NADP malic enzyme in leaves of maize

Illumination of etiolated maize plants for 80 h brings about a 15-20-fold increase in activity of NADP malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40). Increases in NADP malic enzyme protein and in the level of translatable mRNA for this protein occur simultaneously with the activity increase. Radiolabeled amino acids are also incorporated into NADP malic enzyme during this time. These results are consistent with the conclusion that an increase in NADP malic enzyme activity during greening results from de novo synthesis of NADP malic enzyme protein. Polyadenylated RNA extracted from greening maize leaves directs the synthesis in vitro of a protein 12,000 daltons larger than NADP malic enzyme purified from corn leaves. This protein is a precursor of NADP malic enzyme because 1) both the precursor and mature NADP malic enzyme are immunoprecipitated by antibody made against NADP malic enzyme purified from corn leaves, 2) both NADP malic enzyme protein and the level of mRNA for the precursor increase during greening, and 3) peptide maps of the precursor and of mature NADP malic enzyme are very similar. Mature NADP malic enzyme and its precursor (synthesized in vitro) both migrate on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gels as doublet bands. Peptide analyses show all bands to be structurally related.     

Involvement of diminution of glutathione, produced by deficiency of methionine in the diet, in the elevation of malic enzyme level in rat liver

Rats fed on a low protein diet show an increase in the specific activity of malic enzyme and a concomitant decrease of glutathione concentration. We have studied the effect on malic enzyme activity of supplementing of low protein diet with essential amino acids. Only when methionine was excluded from the diet did the specific activity of malic enzyme increase to the same extent as found in rats fed with low protein diet. Immunoprecipitation of malic enzyme indicated that specific activity changes are the result of changes in the amounts of enzyme. Under all dietary conditions studied, the increase in malic enzyme activity is associated with a decrease in the concentration of GSH. To evaluate the possible causative role of GSH in malic enzyme induction, the specific activity of malic enzyme was measured in rats treated with BSO, an inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis. The results show that in BSO-treated rats the decrease of GSH levels is also accompanied by an increase in the activity of malic enzyme.     

Dietary induction of hepatic malic enzyme activity: differentiation of the induction process

The activity of rat liver malic enzyme shows a marked increase when the animals are maintained on a restricted protein diet. Of the NADP-linked dehydrogenases tested (malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase), the response is confined only to malic enzyme. Dietary sucrose is not required for the increase in activity, but elevated dietary levels of this disaccharide increase hepatic malic enzyme regardless of dietary protein. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is increased by dietary sucrose provided adequate dietary protein is supplied. The specificity of the response to lowered dietary protein shown by malic enzyme suggests that the control of the hepatic enzyme is mediated by processes different from those controlling the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.     

Clofibrate feeding increases cytoplasmic but not mitochondrial malic enzyme activity in rat kidney cortex

Administration of clofibrate for 21 days to rats increased the malic enzyme activity in the kidney cortex by about 80 per cent. This effect seems to be specific since the drug did not alter significantly the activity either of lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase or total mitochondrial protein content in this organ. The increase in activity of malic enzyme in the 13,000 g supernatant (extramitochondrial) fraction in rats treated with the drug was about 80 per cent, whereas in the pellet (mitochondrial fraction) it was about 40 per cent. The specific activity of malic enzyme in the kidney cortex cytosol from clofibrate-treated rats was about twice that in controls. In contrast clofibrate treatment did not affect its specific activity in isolated mitochondria. Calculations showed that 0.57 and 0.53 mumoles min-1 g-1 wet tissue of mitochondrial malic enzyme was obtained in control and clofibrate-treated rats respectively. Thus, clofibrate feeding increases the amount of cytoplasmic but not mitochondrial malic enzyme activity.     

Changes in immunoreactive malic enzyme in liver and brown adipose tissue during development of the rat

There is a good correlation between changes in malic enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein in both hepatic and brown adipose tissue during postnatal development of the rat. Furthermore, the previously observed premature appearance of hepatic malic enzyme during the suckling period, in response to triiodothyronine, can also be achieved through dichloroacetate administration. A combination of triiodothyronine and dichloroacetate induces malic enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein in a synergistic manner, indicating different sites of action in the control of synthesis of hepatic malic enzyme although neither agent was found to affect the level of malic enzyme in brown adipose tissue. There is evidence to suggest that changes in the ability of the liver to express malic enzyme in response to triiodothyronine administration occur early in postnatal life.     

