TRANSAMINATIONS BETWEEN AMINO ACIDS AND KETO ACIDS ELEVATED IN PHENYLKETONURIA AND MAPLE SYRUP URINE DISEASE

Abstract— The transamination between amino acids and aliphatic and aromatic keto acids has been investigated in homogenates of human and rat brain. Tryptophan, phenylalanine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) at concentrations of 3.6 min and below trans-aminated aromatic keto acids more rapidly than α-ketoglutarate; lower K_m values were found for tryptophan and phenylalanine in the presence of the aromatic keto acid. Rat brain and liver arninotransferases exhibited similar affinities for tryptophan in the presence of different keto acids. Branched chain keto acids were also acceptors of the amino groups of tryptophan and DOPA. In brain homogenates α-ketoglutarate and p -hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate were transaminated by tyrosine and 5-hydroxytryptophan at about equal rates, whereas a-ketoglutarate was transaminated more rapidly with aliphatic amino acids. At concentrations of 1.6 m DOPA and 0.8 mM p -hydroxyphenylpyruvate, transamination was 6-fold greater than the rate of formation of dopamine. The dihydroxyphenylpyruvate formed during arninotransfer from DOPA by brain tissue was not readily decarboxylated, whereas 65–70 per cent of the indolepyruvate formed from tryptophan was decarboxylated. We suggest that an increased rate or degree of transamination between tryptophan and aromatic and branched chain keto acids may explain the increased excretion of non-hydroxylated indolic acids in phenylketonuria and'maple syrup urine'disease, respectively. Increased aminotransfers from tryptophan and DOPA may reduce the amounts of precursors available for the synthesis of serotonin and catecholamines, both of which are at low levels in the sera of untreated phenylketonurics.     

Tryptophan metabolism in Klebsiella aerogenes: regulation of the utilization of aromatic amino acids as sources of nitrogen.

Klebsiella aerogenes utilized aromatic amino acids as sole sources of nitrogen but not as sole sources of carbon. K. aerogenes abstracted the alpha-amino group of these compounds by transamination and excreted the arylpyruvate portions into the medium. When tryptophan was utilized as the sole source of nitrogen by K. aerogenes, indolepyruvate was excreted into the medium, where it polymerized non-enzymatically to form a brick red pigment. At least four separate aromatic aminotransferase activities were found in K. aerogenes. One activity (aromatic aminotransferase I) appeared to be solely responsible for the aminotransferase reaction necessary for the growth of K. aerogenes when tryptophan was the source of nitrogen; the loss of this activity by mutation (tut) prevented the growth of cells on media containing this and other aromatic amino acids. None of the other aminotransferase activities in the cells could substitute for aromatic aminotransferase in this regard. Tryptophan-dependent pigment formation in K. aerogenes was positively controlled by the intracellular level of glutamine synthetase. Nevertheless, the aromatic aminotransferase activity in cells varied less than 2-fold in response to 10-fold or greater changes in the levels of glutamine synthetase. Glutamine synthetase affected the ability of the cells to take up tryptophan from the medium.     

Aromatic amino acid transaminase in rat intestine

The transamination of aromatic l-amino acids (5-hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine and kynurenine) was shown to be catalysed by enzyme preparations from rat small intestine. On the basis of the partial purification and characterization of these aromatic amino acid transaminases, it is suggested that rat small intestine contains several kinds of aromatic amino acid transaminases.     

Purification,characterization and identification of tryptophan aminotransferase from rat brain

Tryptophan aminotransferase was purified from rat brain extracts. The purified enzyme had an isoelectric point at pH 6.2 and a pH optimum near 8.0. On electrophoresis the enzyme migrated to the anode. The enzyme was active with oxaloacetate or 2-oxoglutarate as amino acceptor but not with pyruvate, and utilized various L-amino acids as amino donors. With 2-oxoglutarate, the order of effectiveness of the L-amino acids was aspartate > 5-hydroxytryptophan > tryptophan > tyrosine > phenylalanine. Aminotransferase activity of the enzyme towards tryptophan was inhibited by L-glutamate. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation gave a molecular weight of approx. 55,000. The enzyme was present in both the cytosol and synaptosomal cytosol, but not in the mitochondria. The isoelectric focusing profile of tryptophan: oxaloacetate aminotransferase activity was identical with that of L-aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) activity, with both subcellular fractions. On the basis of these data, it is suggested that the enzyme is identical with the cytosol aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase.     

