From PII Signaling to Metabolite Sensing: A Novel 2-Oxoglutarate Sensor That Details PII - NAGK Complex Formation

The widespread P_II signal transduction proteins are known for integrating signals of nitrogen and energy supply and regulating cellular behavior by interacting with a multitude of target proteins. The P_II protein of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus forms complexes with the controlling enzyme of arginine synthesis, N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) in a 2-oxoglutarate- and ATP/ADP-dependent manner. Fusing NAGK and P_II proteins to either CFP or YFP yielded a FRET sensor that specifically responded to 2-oxoglutarate. The impact of the fluorescent tags on P_II and NAGK was evaluated by enzyme assays, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and isothermal calorimetric experiments. The developed FRET sensor provides real-time data on P_II - NAGK interaction and its modulation by the effector molecules ATP, ADP and 2-oxoglutarate in vitro. Additionally to its utility to monitor 2-oxoglutarate levels, the FRET assay provided novel insights into P_II - NAGK complex formation: (i) It revealed the formation of an encounter-complex between P_II and NAGK, which holds the proteins in proximity even in the presence of inhibitors of complex formation; (ii) It revealed that the P_II T-loop residue Ser49 is neither essential for complex formation with NAGK nor for activation of the enzyme but necessary to form a stable complex and efficiently relieve NAGK from arginine inhibition; (iii) It showed that arginine stabilizes the NAGK hexamer and stimulates P_II - NAGK interaction.     

Structural basis for the regulation of N-acetylglutamate kinase by PII in Arabidopsis thaliana

PII is a highly conserved regulatory protein found in organisms across the three domains of life. In cyanobacteria and plants, PII relieves the feedback inhibition of the rate-limiting step in arginine biosynthesis catalyzed by N-acetylglutamate kinase (NAGK). To understand the molecular structural basis of enzyme regulation by PII, we have determined a 2.5-A resolution crystal structure of a complex formed between two homotrimers of PII and a single hexamer of NAGK from Arabidopsis thaliana bound to the metabolites N-acetylglutamate, ADP, ATP, and arginine. In PII, the T-loop and Trp(22) at the start of the alpha1-helix, which are both adjacent to the ATP-binding site of PII, contact two beta-strands as well as the ends of two central helices (alphaE and alphaG) in NAGK, the opposing ends of which form major portions of the ATP and N-acetylglutamate substrate-binding sites. The binding of Mg(2+).ATP to PII stabilizes a conformation of the T-loop that favors interactions with both open and closed conformations of NAGK. Interactions between PII and NAGK appear to limit the degree of opening and closing of the active-site cleft in opposition to a domain-separating inhibitory effect exerted by arginine, thus explaining the stimulatory effect of PII on the kinetics of arginine-inhibited NAGK.     

Metabolite regulation of the interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana PII and N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase

The metabolic control of the interaction between ArabidopsisN-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase (NAGK) and the PII protein has been studied. Both gel exclusion and affinity chromatography analyses of recombinant, affinity-purified PII (trimeric complex) and NAGK (hexameric complex) showed that NAGK strongly interacted with PII only in the presence of Mg-ATP, and that this process was reversed by 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG). Furthermore, metabolites such as arginine, glutamate, citrate, and oxalacetate also exerted a negative effect on the PII-NAGK complex formation in the presence of Mg-ATP. Using chloroplast protein extracts and PII affinity chromatography, NAGK interacted with PII only in the presence of ATP-Mg²⁺, and this process was antagonized by 2-OG. These results reveal a complex metabolic control of the PII interaction with NAGK in the chloroplast stroma of higher plants.     

The Synechococcus elongatus P signal transduction protein controls arginine synthesis by complex formation with N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase

This communication identifies, for the first time, a receptor protein for signal perception from the P(II) signal transduction protein in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. P(II), a phosphoprotein that signals the carbon/nitrogen status of the cells, forms a tight complex with the key enzyme of the arginine biosynthetic pathway, N-acetylglutamate (NAG) kinase. In complex with P(II), the catalytic activity of NAG kinase is strongly enhanced. Complex formation does not require the effector molecules of P(II), 2-oxoglutarate and ATP, but it is highly susceptible to modifications at the phosphorylation site of P(II), Ser-49. Stable complexes were only formed with the non-phosphorylated form of P(II) but not with Ser-49 mutants. In accordance with these data, NAG kinase activity in S. elongatus extracts correlated with the phosphorylation state of P(II), with high NAG kinase activities corresponding to non-phosphorylated P(II) (nitrogen-excess conditions) and low activities to increased levels of P(II) phosphorylation (nitrogen-poor conditions), thus subjecting the key enzyme of arginine biosynthesis to global nitrogen control.     