Fixation of carbon dioxide in the dark by the malic enzyme of bean and oat stem rust uredospores

Malic enzyme was found in both bean rust and cat stem rust uredospores. In bean rust uredospores it was shown to catalyze the formation of pyruvic acid from l-malic acid and to synthesize malic acid from pyruvic acid and CO₂. The malic enzyme from bean rust uredospores was specific for NADP and dependent on manganous ions for activity. The specific activity of the bean rust malic enzyme in crude extracts of ungerminated uredospores was approximately 6 times greater than that found in crude extracts obtained from germinated uredospores. The malic enzyme was also found in extracts obtained from healthy and rust-infected bean leaves. The specific activity of the enzyme was approximately 2 to 5 times greater in partially purified extracts obtained from the infected bean tissue at 6 days after inoculation. The specific activity of the malic enzyme in crude extracts obtained from oat stem rust uredospores was 2 times greater than the specific activity of this enzyme in crude extracts obtained from bean rust uredospores. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity could not be demonstrated in crude extracts obtained from the ungerminated uredospores of the bean rust fungus.     

Possible alternative functions of rat liver malic enzyme

The induction of rat liver malic enzyme by restriction of protein intake has been studied in conjunction with the biosynthesis of fatty acids, fatty acid synthetase, glutathione reductase, and other “lipogenic” enzymes in the various experimental animals. No correlation has been detected between malic enzyme activity and lipogenesis under these conditions. Conversely, a positive correlation between malic enzyme and glutathione reductase has been noted. Possible functions of malic enzyme which appear consistent with these observations are postulated.     

Human NAD(+)-dependent mitochondrial malic enzyme. cDNA cloning, primary structure, and expression in Escherichia coli

Mitochondrial NAD(+)-dependent malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) is expressed in rapidly proliferating cells and tumor cells, where it is probably linked to the conversion of amino acid carbon to pyruvate. In this paper, we report the cDNA cloning, amino acid sequence, and expression in Escherichia coli of functional human NAD(+)-dependent mitochondrial malic enzyme. The cDNA is 1,923 base pairs long and contains an open reading frame coding for a 584-amino acid protein. The molecular mass is 65.4 kDa for the unprocessed precursor protein. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of the human protein with the published NADP(+)-dependent mammalian cytosolic or plant chloroplast malic enzymes reveals highly conserved regions interrupted with long stretches of amino acids without significant homology. Expression of the processed protein in E. coli yielded an enzyme with the same kinetic and allosteric properties as malic enzyme purified from human cells.     

Regulation of malic enzyme gene expression by nutrients,hormones, and growth factors in fetal hepatocyte primary cultures

The culture of fetal hepatocytes for 64 h in medium supplemented with 5 mM glucose, T3, insulin, and dexamethasone resulted in the coordinate precocious expression of malic enzyme mRNA, protein, and specific activity. T3 was the main inducer; meanwhile, insulin exerted a small synergistic effect when added with T3. Dexamethasone had a potentiation effect on the T3 response of malic enzyme mRNA expression regardless of the presence of insulin. This effect of dexamethasone on T3 response of malic enzyme mRNA expression was time (64 h) and glucose dependent. Glucagon, and to a greater degree dibutyryl-cAMP, repressed malic enzyme mRNA as well as protein expression by T3 and dexamethasone, in the absence of insulin. Glucose and other carbon sources such as lactate-pyruvate or dihydroxyacetone induced the abundance of malic enzyme mRNA in the absence of hormones. Insulin and T3 produced a high accumulation of malic enzyme mRNA in lactate-pyruvate medium, this effect being decreased by dexamethasone. EGF supressed the induction produced by T3 and dexamethasone on malic enzyme mRNA, while the expression of β-actin mRNA remained essentially unmodified. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Changes of malic enzyme activity in the developing rat brain are due to both the increase of mitochondrial protein content and the increase of specific activity.