Differences in properties between aromatic amino acid: Aromatic keto acid aminotransferases and aromatic amino acid: α-ketoglutarate aminotransferases

Homogenates of rat liver transaminate phenylpyruvate (PP), as well as α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), in the presence of L-tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) or L-tryptophan. Aminotransferase activity with phenylpyruvate and DOPA, but not with tyrosine, was inhibited by excess phenylpyruvate. Tyrosine and DOPA aminotransferase activities with phenylpyruvate were more heat stable than the corresponding activities with α-ketoglutarate. Aminotransferase activities with phenylpyruvate were not significantly induced following intraperitoneal injections of cortisol, glucagon or serotonin, compared with a 3 to 7-fold increase in the aminotransferase activities with α-ketoglutarate. Tyrosine:phenylpyruvate aminotransferase activity rose 40% at night, compared with a 300% increase in tyrosine:α-ketoglutarate aminotransferase activity. The results suggest that aminotransferases catalysing transfers between aromatic keto acids and aromatic amino acids are separate enzymes from those utilizing α-ketoglutarate as the acceptor keto acid.     

Functional significance of aromatic amino acid: aromatic keto acid aminotransferases in rat brain and liver: competition for tryptophan between aminotransferases and tryptophan hydroxylase in vitro.

Using low concentrations of substrates and cofactors, a comparison was made of the relative rates by which aminotransferases catalysed transaminations between aromatic amino acids and aromatic or aliphatic keto acids. Tryptophan aminotransferase in homogenates of rat midbrain and liver transaminated phenylpyruvate at a rate 70 to 150-fold greater than the rate with α-ketoglutarate at low concentrations of substrates. Phenylalanine aminotransferase in liver and midbrain also was more active with aromatic keto acids than with aliphatic keto acids. However, tyrosine aminotransferase in dialysed homogenates of midbrain transaminated α-ketoglutarate and phenylpyruvate at approximately equal rates. Fresh homogenates of midbrain contained an inhibitor which markedly decreased tyrosine aminotransferase activity with α-ketoglutarate but not with phenylpyruvate. Tyrosine aminotransferase in homogenates of rat liver transaminated α-ketoglutarate and phenylpyruvate at equal rates below 10 μM keto acid, but above 10 μM, transamination of α-ketoglutarate was favoured. With homogenates of liver, transamination of α-ketoglutarate, but not phenylpyruvate, by tyrosine was increased 650% by exogenous pyridoxal phosphate. Since tryptophan aminotransferase in the brain may compete with tryptophan hydroxylase for available tryptophan, a comparison was made of the relative activities of tryptophan hydroxylase and tryptophan aminotransferase. At concentrations above 7.5 μM phenylpyruvate, transamination was 8 to 17-fold greater than the rate of hydroxylation of 50 μM tryptophan.     

Mitochondrial and cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase from chicken: Activity toward aromatic amino acids

The mitochondrial and cytosolic isoenzymes of aspartate aminotransferase from chicken heart accept as substrates L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan. The specific activities of the mitochondrial isoenzyme toward these substrates are between 0.1 to 0.5% of that toward aspartate and two orders of magnitude higher than that toward alanine. The specific activities of the cytosolic isoenzyme toward the aromatic substrates are 10 to 70% of the respective values of the mitochondrial isoenzyme. The activities of both isoenzymes toward aromatic amino acids are increased two- to threefold by 1 M formate. Larger increases by formate were observed for the alanine aminotransferase activity of both isoenzymes whereas their aspartate aminotransferase activity was inhibited by formate. The opposite effects of formate on the activities toward the aromatic and aliphatic monocarboxylic substrates on the one hand and the dicarboxylic substrate on the other are consonant with the notion of formate occupying the binding site of the distal carboxylate group of the substrate (Morino Y., Osman A.M., and Okamoto M. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. $\text{249}$, 6684–6692). Apparently, in the ternary complex of aspartate aminotransferase with formate and aromatic amino acids, the aromatic rings of the latter bind to a site which does not overlap with the binding site for the distal carboxylate.     

Purification and properties of aromatic amino acid aminotransferase from Klebsiella aerogenes.

We describe the complete purification of aromatic aminotransferase I, the enzyme responsible for the ability of Klebsiella aerogenes to use tryptophan and phenylalanine as sole sources of nitrogen, as well as the partial purification of aromatic aminotransferase IV. An examination of the properties of these enzymes revealed that aminotransferase I had much greater affinity for the aromatic amino acids than aminotransferase IV, explaining the essential role of aminotransferase I in the utilization of exogenously supplied aromatic amino acids. The properties of aminotransferase IV suggest that this enzyme is actually an aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1), corresponding to the product of the aspC gene of Escherichia coli.     