A Novel Signal Transduction Protein PII Variant from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 Indicates a Two-Step Process for NAGK-PII Complex Formation

P_II signal transduction proteins are highly conserved in bacteria, archaea and plants and have key functions in coordination of central metabolism by integrating signals from the carbon, nitrogen and energy status of the cell. In the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, P_II binds ATP and 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) in a synergistic manner, with the ATP binding sites also accepting ADP. Depending on its effector molecule binding status, P_II (from this cyanobacterium and other oxygenic phototrophs) complexes and regulates the arginine-controlled enzyme of the cyclic ornithine pathway, N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase (NAGK), to control arginine biosynthesis. To gain deeper insights into the process of P_II binding to NAGK, we searched for P_II variants with altered binding characteristics and found P_II variants I86N and I86T to be able to bind to an NAGK variant (R233A) that was previously shown to be unable to bind wild-type P_II protein. Analysis of interactions between these P_II variants and wild-type NAGK as well as with the NAGK R233A variant suggested that the P_II I86N variant was a superactive NAGK binder. To reveal the structural basis of this property, we solved the crystal structure of the P_II I86N variant at atomic resolution. The large T-loop, which prevails in most receptor interactions of P_II proteins, is present in a tightly bended conformation that mimics the T-loop of S. elongatus P_II after having latched onto NAGK. Moreover, both P_II I86 variants display a specific defect in 2-OG binding, implying a role of residue I86 in 2-OG binding. We propose a two-step model for the mechanism of P_II-NAGK complex formation: in an initiating step, a contact between R233 of NAGK and E85 of P_II initiates the bending of the extended T-loop of P_II, followed by a second step, where a bended T-loop deeply inserts into the NAGK clefts to form the tight complex.     

Studies on interaction of phosphorylase kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle with glycogen in the presence of ATP and ADP.

The influence of ATP on complex formation of phosphorylase kinase (PhK) with glycogen in the presence of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) has been studied. The initial rate of complex formation decreases with increasing ATP concentration, the dependence of the initial rate on the concentration of ATP having a cooperative character. Formation of the complex of PhK with glycogen in the presence of ATP occurs after a lag period, which increases with increasing ATP concentration. The dependence of the initial rate of complex formation (v) on the concentration of non-hydrolyzed ATP analogue, beta,gamma-methylene-ATP, follows the hyperbolic law. A correlation between PhK-glycogen complex formation and (32)P incorporation catalyzed by PhK itself and by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase has been shown. For ADP (the product and allosteric effector of the PhK reaction) the dependence of v on ADP concentration has a complicated form, probably due to the sequential binding of ADP at two allosteric sites on the beta subunit and the active site on the gamma subunit.     

Ternary complex formation between AmtB, GlnZ and the nitrogenase regulatory enzyme DraG reveals a novel facet of nitrogen regulation in bacteria

Ammonium movement across biological membranes is facilitated by a class of ubiquitous channel proteins from the Amt/Rh family. Amt proteins have also been implicated in cellular responses to ammonium availability in many organisms. Ammonium sensing by Amt in bacteria is mediated by complex formation with cytosolic proteins of the P(II) family. In this study we have characterized in vitro complex formation between the AmtB and P(II) proteins (GlnB and GlnZ) from the diazotrophic plant-associative bacterium Azospirillum brasilense. AmtB-P(II) complex formation only occurred in the presence of adenine nucleotides and was sensitive to 2-oxoglutarate when Mg(2+) and ATP were present, but not when ATP was substituted by ADP. We have also shown in vitro complex formation between GlnZ and the nitrogenase regulatory enzyme DraG, which was stimulated by ADP. The stoichiometry of this complex was 1:1 (DraG monomer : GlnZ trimer). We have previously reported that in vivo high levels of extracellular ammonium cause DraG to be sequestered to the cell membrane in an AmtB and GlnZ-dependent manner. We now report the reconstitution of a ternary complex involving AmtB, GlnZ and DraG in vitro. Sequestration of a regulatory protein by the membrane-bound AmtB-P(II) complex defines a new regulatory role for Amt proteins in Prokaryotes.     