1. The pattern of NADP-linked malic enzyme activity estimated in the whole brain homogenate did not parallel that found in liver of developing rat. 2. Studies on intracellular distribution of malic enzyme in brain showed that the mitochondrial enzyme increased about three-fold between 10th and 40th day of life. Thereafter, a slow gradual increase to the adult level was observed. 3. The extramitochondrial malic enzyme from brain, like the liver enzyme, increased at the time of weaning, although to a lesser extent. At day 5 the brain malic enzyme was equally distributed between mitochondria and cytosol. 4. During the postnatal development, the contribution of the mitochondrial malic enzyme in the total activity was increasing, reaching the value approx. 80% at day 150 after birth. 5. The increase with age of the malic enzyme specific activity was observed in both synaptosomal and non-synaptosomal mitochondria, the changes in the last fraction being more pronounced. 6. The activity of citrate synthase developed markedly between 10-40 postnatal days, increasing about five-fold, while the specific activity of the enzyme did change neither in the synaptosomal nor in non-synaptosomal mitochondria at this period. 7. We conclude that the changes in malic enzyme activity in the developing rat brain are mainly due both to the increase of mitochondrial protein content and to the increase of specific activity of the mitochondrial malic enzyme.     

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malic enzyme of rat liver. Purification, properties, and immunochemical studies.

Rat liver malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) was purified from livers of rats fasted and refed a high sucrose diet containing 1% desiccated thyroid powder. The purification was accomplished by a six-step procedure. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was increased 181-fold above that of the initial high speed supernatant of liver extracts. Slight additional purification of malic enzyme was achieved with preparative disc electrophoresis. The specific activities of the purified rat liver malic enzyme from the least two steps were between 28.0 and 30.5 units per mg of protein. Homogeneity of the purified enzyme was determined by disc and starch gel electrophoresis as well as sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium studies. The molecular weight and S20, w values of rat liver malic enzyme are 268,000 and 10.2, respectively. Amino acid analysis based on milligram of protein hydrolyzed yielded higher amounts of leucine and glutamic acid but lower quantities of alanine and voline per subunit than the corresponding Escherichia coli enzyme...     

Enzyme changes associated with mitoichondrial malic enzyme deficiency in mice

A genetically determined absence of mitochondrial malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) in c3H/c6H mice is accompanied by a four-fold increase in liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a two-fold increase for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activity. Smaller increases in the activity of serine dehydratase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase are observed while the level of glutamic pyruvate transaminase activity is reduced in the liver of deficient mice. Unexpectedly, the level of activity of total malic enzyme in the livers of mitochondrial malic enzyme-deficient mice is increased approximately 50% compared to littermate controls. No similar increase in soluble malic enzyme activity is observed in heart of kidney tissue of mutant mice and the levels of total malic enzyme in these tissues are in accord with expected levels of activity in mitochondrial malic enzyme-deficient mice. The divergence in levels of enzyme activity between mutant and wild-type mice begins at 19--21 days of age. Immunoinactivation experiments with monospecific antisera to the soluble malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase demonstrate that the activity increases represent increases in the amount of enzyme protein. The alterations are not consistent with a single hormonal response.     

Purification of Cytosolic Malic Enzyme from Bovine Brain, Generation of Monoclonal Antibodies, and Immunocytochemical Localization of the Enzyme in Glial Cells of Neural Primary Cultures

Abstract: Cytosolic malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) was purified from bovine brain 5,600-fold to a specific activity of 47 U/mg. The enzyme is a homotetramer with a subunit molecular mass of 60 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.2. Mouse monoclonal antibodies raised against this enzyme were purified and shown to be monospecific, as indicated by immunoblotting. Immunocytochemical examination of rat astroglia-rich primary cultures at the light microscopic level revealed colocalization of cytosolic malic enzyme with the astroglial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein. Also, a colocalization with the oligodendroglial marker myelin basic protein was found. Neurons in rat neuron-rich primary cultures did not show positive staining. The data suggest that cytosolic malic enzyme is a glial enzyme and is lacking in neurons.     

