Appearance of the liver form of pyruvate kinase in differentiating cultured foetal hepatocytes

From about the 16th day of gestation three forms of pyruvate kinase are present in foetal rat liver (L, R, and M2). Hepatocytes isolated from 15-day-old foetuses do not possess the liver form of pyruvate kinase, but after three days in culture this enzyme can be detected. No effect on the appearance of the enzyme could be seen by administration of insulin and fructose. Hepatocytes isolated from 19-day-old foetuses exhibit three forms of the enzyme (L, R, and M2) on day 1 of culture but thereafter only two forms are detectable (L and M2). A decrease in activity of the L form is observed. This could be retarded by administration of insulin and fructose.     

A requirement for DNA synthesis in foetal hepatocyte differentiation

In hepatocyte cultures derived from 15-day-old foetal rats, the appearance of the liver (L) form of pyruvate kinase is blocked when cytosine arabinoside is added on the 2nd day of culture. When added on the 3rd day of culture, the inhibitor of DNA synthesis does not prevent the appearance of the enzyme. If cytosine arabinoside is added on the 2nd day of culture and removed on the 4th day, the enzyme is detected by the 6th day of culture. The specificity of the action of cytosine arabinoside for the L form of pyruvate kinase is in contrast with the lack of effect observed on total protein synthesis and the activity of the embryonic (M2) form of the enzyme.     

Studies on the interaction between rabbit liver pyruvate kinase and its allosteric effector fructose 1,6-diphosphate

Preparation of the L form of rabbit liver pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) in the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate yielded an enzyme which was kinetically identical with the M or muscle-type form of pyruvate kinase found in liver. Chromatographic and dialysis studies of this complex showed that most of the fructose 1,6-diphosphate molecules were loosely bound to the enzyme, but dilution-dissociation studies and binding experiments established that there was a high initial affinity between the enzyme and fructose 1,6-diphosphate (K(assoc.)=2.3x10(9)), and that binding of the loosely bound fructose 1,6-diphosphate was concentration-dependent and a necessary condition to overcome the co-operative interaction observed with the homotropic effector phosphoenolpyruvate. Preparation of the liver enzyme in the absence of EDTA did not yield a predominantly M form of the enzyme, and incubation of the M form in the presence of EDTA did not convert it into the L form, but resulted in inhibition of enzyme activity. Immunological studies confirmed that the L and M forms in liver were distinct, and that preparation of the L form in the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate did not produce an enzyme antigenically different from the L form prepared in the absence of this heterotropic effector.     

Hepatic pyruvate kinase. Regulation by glucagon, cyclic adenosine 3'-5'-monophosphate, and insulin in the perfused rat liver.

A reversible interconversion of two kinetically distinct forms of hepatic pyruvate kinase regulated by glucagon and insulin is demonstrated in the perfused rat liver. The regulation does not involve the total enzyme content of the liver, but rather results in a modulation of the substrate dependence. The forms of pyruvate kinase in liver homogenates are distinguished by measurements of the ratio of the enzyme activity at a subsaturating concentration of P-enolpyruvate (1.3 mM) to the activity at a saturating concentration of this substrate (6.6 mM). A low ratio form of pyruvate kinase (ratio between 0.1 and 0.2) is obtained from livers perfused with 10(-7) M glucagon or 0.1 mM adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP). A high ratio form of the enzyme is obtained from livers perfused with no hormone (ratio = 0.35 to 0.45). The regulation of pyruvate kinase by glucagon and cyclic AMP occurs within 2 min following the hormone addition to the liver. Insulin (22 milliunits/ml) counteracts the inhibition of pyruvate kinase caused by 5 X 10(-11) M glucagon, but has only a slight influence on the enzyme properties in the absence of the hyperglycemic hormone. The low ratio form of pyruvate kinase obtained from livers perfused with glucagon or cyclic AMP is unstable in liver extracts and will revert to a high ratio form within 10 min at 37 degrees or within a few hours at 0 degrees. Pyruvate kinase is quantitatively precipitated from liver supernatants with 2.5 M ammonium sulfate. This precipitation stabilizes the enzyme and preserves the kinetically distinguishable forms. The kinetic properties of the two forms of rat hepatic pyruvate kinase are examined using ammonium sulfate precipitates from the perfused rat liver. At pH 7.5 the high ratio form of the enzyme has [S]0.5 = 1.6 +/- 0.2 mM P-enolpyruvate (n = 8). The low ratio form of enzyme from livers perfused with glucagon or cyclic AMP has [S]0.5 = 2.5 +/- 0.4 mM P-enolpyruvate (n = 8). The modification of pyruvate kinase induced by glucagon does not alter the dependence of the enzyme activity on ADP (Km is approximately 0.5 mM ADP for both forms of the enzyme). Both forms are allosterically modulated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, L-alanine, and ATP. The changes in the kinetic properties of hepatic pyruvate kinase which follow treating the perfused rat liver with glucagon or cyclic AMP are consistent with the changes observed in the enzyme properties upon phosphorylation in vitro by a clyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase (Ljungstr?m, O., Hjelmquist, G. and Engstr?m, L. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 358, 289--298). However, other factors also influence the enzyme activity in a similar manner and it remains to be demonstrated that the regulation of hepatic pyruvate kinase by glucagon and cyclic AMP in vivo involes a phosphorylation.     