Direct photoaffinity labeling of Kir6.2 by [gamma-(32)P]ATP-[gamma]4-azidoanilide

ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels are under complex regulation by intracellular ATP and ADP. The potentiatory effect of MgADP is conferred by the sulfonylurea receptor subunit of the channel, SUR, whereas the inhibitory effect of ATP appears to be mediated via the pore-forming subunit, Kir6.2. We have previously reported that Kir6.2 can be directly labeled by 8-azido-[gamma-(32)P]ATP. However, the binding affinity of 8-azido-ATP to Kir6.2 was low probably due to modification at 8' position of adenine. Here we demonstrate that Kir6.2 can be directly photoaffinity labeled with higher affinity by [gamma-(32)P]ATP-[gamma]4-azidoanilide ([gamma-(32)P]ATP-AA), containing an unmodified adenine ring. Photoaffinity labeling of Kir6.2 by [gamma-(32)P]ATP-AA is not affected by the presence of Mg(2+), consistent with Mg(2+)-independent ATP inhibition of K(ATP) channels. Interestingly, SUR1, which can be strongly and specifically photoaffinity labeled by 8-azido-ATP, was not photoaffinity labeled by ATP-AA. These results identify key differences in the structure of the nucleotide binding sites on SUR1 and Kir6.2.     

An essential arginine residue in the ATP-binding centre of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.

1. Incubation of purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase EC 3.6.1.3) from rabbit kidney outer medulla with butanedione in borate buffer leads to reversible inactivation of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity. 2. The reaction shows second-outer kinetics, suggesting that modification of a single amino acid residue is involved in the inactivation of the enzyme. 3. The pH dependence of the reaction and the effect of borate ions strongly suggest that modification of an arginine residue is involved. 4. Replacement of Na+ by K+ in the butanedione medium decreases inactivation. 5. ATP, ADP and adenylyl imido diphosphate, particularly in the presence of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid to complex Mg2+, protect the enzyme very efficiently against inactivation by butanedione. 6. The (Na+ + Mg2+)-dependent phosphorylation capacity of the enzyme is inhibited in the same degree as the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity by butanedione. 7. The K+-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity is much less inhibited than the (Na+ + K+)ATPase activity. 8. The ATP stimulation of the K+-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity is inhibited by butanedione to the same extent as the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity. 9. Modification of sulfhydryl groups with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) protects partially against the inactivating effect of butanedione. 10. The results suggest that an arginine residue is present in the nucleotide binding centre of the enzyme.     

Adenine nucleotide binding at a noncatalytic site of mitochondrial F1-ATPase accelerates a Mg(2+)- and ADP-dependent inactivation during ATP hydrolysis.

The evidence is presented that the ADP- and Mg(2+)-dependent inactivation of MF1-ATPase during MgATP hydrolysis requires binding of ATP at two binding sites: one is catalytic and the second is noncatalytic. Binding of the noncatalytic ATP increases the rate of the inactive complex formation in the course of ATP hydrolysis. The rate of the enzyme inactivation during ATP hydrolysis depends on the medium Mg2+ concentration. High Mg2+ inhibits the steady-state activity of MF1-ATPase by increasing the rate of formation of inactive enzyme-ADP-Mg2+ complex, thereby shifting the equilibrium between active and inactive enzyme forms. The Mg2+ needed for MF1-ATPase inactivation binds from the medium independent from the MgATP binding at either catalytic or noncatalytic sites. The inhibitory ADP molecule arises at the MF1-ATPase catalytic site as a result of MgATP hydrolysis. Exposure of the native MF1-ATPase with bound ADP at a catalytic site to 1 mM Mg2+ prior to assay inactivates the enzymes with kinact 24 min-1. The maximal inactivation rate during ATP hydrolysis at saturating MgATP and Mg2+ does not exceed 10 min-1. The results show that the rate-limiting step of the MF1-ATPase inactivation during ATP hydrolysis with excess Mg2+ precedes binding of Mg2+ and likely is the rate of formation of enzyme with ADP bound at the catalytic site without bound P(i). This complex binds Mg2+ resulting in inactive MF1-ATPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Studies on (K+ + H+)-ATPase. I. Essential arginine residue in its substrate binding center