Influence of ring- and side-chain substituents on the transamination of aromatic amino acids by two multispecific aspartate-aromatic aminotransferase isozymes purified from bushbean shoots

The breadth of substrate specificity shown by the multispecific aspartate-aromatic aminotransferase of bushbean (Phaseolus vulgaris) has been investigated by testing the ability of two cytosolic isozymes (I and II), purified from shoot tissue, to catalyse transamination reactions between a range of ring- and sidechain-substituted aromatic amino acids and 2-oxoglutarate. Ring-substituted phenylalanines were the most reactive substrates whereas ring-substitution in tyrosine or tryptophan resulted in transamination rates lower than those observed with the parent amino acids. All side chain-substituted analogues were found to be totally inactive. The highest activity shown by any ring-substituted phenylalanine was observed with the 4-amino- compound, followed closely by the 4-hydroxy- and 4-halogen-compounds. In contrast, 4-nitrophenylalanine was completely inactive. These trends were consistent for both isozymes I and II, but only isozyme II showed greatly enhanced activity over that found with the parent amino acid when certain ring-substituted analogues were tested. The varying capacity of the bushbean isozymes to utilize the present range of substituted amino acids is compared with previous reports on the substrate specificity shown by aspartate and aromatic aminotransferases isolated from mammalian and microbial systems. A model for the mechanism of activation observed with bushbean isozyme II in the presence of certain 4-substituted aromatic amino acids is proposed, based on current understanding of the nature of the active site of animal aspartate aminotransferases.     

Redesign of the substrate specificity of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase to that of Escherichia coli tyrosine aminotransferase by homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis.

Although several high-resolution X-ray crystallographic structures have been determined for Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase (eAATase), efforts to crystallize E. coli tyrosine aminotransferase (eTATase) have been unsuccessful. Sequence alignment analyses of eTATase and eAATase show 43% sequence identity and 72% sequence similarity, allowing for conservative substitutions. The high similarity of the two sequences indicates that both enzymes must have similar secondary and tertiary structures. Six active site residues of eAATase were targeted by homology modeling as being important for aromatic amino acid reactivity with eTATase. Two of these positions (Thr 109 and Asn 297) are invariant in all known aspartate aminotransferase enzymes, but differ in eTATase (Ser 109 and Ser 297). The other four positions (Val 39, Lys 41, Thr 47, and Asn 69) line the active site pocket of eAATase and are replaced by amino acids with more hydrophobic side chains in eTATase (Leu 39, Tyr 41, Ile 47, and Leu 69). These six positions in eAATase were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis to the corresponding amino acids found in eTATase in an attempt to redesign the substrate specificity of eAATase to that of eTATase. Five combinations of the individual mutations were obtained from mutagenesis reactions. The redesigned eAATase mutant containing all six mutations (Hex) displays second-order rate constants for the transamination of aspartate and phenylalanine that are within an order of magnitude of those observed for eTATase. Thus, the reactivity of eAATase with phenylalanine was increased by over three orders of magnitude without sacrificing the high transamination activity with aspartate observed for both enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase from trichomonas vaginalis. Identity of aspartate aminotransferase and aromatic amino acid aminotransferase.

Aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase from the anaerobic protozoon Trichomonas vaginalis was purified to homogeneity and characterized. It is a dimeric protein of overall Mr approx. 100000. Only a single isoenzyme was found in T. vaginalis. The overall molecular and catalytic properties have features in common with both the vertebrate cytoplasmic and mitochondrial isoenzymes. The purified aspartate aminotransferase from T. vaginalis showed very high rates of activity with aromatic amino acids as donors and 2-oxoglutarate as acceptor. This broad-spectrum activity was restricted to aromatic amino acids and aromatic 2-oxo acids, and no significant activity was seen with other common amino acids, other than with the substrates and products of the aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase reaction. Co-purification and co-inhibition, by the irreversible inhibitor gostatin, of the aromatic amino acid aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, in conjunction with competitive substrate experiments, strongly suggest that a single enzyme is responsible for both activities. Such high rates of aromatic amino acid aminotransferase activity have not been reported before in eukaryotic aspartate aminotransferase.     

The use of natural and unnatural amino acid substrates to define the substrate specificity differences of Escherichia coli aspartate and tyrosine aminotransferases.