Regulation of insulin secretion from islets of Langerhans rendered permeable by electric discharge

Hepatocytes were isolated from preweaned neonatal and adult rats and maintained in primary monolayer culture. Cells from preweaned newborns possessed no L-type pyruvate kinase, nor did they synthesize the enzyme. Incubation for 48-72 h in culture medium supplemented with 2 mM-fructose and 0.1 microM-insulin induced the synthesis of L-type pyruvate kinase, as judged by increased enzyme activity and the increased incorporation of [3H]leucine into immunoprecipitable L-type pyruvate kinase. Hepatocytes isolated from 48 h-starved adult rats incorporated less [3H]leucine into L-type pyruvate kinase than did cells isolated from high-carbohydrate-diet-fed rats. The rate of enzyme synthesis by cells from 48 h-starved rats was increased by the inclusion of fructose and insulin in the incubation medium, after a lag phase of 24-48 h. After 4 days in culture in the presence of fructose and insulin, hepatocytes from 48 h-starved rats synthesized L-type pyruvate kinase at similar rates to hepatocytes isolated from high-carbohydrate-diet-fed rats.     

Purification of four pyruvate kinase isozymes of rats by affinity elution chromatography.

1. Purification of four isozymes of pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) L, M1, M2 and R was much improved to give good yields by affinity elution chromatography. The enzyme was eluted from a phosphocellulose column with 0.5 mM phosphoenolpyruvate. Types L, M2 and R were stabilized with fructose 1,6-diphosphate throughout the purification procedures. 2. The isozymes were crystallized under various conditions: types L and R were readily crystallized from medium of low ionic strength, types L, M1, and M2 were crystallized from ammonium sulfate solution in different forms in the presence and absence of phosphoenolpyruvate. Type M1 was also crystallized in different forms in the presence and absence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 3. Amino acid analyses showed that the compositions of types L and R, and of types M1 and M2, respectively, were very similar.     

Regulation of rat liver pyruvate kinase. The effect of preincubation, pH, copper ions, fructose 1,6-diphosphate and dietary changes on enzyme activity

1. Preincubation of partially purified rat liver L-type pyruvate kinase at 25 degrees for 10min. causes a marked increase in co-operativity with respect to both the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and the allosteric activator, fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. The results are consistent with the existence of two forms of liver L-type pyruvate kinase, designated forms L(A) and L(B). It is postulated that form L(A) has a low K(m) for phosphoenolpyruvate (about 0.1mm) and is not allosterically activated, whereas form L(B) is allosterically activated by fructose 1,6-diphosphate, exhibiting in the absence of the activator sigmoidal kinetics with half-maximal activity at about 1mm-phosphoenolpyruvate. In the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, form L(B) gives Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m) less than 0.1mm. It is further postulated that preincubation converts form L(A) into form L(B). 3. The influence of pH on the preincubation effect was studied. 4. The inhibition of pyruvate kinase by Cu(2+) was studied in detail. Though phosphoenolpyruvate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate readily protect the enzyme against Cu(2+) inhibition, little evidence of significant reversal of the inhibition by these compounds could be found. 5. The effects of starvation, fructose feeding and preincubation on the pyruvate kinase activity of crude homogenates of various tissues of the rat were also studied.     