1. A membrane vesicle fraction containing a high (K+ + H+)-ATPase activity was isolated from porcine gastric mucosa. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 7.0 and is stimulated by T1+, K+, Rb+ and NH4+ with KA values of 0.13, 2.7, 7.6 and 26 mM, respectively, at this pH. 2. Incubation of the isolated membrane fraction with butanedione leads to inactivation of the (K+ + H+)-ATPase activity. The pH-dependence of the (K+ + H+)-ATPase activity. The pH-dependence of the inactivation and the reversibility of the reaction, observed after removal of excess butanedione and borate, indicate that modification of arginine is involved. 3. The inactivation of (K+ + H+)-ATPase activity by butanedione is time-dependent and follows second-order kinetics. From the dependence of the inactivation rate on the reagent concentration it appears that a single arginine residue is involved in the inactivation of the (K+ + H+)-ATPase activity. 4. ATP, deoxy-ATP, ADP and adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMPPNP), but not CTP, GTP and ITP which are poor substrates, protect the enzyme against butanedione inactivation, suggesting that the essential arginine residue is located in the ATP binding centre. 5. In the presence of Mg2+ the butanedione inactivation is increased, and the protection by ATP, deoxy-ATP and ADP (but not that by AMPPNP) is less pronounced. This suggests that Mg2+ induces a conformational change in the enzyme, exposing the arginine group and coinciding with phosphorylation and subsequent release of ADP from its binding site.     

N-Acetyl-l-Glutamate Kinase (NAGK) from Oxygenic Phototrophs: PII Signal Transduction across Domains of Life Reveals Novel Insights in NAGK Control

N-Acetyl-l-glutamate kinase (NAGK) catalyzes the first committed step in arginine biosynthesis in organisms that perform the cyclic pathway of ornithine synthesis. In eukaryotic and bacterial oxygenic phototrophs, the activity of NAGK is controlled by the P_II signal transduction protein. Recent X-ray analysis of NAGK-P_II complexes from a higher plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) and a cyanobacterium (Synechococcus elongatus) revealed that despite several differences, the overall structure of the complex is highly similar. The present study analyzes the functional conservation of P_II-mediated NAGK regulation in plants and cyanobacteria to distinguish between universal properties and those that are specific for the different phylogenetic lineages. This study shows that plant and cyanobacterial P_II proteins can mutually regulate the NAGK enzymes across the domains of life, implying a high selective pressure to conserve P_II-NAGK interaction over more than 1.2 billion years of separate evolution. The non-conserved C-terminus of S. elongatus NAGK was identified as an element, which strongly enhances arginine inhibition and is responsible for most of the differences between S. elongatus and A. thaliana NAGK with respect to arginine sensitivity. Both P_II proteins relieve arginine inhibition of NAGK, and in both lineages, P_II-mediated relief from arginine inhibition is antagonized by 2-oxoglutarate. Together, these properties highlight the conserved role of P_II as a signal integrator of the C/N balance sensed as 2-oxoglutarate to regulate arginine synthesis in oxygenic phototrophs.     

Demonstration of cooperating alpha subunits in working (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by the use of the MgATP complex analogue cobalt tetrammine ATP