The tyrosine (eTATase) and aspartate (eAATase) aminotransferases of Escherichia coli transaminate diacarboxylic amino acids with similar rate constants. However, eTATase exhibits approximately 10(2)-10(4)-fold higher second-order rate constants for the transamination of aromatic amino acids than does eAATase. A series of natural and unnatural amino acid substrates was used to quantitate specificity differences for these two highly related enzymes. A general trend toward lower transamination activity with increasing side-chain length (extending from aspartate to glutamate to alpha-aminoadipate) is observed for both enzymes. This result suggests that dicarboxylate ligands associate with the two highly related enzymes in a similar manner. The high reactivity of the enzymes with L-Asp and L-Glu can be attributed to an ion pair interaction between the side-chain carboxylate of the amino acid substrate and the guanidino group of the active site residue Arg 292 that is common to both enzymes. A strong linear correlation between side-chain hydrophobicity and transamination rate constants obtains for n-alkyl side-chain amino substrates with eTATase, but not for eAATase. The present kinetic data support a model in which eAATase contains one binding mode for all classes of substrate, whereas the active site of eTATase allows an additional mode that has increased affinity for hydrophobic amino acid.     

AN EXAMINATION OF THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF SEVERAL AMINOTRANSFERASES IN BRAIN AND LIVER BY MEANS OF AN IMPROVED RADIOMETRIC ASSAY WITH DINITROPHENYLHYDRAZINE

Abstract— The assay of aminotransferases, performed by solvent extraction of keto acids formed from labelled amino acids, has been modified to enhance the recovery of both aliphatic and aromatic keto acid products. The keto acids are first converted to their respective dinitrophenylhydrazones which are more completely extracted into less polar organic solvents. By this manoeuvre, both keto acid extraction is increased and the extraction of the precursor amino acid is reduced. Employing this technique, the kinetics of brain-stem γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tryptophan, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) aminotransferases and brain-stem and liver tyrosine aminotransferases were examined. Brain-stem aminotransferases, particularly the aromatic amino acid transferases, have a higher affinity for both the amino acid and the keto acid when the aromatic keto acid, phenylpyruvate (0·8 mM), is employed as amino group acceptor, whereas maximal velocities for aminotransferase reactions are much greater when α-ketoglutarate (0·8 m m ) is the amino group acceptor. Brain-stem tyrosine aminotransferase exhibits a much lower affinity for tyrosine in the presence of either 0·8m m -α-ketoglutarate or 0·8 m m -phenylpyruvate than does liver tyrosine aminotransferase. p -Chlorophenylpyruvate and phenylpyruvate exhibit similar properties as amino group acceptors for brain-stem tryptophan aminotransferase. Cysteine inhibits tryptophan aminotransferase when phenylpyruvate is the amino group acceptor, in a manner which is competitive with the amino acid. Benzoylformate inhibits both tryptophan and DOPA aminotransferases when phenylpyruvate is the amino group acceptor, but this inhibition does not appear to be competitive with phenylpyruvate.     

Molecular analysis of the role of two aromatic aminotransferases and a broad-specificity aspartate aminotransferase in the aromatic amino acid metabolism of Pyrococcus furiosus

The genes encoding aromatic aminotransferase II (AroAT II) and aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) from Pyrococcus furiosus have been identified, expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant proteins characterized. The AroAT II enzyme was specific for the transamination reaction of the aromatic amino acids, and uses a-ketoglutarate as the amino acceptor. Like the previously characterized AroAT I, AroAT II has highest efficiency for phenylalanine (k(cat)/Km = 923 s(-1) mM(-1)). Northern blot analyses revealed that AroAT I was mainly expressed when tryptone was the primary carbon and energy source. Although the expression was significantly lower, a similar trend was observed for AroAT II. These observations suggest that both AroATs are involved in amino acid degradation. Although AspAT exhibited highest activity with aspartate and alpha-ketoglutarate (k(cat) approximately 105 s(-1)), it also showed significant activity with alanine, glutamate and the aromatic amino acids. With aspartate as the amino donor, AspAT catalyzed the amination of alpha-ketoglutarate, pyruvate and phenyl-pyruvate. No activity was detected with either branched-chain amino acids or alpha-keto acids. The AspAT gene (aspC) was expressed as a polycistronic message as part of the aro operon, with expression observed only when the aromatic amino acids were absent from the growth medium, indicating a role in the biosynthesis of the aromatic amino acids.     