Hybrid isozymes of rat pyruvate kinase. Their subunit structure and developmental changes in the liver

Thin-layer polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of various rat tissues revealed three major isozymes (types L, M1 and M2) and various intermediate forms of pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40). In vitro dissociation and reassociation of purified enzymes showed that the three major isozymes had homotetrameric structures. L.M2 hybrids and M1.M2 hybrids closely resembled some naturally occurring intermediates; the subunit structure of intermediates isolated from the small intestine (form 3 or form 4) were estimated to be (L)2(M2)2 and (L)(M2)3, respectively. Pyruvate kinase activity after electrophoresis could be estimated quantitatively from densitometric measurements of the electrophoretic pattern. Type L activity in fetal liver was separated from type R activity derived from intrahepatic erythropoietic cells. It changes in three distinct steps during development: it increased during the late fetal period, remained steady during the neonatal period and increased again after weaning. Some of the intermediates found in extracts of early fetal iver were shown to cross-react with both anti-L and anti-M1 serum, suggesting that they might be L.M2 or R.M2 hybrids. These hybrid enzymes were shown to appear only during early fetal and neonatal periods.     

Comparison of the properties of two forms of pyruvate kinase in rat liver and determination of their separate activities during development

1. Two forms of hepatic pyruvate kinase, designated type L and type M, were distinguished on the basis of kinetic, chromatographic, electrophoretic and immunological criteria. They were partially purified and their properties compared with each other and with the purified enzyme from skeletal muscle. 2. In contrast with type L, the type M enzyme showed no marked evidence of co-operative interactions with phosphoenolpyruvate and was not stimulated by fructose diphosphate. 3. The activity profiles of type L and type M enzymes were determined in developing rat liver by utilizing differences in the kinetic properties of the two forms. The high activity of type M enzyme in the early foetal rat decreased in late gestation and immediately after birth to reach a low value, which remained essentially constant for the remainder of the developmental period. The activity of type L enzyme, in contrast, was low in the early foetal and neonatal liver but increased markedly at the onset of weaning. 4. Possible roles of the two forms of hepatic pyruvate kinase in the control of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis are discussed.     

Effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on the appearance of the liver isoenzyme of pyruvate kinase

Hepatocyte cultures derived from 15-day foetal rats produce the liver form of pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) only after 3 days of culture. The appearance of the liver form of the enzyme can be blocked by the addition of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on day 2 of culture, but not by addition on day 3 of culture. The reversibility of the action of 5-bromodeoxyuridine was shown when the inhibitor was added on day 2 and removed on day 4. By day 6 of culture the liver form of pyruvate kinase was detectable. The specificity of the action of 5-bromodeoxyuridine was monitored by following changes in the closely related embryonic form of the enzyme as a control. This was unaltered by the inhibitor.     