Regulation of the activity and synthesis of malic enzyme in 3T3-L1 cells

Malic enzyme activity in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells was about 20-fold greater than activity in undifferentiated cells. A new steady-state level was achieved about 8 days after initiating differentiation of confluent cultures with a 2-day exposure to dexamethasone, isobutylmethylxanthine, and insulin. This increase in enzyme activity resulted from an increase in the mass of malic enzyme as detected by immunotitration of enzyme activity with goat antiserum directed against purified rat liver malic enzyme. Malic enzyme synthesis was undetectable in undifferentiated cells and increased to about 0.2% of soluble protein in differentiated cells, suggesting that the increase in enzyme mass was due primarily to an increase in enzyme synthesis. Thyroid hormone, a potent stimulator of malic enzyme activity in hepatocytes in culture and in liver and adipose tissue in intact animals, decreased or increased malic enzyme activity in differentiating 3T3-L1 cells by about 40% when it was removed or added to the medium, respectively. Insulin, another physiologically important regulator of malic enzyme activity in vivo, had no effect on the initial rate of accumulation of malic enzyme activity in the differentiating cells and caused a 30 to 40% decrease in the final level of enzyme activity in the fully differentiated cells. Cyclic AMP, a potent inhibitor of malic enzyme synthesis in hepatocytes in culture, inhibited this process in 3T3-L1 cells by 30%. Malic enzyme is like several other enzymes in that the large increase in its concentration which accompanies differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells is due to increased synthesis of enzyme protein. However, the hormonal modulation of malic enzyme characteristic of liver and adipose tissue in intact animals does not appear to occur in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting that differentiated 3T3-L1 cells may not be an appropriate model system in which to study the hormonal modulation of malic enzyme that occurs in liver and adipose tissue of intact animals.     

Malic enzyme levels are increased by the activation of NADPH-consuming pathways: detoxification processes

The administration to rats of either t-butyl hydroperoxide or phenobarbital, compounds that are metabolized through detoxification processes, produces an increase in specific activity of the NADPH-consuming enzymes, glutathione reductase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. These compounds also produce a very significant increase in the specific activity of malic enzyme. Immunoprecipitation with a specific antibody for malic enzyme indicates that specific activity changes are the result of corresponding changes in the amounts of enzyme protein present. The administration of 1,3-bis(chloroethyl(-1-nitrosourea (a glutathione reductase inhibitor) together with t-butyl hydroperoxide abolishes any stimulation of malic enzyme activity. These results indicate that an increase in NADPH consumption induces the synthesis of malic enzyme. Alternatively, a protection of enzyme degradation cannot be rigorously excluded.     

Comparative Biochemical and Immunological Study of Malic Enzyme from Two Species of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Evolutionary Implications

Representatives of both Streptococcus faecalis and Lactobacillus casei produce isofunctional malic enzymes. All 10 strains of S. faecalis tested could be induced to synthesize malic enzyme and readily adapted to growth on malate. Although 17 of 21 L. casei strains could be induced to produce malic enzyme, only 9 of 14 strains tested grew at the expense of malate. A comparison of catalytic and regulatory properties suggested that the malic enzymes from S. faecalis and L. casei were very similar. Immunological analyses showed that the numerous similarities in function actually reflected partial protein homologies; however, two distinct forms of the malic enzyme were detected among different strains of L. casei by immunochemical and serological procedures. The division of L. casei into two subgroups based on the immunological type of malic enzyme synthesized corresponds to two subspecies currently recognized by microbial taxonomists.     

Demonstration of hepatic cytosolic malic enzyme activity as a thyroid hormone sensitive physiologic parameter in a teleost, Heteropneustes fossilis bloch

Single injections of various doses (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 5 and 20 micrograms/g) of T3 significantly increased the cytosolic malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein) in liver of Singi fish Heteropneustes fossilis Bloch, in a dose-dependent nature, maximum up to 5 micrograms/g dose on the 3rd day in comparison to the control. There was no difference in the enzyme activity between 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses. When the enzyme activity was expressed per mg DNA, the dose-dependent increase in the malic enzyme activity was observed upto 0.5 microgram/g of T3, whereas a fall in the enzyme activity was noticed with 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses. Lowering the dose of T3 to 0.05 microgram/g was without any effect on the malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA). Hepatic cytosolic protein content showed a biphasic nature of variation, significant increase with single injections of 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 microgram/g and a fall with 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses in comparison to the untreated control. Cycloheximide treatments of the Singi fishes counteracted both the T3-induced rise in the hepatic cytosolic malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA) and the hepatic cytosolic protein contents. Thiourea-treated hypothyroid fishes showed significantly decreased level of malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA) and cytosolic protein content in liver. A single injection of T3 at 0.25 microgram/g to the thiourea-treated fishes not only recovered but also increased the enzyme activity and cytosolic protein content above the untreated control values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The molecular basis for a cytosolic malic enzyme null mutation. Malic enzyme mRNA from MOD-1 null mice contains an internal in-frame duplication that extends the coding sequence by 522 nucleotides