The MgATP complex analogue cobalt-tetrammine-ATP [Co(NH3)4ATP] inactivates (Na+ + K+)-ATPase at 37 degrees C slowly in the absence of univalent cations. This inactivation occurs concomitantly with incorporation of radioactivity from [alpha-32P]Co(NH3)4ATP and from [gamma-32P]Co(NH3)4ATP into the alpha subunit. The kinetics of inactivation are consistent with the formation of a dissociable complex of Co(NH3)4ATP with the enzyme (E) followed by the phosphorylation of the enzyme: (Formula: see text). The dissociation constant of the enzyme-MgATP analogue complex at 37 degrees C is Kd = 500 microM, the inactivation rate constant k2 = 0.05 min-1. ATP protects the enzyme against the inactivation by Co(NH3)4ATP due to binding at a site from which it dissociates with a Kd of 360 microM. It is concluded, therefore, that Co(NH3)4ATP binds to the low-affinity ATP binding site of the E2 conformational state. K+, Na+ and Mg2+ protect the enzyme against the inactivation by Co(NH3)4ATP. Whilst Na+ or Mg2+ decrease the inactivation rate constant k2, K+ exerts its protective effect by increasing the dissociation constant of the enzyme.Co(NH3)4ATP complex. The Co(NH3)4ATP-inactivated (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, in contrast to the non-inactivated enzyme, incorporates [3H]ouabain. This indicates that the Co(NH3)4ATP-inactivated enzyme is stabilized in the E2 conformational state. Despite the inactivation of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by Co(NH3)4ATP from the low-affinity ATP binding site, there is no change in the capacity of the high-affinity ATP binding site (Kd = 0.9 microM) nor of its capability to phosphorylate the enzyme Na+-dependently. Since (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is phosphorylated Na+-dependently from the high-affinity ATP binding site although the catalytic cycle is arrested in the E2 conformational state by specific modification of the low-affinity ATP binding site, it is concluded that both ATP binding sites coexist at the same time in the working sodium pump. This demonstration of interacting catalytic subunits in the E1 and E2 conformational states excludes the proposal that a single catalytic subunit catalyzes (Na+ + K+)-transport.     

Modulation of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex by inorganic phosphate, Mg(2+), and other effectors

The interplay of inorganic phosphate (Pi) with other ligands such as Mg(2+), ADP, ATP, and Ca(2+) on the activation of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (2-OGDH) in both isolated enzyme complex and mitochondrial extracts was examined. Pi alone activated the enzyme, following biphasic kinetics with high (K(0.5) = 1.96+/-0.42 mM) and low (K(0.5) = 9.8+/-0.4 mM) affinity components for Pi. The activation by Pi was highly pH-dependent; it increased when the pH raised from 7.1 to 7.6, but it was negligible at pH values below 7.1. Mg-Pi and Mg-ADP, but not Mg-ATP, were more potent activators of 2-OGDH than free Pi and free ADP. ATP inhibited the 2-OGDH activity by chelating the free Mg(2+) and also as a Mg-ATP complex. With or without Mg(2+), ADP, and Pi activated the 2-OGDH by increasing the affinity for 2-OG and the V(m) of the reaction; ATP diminished the V(m), but it increased the affinity for 2-OG in the mitochondrial extract. Pi did not modify the 2-OGDH activation by Ca(2+). The results above mentioned were similar for both preparations, except for hyperbolic kinetics in the isolated enzyme and sigmoidal kinetics in the mitochondrial extracts when 2-oxoglutarate was varied. The data of this study indicated that physiological concentrations of Pi may exert a significant activation of 2-OGDH, which was potentiated by Mg(2+) and high pH, but surpassed by ADP.     

Ca2+ occlusion and gating function of Glu309 in the ADP-fluoroaluminate analog of the Ca2+-ATPase phosphoenzyme intermediate

In the absence of ATP the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA) binds two Ca(2+) with high affinity. The two bound Ca(2+) rapidly undergo reverse dissociation upon addition of EGTA, but can be distinguished by isotopic exchange indicating fast exchange at a superficial site (site II), and retardation of exchange at a deeper site (site I) by occupancy of site II. Site II mutations that allow high affinity binding to site I, but only low affinity binding to site II, show that retardation of isotopic exchange requires higher Ca(2+) concentrations with the N796A mutant, and is not observed with the E309Q mutant even at millimolar Ca(2+). Fluoroaluminate forms a complex at the catalytic site yielding stable analogs of the phosphoenzyme intermediate, with properties similar to E2-P or E1-P.Ca(2). Mutational analysis indicates that Asp(351), Lys(352), Thr(353), Asp(703), Asn(706), Asp(707), Thr(625), and Lys(684) participate in stabilization of fluoroaluminate and Mg(2+) at the phosphorylation site. In the presence of fluoroaluminate and Ca(2+), ADP (or AMP-PCP) favors formation of a stable ADP.E1-P.Ca(2) analog. This produces strong occlusion of Ca(2+) bound to both sites (I and II), whereby dissociation occurs very slowly even following addition of EGTA. Occlusion by fluoraluminate and ADP is not observed with the E309Q mutant, suggesting a gating function of Glu(309) at the mouth of a binding cavity with a single path of entry. This phenomenon corresponds to the earliest step of the catalytic cycle following utilization of ATP. Experiments on limited proteolysis reveal that a long range conformational change, involving displacement of headpiece domains and transmembrane helices, plays a mechanistic role.     