Pyruvate kinase isoenzyme transitions in cultures of fetal rat hepatocytes

Changes in the expression of two isoenzymic forms of pyruvate kinase in fetal hepatocyte cultures derived from 15- and 19-day gestation rats are studied by immunocytochemical localization of the respective antigens. Initially, in cultures established from 15-day gestation rats only the ‘embryonic’ form of the enzyme (M2-PK) is detected in all cells. Cells which stain positively for the liver specific form of the enzyme (L-PK) are not observed. After 2 days' culture, a significant number of cells have become positive for L-PK. All the positive cells have a morphology which is typical of liver parenchymal cells. However, the majority of parenchymal cells remain negative for L-PK while retaining M2-PK. In contrast, all cells which display a fibroblastic morphology, as well as clear epithelial cells are M2-PK positive, but L-PK negative. In 5-day-old cultures, all hepatocytes have become L-PK positive. Hepatocytes derived from 19-day gestation rat liver stain positively for L-PK on day 1 of culture in agreement with previously published biochemical data. A minor population of negative cells is non-parenchymal in appearance. All parenchymal cells are negative when the culture is stained with M2-PK specific antibody. Five days after the culture is established, many non-parenchymal cells are present. Such cells are L-PK negative and M2-PK positive and their presence in cultures derived from both 15- and 19-day gestation rats explains the persistence of M2-PK. This study reveals that during enzymic differentiation of fetal hepatocytes, all immature hepatocytes are initially capable of expressing M2-PK while they do not produce L-PK. During culture, a sub-population of these cells initiates synthesis of L-PK, indicating that only a fraction of the cells differentiate. At the same time, hepatocytes which do not stain for M2-PK appear, which suggests that cells which initiate L-PK synthesis have ceased to make M2-PK. Eventually all hepatocytes are L-PK positive and M2-PK negative, indicating that a switchover in expression of the pyruvate kinase isoenzymes has occurred.     

Regulation of pyruvate kinase in cultured rat hepatocytes. Influence of glucose, ethanol, glucagon, and dexamethasone

The hormonal regulation and molecular forms of Type L pyruvate kinase were investigated in rat hepatocytes maintained in primary culture. Five isoelectric forms of the enzyme subunit were identified by isoelectric focusing in 8 M urea. Immediately after pulse labeling rat hepatocytes with [35S]methionine radioactivity was observed in one major (D-band) and one minor (I-band) peptide band. These isoelectric forms were shown to be dephosphorylated forms of the subunit. Acute administration of 0.1 microM glucagon was accompanied by disappearance of the D- and I-bands and appearance of two additional forms (P- and A-bands, respectively). These latter two forms were demonstrated to be phosphorylated forms of the subunit. A fifth isoelectric form of the pyruvate kinase subunit (B-band) was identified by immunolocation; however, incorporation of radioisotope into this band was low. Chronic administration of glucagon or dexamethasone had no significant influence on the molecular properties of pyruvate kinase. However, novel observations concerning the influence of glucose and ethanol on the phosphorylation state of the enzyme were made. When hepatocytes were maintained at 5.5 mM glucose for 24-48 h, the activity ratio for pyruvate kinase decreased from 0.65 to 0.40 and the enzyme became partially phosphorylated. Raising the glucose concentration to 28 mM prevented or rapidly reversed the phosphorylation state of the enzyme. Administration of low concentrations of ethanol (1-20 mM) caused a decline in the activity ratio of pyruvate kinase in the presence of both 5.5 and 28 mM glucose. These latter observations concerning the influence of glucose and ethanol are the first demonstrating that nutrients or metabolites alter the phosphorylation state of the enzyme in the absence of hormonal stimuli.     

Modulation of the phosphorylation state of rat liver pyruvate kinase by allosteric effectors and insulin.