Many tissues from wild type mice express cytosolic malic enzyme activity and contain two mRNAs (2.0 and 3.1 kilobases (kb)) that encode a single 64-kDa malic enzyme subunit polypeptide. MOD-1 null mutant mice lack cytosolic malic enzyme activity but express 2.5- and 3.6-kb mRNAs that hybridize with wild type malic enzyme cDNAs and are induced in liver by a starvation/carbohydrate refeeding regimen. To investigate the basis of the MOD-1 null mutation, a lambda gt11 cDNA library was constructed using mRNA from the livers of induced MOD-1 null mice as a template. A recombinant phage with a 2-kb insert was isolated by screening with wild type malic enzyme cDNA probes. The subcloned insert exhibited an atypical (non-wild type) restriction pattern and was subjected to sequence analysis. MOD-1 null malic enzyme cDNA contains an internal tandemly duplicated sequence that corresponds to nucleotides 1027-1548 in the coding region of wild type murine malic enzyme cDNA (Bagchi, S., Wise, L. S., Brown, M. L., Bregman, D., Sul, H. S., and Rubin, C. S. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 1558-1565). An open reading frame is retained throughout the duplicated sequence. The discovery of a 522-nucleotide in-frame duplication accounts for the increased size of MOD-1 null malic enzyme mRNAs and suggests that a variant malic enzyme polypeptide that is 19 kDa larger than the wild type subunit might be found in mutant mice. Western immunoblot analysis disclosed that MOD-1 null liver cytosol contains an 82-kDa protein that is recognized by anti-malic enzyme antibodies. Under stringent conditions, an anti-sense 32P-oligonucleotide that spans the abnormal junction between the reiterated sequences hybridized with the 2.5 and 3.6-kb MOD-1 null malic enzyme mRNAs but failed to form stable complexes with wild type malic enzyme mRNAs. Thus, both MOD-1 null malic enzyme mRNAs contain the duplication deduced from cDNA sequence analyses. The MOD-1 null mutation might originate from an unequal crossover between homologous regions of two different introns in the malic enzyme gene, thereby causing the duplication of one or more exons.     

The effect of dietary fat on the activity,content, rates of synthesis,and degradation and translation of messenger RNA coding for malic enzyme in mouse liver

The specific activity (units activity/mg cytosolic protein) of malic enzyme was found to be three-fold higher in the livers of mice fed a semipurified diet containing 50% ($\text{w}\text{w}$) glucose and 15% ($\text{w}\text{w}$) saturated and monounsaturated but no polyunsaturated fat (hydrogenated cottonseed oil) over an 11-day period than in the livers of mice fed a standard laboratory mouse chow (Purina) diet. In contrast, when other lab chow-fed mice were fed an isocaloric diet containing 15% ($\text{w}\text{w}$) polyunsaturated fat (corn oil), no change in the specific activity of malic enzyme occurred over a similar period of time. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis performed on cytosols from both dietary groups demonstrated that the livers of mice consuming the hydrogenated cottonseed oil diet contained approximately three times more malic enzyme protein than did the livers from the corn oil-fed animals. In mice pulse-labeled with l-[4,5-³H]leucine, the rate of hepatic malic enzyme synthesis (relative to that for total protein) was approximately twofold greater in the hydrogenated cottonseed oil-fed mice than in their corn oil-fed counterparts whereas the rate of hepatic malic enzyme degradation was similar for both groups. Immunotitration of liver malic enzyme from hydrogenated cottonseed oil-fed and corn oil-fed mice revealed identical equivalence points, demonstrating that the catalytic efficiency of mouse liver malic enzyme had not been affected by the type of dietary fat administered. When total liver RNA, isolated from the hydrogenated cottonseed oil- and the corn oil-fed animals, was translated in cell-free translation systems (wheat germ extract and reticulocyte lysate) we found that both dietary treatments had resulted in an increase in the activity of malic enzyme messenger RNA. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the two dietary groups in this regard. These results suggest that hepatic malic enzyme specific activity in high-carbohydrate polyunsaturated fat-fed mice is regulated principally by dietary-induced changes in the rate of enzyme synthesis and not by the activity of messenger RNA coding for the enzyme.