From cyanobacteria to plants: conservation of PII functions during plastid evolution

This article reviews the current state-of-the-art concerning the functions of the signal processing protein PII in cyanobacteria and plants, with a special focus on evolutionary aspects. We start out with a general introduction to PII proteins, their distribution, and their evolution. We also discuss PII-like proteins and domains, in particular, the similarity between ATP-phosphoribosyltransferase (ATP-PRT) and its PII-like domain and the complex between N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase (NAGK) and its PII activator protein from oxygenic phototrophs. The structural basis of the function of PII as an ATP/ADP/2-oxoglutarate signal processor is described for Synechococcus elongatus PII. In both cyanobacteria and plants, a major target of PII regulation is NAGK, which catalyzes the committed step of arginine biosynthesis. The common principles of NAGK regulation by PII are outlined. Based on the observation that PII proteins from cyanobacteria and plants can functionally replace each other, the hypothesis that PII-dependent NAGK control was under selective pressure during the evolution of plastids of Chloroplastida and Rhodophyta is tested by bioinformatics approaches. It is noteworthy that two lineages of heterokont algae, diatoms and brown algae, also possess NAGK, albeit lacking PII; their NAGK however appears to have descended from an alphaproteobacterium and not from a cyanobacterium as in plants. We end this article by coming to the conclusion that during the evolution of plastids, PII lost its function in coordinating gene expression through the PipX-NtcA network but preserved its role in nitrogen (arginine) storage metabolism, and subsequently took over the fine-tuned regulation of carbon (fatty acid) storage metabolism, which is important in certain developmental stages of plants.     

Mechanism of nucleotide binding to actomyosin VI: evidence for allosteric head-head communication

We have examined the kinetics of nucleotide binding to actomyosin VI by monitoring the fluorescence of pyrene-labeled actin filaments. ATP binds single-headed myosin VI following a two-step reaction mechanism with formation of a low affinity collision complex (1/K(1)' = 5.6 mm) followed by isomerization (k(+2)' = 176 s-1) to a state with weak actin affinity. The rates and affinity for ADP binding were measured by kinetic competition with ATP. This approach allows a broader range of ADP concentrations to be examined than with fluorescent nucleotide analogs, permitting the identification and characterization of transiently populated intermediates in the pathway. ADP binding to actomyosin VI, as with ATP binding, occurs via a two-step mechanism. The association rate constant for ADP binding is approximately five times greater than for ATP binding because of a higher affinity in the collision complex (1/K(5b)' = 2.2 mm) and faster isomerization rate constant (k(+5a)' = 366 s(-1)). By equilibrium titration, both heads of a myosin VI dimer bind actin strongly in rigor and with bound ADP. In the presence of ATP, conditions that favor processive stepping, myosin VI does not dwell with both heads strongly bound to actin, indicating that the second head inhibits strong binding of the lead head to actin. With both heads bound strongly, ATP binding is accelerated 2.5-fold, and ADP binding is accelerated >10-fold without affecting the rate of ADP release. We conclude that the heads of myosin VI communicate allosterically and accelerate nucleotide binding, but not dissociation, when both are bound strongly to actin.     