The regulation of pyruvate kinase in isolated hepatocytes from fasted rats was studied where the intracellular level of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate was elevated 5-fold by the addition of 5 mM dihydroxyacetone. In this case, flux through pyruvate kinase was increased. The increase in flux correlated with an elevation in fructose bisphosphate levels but not with P-enolpyruvate levels which were unchanged. Pyruvate kinase was activated and its affinity for P-enolpyruvate was increased 7-fold in hepatocyte homogenates. Precipitation of the enzyme from homogenates with ammonium sulfate removed fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and activation was no longer observed. These results indicate that flux through and activity of pyruvate kinase can be controlled by the intracellular level of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The effect of elevated fructose 1,6-bisphosphate levels on the ability of glucagon to inactivate pyruvate kinase was also studied where only covalent enzyme modification is observed. Inactivation by maximally effective hormone concentrations was unaffected by elevated levels of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, but the half-maximally effective concentration was increased from 0.3 to 0.8 nM. Activation of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase by 0.3 nM glucagon was unaffected, but the initial rate of pyruvate kinase inactivation was suppressed. These results suggest that alterations in the level of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate can affect the ability of physiological concentrations of glucagon to inactivate pyruvate kinase by opposing phosphorylation of the enzyme. Consistent with this view was the finding that physiological concentrations of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate inhibited in vitro phosphorylation of purified pyruvate kinase. Inactivation of pyruvate kinase by 0.3 nM glucagon or 1 microM phenylephrine was also suppressed by 10 nM insulin. Insulin did not act by increasing fructose 1,6-bisphosphate levels. The antagonism to glucagon correlated well with the ability of insulin to suppress activation of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. However, no such correlation was observed with phenylephrine in the absence or presence of insulin. Thus, insulin can enhance pyruvate kinase activity by both cyclic AMP-dependent and independent mechanisms.     

The genetic system of the L-type pyruvate kinase forms in man. Subunit structure, interrelation and kinetic characteristics of the pyruvate kinase enzymes from erythrocytes and liver

Pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) from human liver and red cells has been purified to homogeneity; its subunit structure and some of its kinetic characteristics have been studied. The influence of a partial proteolysis by trypsin on the subunit structure, the isozymic pattern and the kinetic characteristics of red cell and liver enzyme have been investigated. From the results of this study we may conclude that: 1. Liver (L-type) pyruvate kinase is composed of 4 identical L subunits while the major form of erythrocyte enzyme (PK-R2) is a heterotetramer designated as L2L2', the molecular weight of L' being slightly higher than that of L subunits (63 000 and 58 000 respectively). Pyruvate kinase PK-R1, predominant in the erythroblasts and the young red cells, is composed of four identical L' subunits. 2. A mild tryptic attack is able to transform PK-R1 into PK-R2, then PK-R2 into pyruvate kinase L (PK-L). The same proteolytic treatment transforms the L' subunits into L ones. 3. Consequently L-type pyruvate kinase seems to be initially synthesized in the erythroid precursors as an L4' enzyme secondarily partially proteolysed into L2L2'. In liver a very active proteolytic system would be responsible for the total transformation into L4 pyruvate kinase. 4. L4' enzyme exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetic behaviour with an apparent Michaelis constant of 3.8 mM whereas L4 enzyme shows both positive and negative homotropic interactions towards phosphoenolpyruvate and has [S] 0.5 of 1.2 mM. The characteristics of L2L2' are roughly intermediate between those of L4' and of L4. Fructose 1,6-biphosphate decreases [S]0.5 for these three pyruvate kinase forms without suppressing the differences in the apparent affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate of these enzymes. 5. L4 pyruvate kinase is more inhibited by Mg-ATP than L4', with L2L2' in the intermediate range. 6. Tryptic treatment of each enzyme form studied transforms its kinetic behaviour into that observed for L4.     

Regulation of pyruvate kinase in Reuber H35 hepatoma cells by insulin and fructose

1. Kinetic and immunological studies as well as electrophoretic behaviour indicated that pyruvate kinase in Reuber H35 hepatoma cells is of the M2-type. 2. Addition of 0.1 microM insulin or 2 mM fructose to the incubation medium for 72 hr increased the activity of the M2-type pyruvate kinase in Reuber H35 hepatoma cells by 103 and 25% respectively. 3. Incorporation studies with [3H]leucine followed by immunoprecipitation showed that the apparent rate of synthesis of the M2-type pyruvate kinase was increased by both insulin and fructose. 4. Degradation studies indicated that the addition of insulin and fructose to the incubation medium increased the half-life of the M2-type pyruvate kinase from 4.8 to 8.6 and 6.8 hr respectively.     

Long-term effect of glucagon administration on rat liver L-type pyruvate kinase.

After 5 h of treatment with glucagon, liver L-type pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate 2-0-phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.1.40) showed a significant decrease of K0.5 and the Hill coefficient (nH) in the absence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate. However, in the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, liver enzymes from treated rats showed a slight decrease of K0.5 but nH remained unchanged. In both circumstances, no changes of Vmax were observed after treatment. These changes in the kinetic properties of liver L-type pyruvate kinase are consistent with the dephosphorylation of the enzyme caused by insulin release in response to treatment with glucagon.     

Inactivation of phosphofructokinase by glucagon in rat hepatocytes.

Kinetic evidence of a time- and dose-dependent inactivation of phosphofructokinase by glucagon in isolated rat hepatocytes is reported. This inactivation, which persists after gel filtration of a cell-free extract on Sephadex G-25 and after 400-fold purification of the enzyme on agarose-ATP, is observed when the enzyme activity is measured at subsaturating concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate, while there is no change in Vmax. Phosphofructokinase inactivation by glucagon parallels the known inactivation of pyruvate kinase L and activation of glycogen phosphorylase alpha. Exogenous cyclic AMP mimics the effect of this hormone. Half-maximal effect for both phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase L is caused by a similar dose of glucagon (1 x 10(-10) M). The inactivation of phosphofructokinase by nonsaturating concentration of glucagon is reversed spontaneously within 40 min of incubation and this reversion is accelerated by insulin.     

Dietary and hormonal regulation of L-type pyruvate kinase gene expression in rat small intestine

L-type pyruvate kinase is an enzyme of the glycolytic pathway whose activity and mRNA levels fluctuate in the small intestine according to dietary status. Both the enzyme activity and mRNA concentration decline during fasting and increase upon refeeding either a glucose-rich or a fructose-rich diet. Using a single-strand M 13 phage complementary to L-type pyruvate kinase mRNA as probe, we determined the level of the mRNA in the small intestine of normal, adrenalectomized, thyroidectomized, diabetic and glucagon-treated or cAMP-treated animals refed either a glucose-rich or a fructose-rich diet. The specific mRNA is present in the small intestine of normal fasted rats and increases twofold and threefold on refeeding glucose and fructose respectively. However, the hormonal control of the gene expression differs according to the dietary carbohydrate. The L-type pyruvate kinase mRNA increase, induced by glucose feeding, is hormone-dependent and requires the presence of thyroid hormones and insulin. In fructose-fed rats a certain level of mRNA increase occurs regardless of the hormonal status of the animals, but the full induction of the mRNA by fructose requires the presence of glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones and insulin. Thus, the hormonal regulation of L-type pyruvate kinase gene expression in the small intestine is largely similar to that described in normal rat liver but the basal mRNA level and the stimulation of the mRNA increase by fructose are higher in the small intestine.     

Adipose-tissue pyruvate kinase. Properties and interconversion of two active forms

1. Extraction of rat epididymal adipose tissue with buffer containing EDTA yields a pyruvate kinase, provisionally called PyK-A, the properties of which resemble in several respects those of the allosteric pyruvate kinase of liver. These properties include co-operative interactions with phosphoenolpyruvate, Mg(2+), K(+), NH(4) (+) and ATP, and sensitivity to activation by fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. Extraction in the absence of EDTA yields predominantly a form, PyK-B, that shows both normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics with phosphoenolpyruvate, Mg(2+) and ATP, and co-operative interactions with K(+) and NH(4) (+); this form is insensitive towards fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 3. Both forms yield simple kinetics with ADP, though K(m) values differ in the two systems. In all cases where co-operativity has been demonstrated, Hill-plot n values are between 1.4 and 2.0. 4. The conversion of PyK-A into PyK-B is mediated specifically by fructose 1,6-diphosphate; the reverse reaction is occasioned by EDTA, ATP or citrate. It is thought that a bivalent cation may be involved in this interconversion. 5. Attempts at partial purification have revealed that the enzyme resembles the pyruvate kinase of skeletal muscle, rather than that of liver, in its solubility in ammonium sulphate and elution from DEAE-cellulose. 6. The relevance of these properties in the regulation of pyruvate kinase activity in vivo in adipose tissue is discussed.