Regulation of heart muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase

1. The activity of pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase was assayed by the incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate from [gamma-(32)P]ATP into the dehydrogenase complex. There was a very close correlation between this incorporation and the loss of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity with all preparations studied. 2. Nucleoside triphosphates other than ATP (at 100mum) and cyclic 3':5'-nucleotides (at 10mum) had no significant effect on kinase activity. 3. The K(m) for thiamin pyrophosphate in the pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction was 0.76mum. Sodium pyrophosphate, adenylyl imidodiphosphate, ADP and GTP were competitive inhibitors against thiamin pyrophosphate in the dehydrogenase reaction. 4. The K(m) for ATP of the intrinsic kinase assayed in three preparations of pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase was in the range 13.9-25.4mum. Inhibition by ADP and adenylyl imidodiphosphate was predominantly competitive, but there was nevertheless a definite non-competitive element. Thiamin pyrophosphate and sodium pyrophosphate were uncompetitive inhibitors against ATP. It is suggested that ADP and adenylyl imidodiphosphate inhibit the kinase mainly by binding to the ATP site and that the adenosine moiety may be involved in this binding. It is suggested that thiamin pyrophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, adenylyl imidodiphosphate and ADP may inhibit the kinase by binding through pyrophosphate or imidodiphosphate moieties at some site other than the ATP site. It is not known whether this is the coenzyme-binding site in the pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction. 5. The K(m) for pyruvate in the pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction was 35.5mum. 2-Oxobutyrate and 3-hydroxypyruvate but not glyoxylate were also substrates; all three compounds inhibited pyruvate oxidation. 6. In preparations of pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase free of thiamin pyrophosphate, pyruvate inhibited the kinase reaction at all concentrations in the range 25-500mum. The inhibition was uncompetitive. In the presence of thiamin pyrophosphate (endogenous or added at 2 or 10mum) the kinase activity was enhanced by low concentrations of pyruvate (25-100mum) and inhibited by a high concentration (500mum). Activation of the kinase reaction was not seen when sodium pyrophosphate was substituted for thiamin pyrophosphate. 7. Under the conditions of the kinase assay, pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase forms (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]pyruvate in the presence of thiamin pyrophosphate. Previous work suggests that the products may include acetoin. Acetoin activated the kinase reaction in the presence of thiamin pyrophosphate but not with sodium pyrophosphate. It is suggested that acetoin formation may contribute to activation of the kinase reaction by low pyruvate concentrations in the presence of thiamin pyrophosphate. 8. Pyruvate effected the conversion of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate into pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat heart mitochondria incubated with 5mm-2-oxoglutarate and 0.5mm-l-malate as respiratory substrates. It is suggested that this effect of pyruvate is due to inhibition of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase reaction in the mitochondrion. 9. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity was inhibited by high concentrations of Mg(2+) (15mm) and by Ca(2+) (10nm-10mum) at low Mg(2+) (0.15mm) but not at high Mg(2+) (15mm).     

Structural changes of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase upon nucleotide binding studied by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Changes in the vibrational spectrum of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase upon nucleotide binding were recorded in H(2)O and (2)H(2)O at -7 degrees C and pH 7.0. The reaction cycle was triggered by the photochemical release of nucleotides (ATP, ADP, and AMP-PNP) from a biologically inactive precursor (caged ATP, P(3)-1-(2-nitrophenyl) adenosine 5'-triphosphate, and related caged compounds). Infrared absorbance changes due to ATP release and two steps of the Ca(2+)-ATPase reaction cycle, ATP binding and phosphorylation, were followed in real time. Under the conditions used in our experiments, the rate of ATP binding was limited by the rate of ATP release (k(app) congruent with 3 s(-1) in H(2)O and k(app) congruent with 7 s(-1) in (2)H(2)O). Bands in the amide I and II regions of the infrared spectrum show that the conformation of the Ca(2+)-ATPase changes upon nucleotide binding. The observation of bands in the amide I region can be assigned to perturbations of alpha-helical and beta-sheet structures. According to similar band profiles in the nucleotide binding spectra, ATP, AMP-PNP, and ADP induce similar conformational changes. However, subtle differences between ATP and AMP-PNP are observed; these are most likely due to the protonation state of the gamma-phosphate group. Differences between the ATP and ADP binding spectra indicate the significance of the gamma-phosphate group in the interactions between the Ca(2+)-ATPase and the nucleotide. Nucleotide binding affects Asp or Glu residues, and bands characteristic of their protonated side chains are observed at 1716 cm(-1) (H(2)O) and 1706 cm(-1) ((2)H(2)O) and seem to depend on the charge of the phosphate groups. Bands at 1516 cm(-1) (H(2)O) and 1514 cm(-1) ((2)H(2)O) are tentatively assigned to a protonated Tyr residue affected by nucleotide binding. Possible changes in Arg, Trp, and Lys absorption and in the nucleoside are discussed. The spectra are compared with those of nucleotide binding to arginine kinase, creatine kinase, and H-ras P21.