Nonidentity of the Aspartate and the Aromatic Aminotransferase Components of Transaminase A in Escherichia coli

Tyrosine, added to the growth medium of a strain of Escherichia coli K-12 lacking transaminase B, repressed the tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan aminotransferase activities while leaving the aspartate aminotransferase activity unchanged. This suggested that the aspartate and the aromatic aminotransferase activities, previously believed to reside in the same protein, viz. transaminase A, are actually nonidentical. Further experiments showed that, upon incubation at 55 C, the aspartate aminotransferase of crude extracts was almost completely stable, whereas the tyrosine and phenylalanine activities were rapidly inactivated. Apoenzyme formation was faster, and apoenzyme degradation proceeded more slowly with aspartate aminotransferase than with tyrosine aminotransferase. Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels separated the aminotransferases. A more rapidly moving band contained tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan aminotransferases, and a slower band contained aspartate aminotransferase. A mutant of E. coli K-12 with low levels of aspartate aminotransferase exhibited unchanged levels of tyrosine aminotransferase. Thus, transaminase A appears to be made up of at least two proteins: one of broad specificity whose synthesis is repressed by tyrosine and another, specific for aspartate, which is not subject to repression by amino acids. The apparent molecular weights of both the aspartate and the aromatic aminotransferases, determined by gel filtration, were about 100,000.     

Some aspects on L-dopa decarboxylase and p-tyrosine decarboxylase in the central nervous and peripheral tissues of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana

1. Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase activities toward L-DOPA (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) and p-tyrosine in different tissues of the sclerotized and newly ecdysed cockroach were analyzed. 2. The ratios of enzyme activity with regard to L-DOPA and p-tyrosine varied considerably in the tissues and between the two different growth stages. 3. A DOPA decarboxylase and a p-tyrosine decarboxylase were separated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. 4. The optimal pH requirement for both enzymes was 7.5 with the exception of the one decarboxylating 5-HTP. 5. The molecular weights of the cockroach brain DOPA decarboxylase and tyrosine decarboxylase were estimated to be 120,000 and 100,000, respectively. 6. Unlike the mammalian aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, the cockroach DOPA decarboxylase cannot be activated by a small amount of benzene. 7. An increase of over 50-fold of DOPA decarboxylase activity and a 50% reduction of tyrosine decarboxylase activity in the epidermal tissue of the newly ecdysed animals was observed. 8. In the fully sclerotized cockroach, a reversible endogenous inhibitor(s) of DOPA decarboxylase in the integument was observed, suggesting that the DOPA decarboxylase is suppressed in the epidermal tissues when ecdysis does not occur.     

The characteristics of amino acid catabolism in bacteria of the genus Citrobacter

The comparison of the occurrence of enzymes effecting the deamination of dicarbon, aromatic and oxyamino acids, as well as transamination enzymes, in Citrobacter bacteria and the activity levels of these enzymes was made. The constant sign of such bacteria was the presence of serine and threonine dehydratase activity. 92% of the strains showed the presence of phenylalanine deaminase. No tryptophan activity was established. 96-98% of Citrobacter strains possessed phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan aminotransferases with alpha-ketoglutaric acid functioning as the acceptor of the amino group.     

An aminotransferase from Lactococcus lactis initiates conversion of amino acids to cheese flavor compounds.

The enzymatic degradation of amino acids in cheese is believed to generate aroma compounds and therefore to be involved in the complex process of cheese flavor development. In lactococci, transamination is the first step in the degradation of aromatic and branched-chain amino acids which are precursors of aroma compounds. Here, the major aromatic amino acid aminotransferase of a Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strain was purified and characterized. The enzyme transaminates the aromatic amino acids, leucine, and methionine. It uses the ketoacids corresponding to these amino acids and alpha-ketoglutarate as amino group acceptors. In contrast to most bacterial aromatic aminotransferases, it does not act on aspartate and does not use oxaloacetate as second substrate. It is essential for the transformation of aromatic amino acids to flavor compounds. It is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme and is composed of two identical subunits of 43.5 kDa. The activity of the enzyme is optimal between pH 6.5 and 8 and between 35 and 45 degrees C, but it is still active under cheese-ripening conditions.     

Purification, characterization and identification of rat liver histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase isoenzymes.

1. Histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 1) was purified to homogeneity from the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver, as judged by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isolectric focusing. Both enzyme preparations were remarkably similar in physical and enzymic properties. Isoenzyme 1 had pI8.0 and a pH optimum of 9.0. The enzyme was active with pyruvate as amino acceptor but not with 2-oxoglutarate, and utilized various aromatic amino acids as amino donors in the following order of activity: phenylalanine greater than tyrosine greater than histidine. Very little activity was found with tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values were about 2.6mM for histidine and 2.7 mM for phenylalanine. Km values for pyruvate were about 5.2mM with phenylalanine as amino donor and 1.1mM with histidine. The aminotransferase activity of the enzyme towards phenylalanine was inhibited by the addition of histidine. The mol.wt. determined by gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation was approx. 70000. The mitochondrial and supernatant isoenzyme 1 activities increased approximately 25-fold and 3.2-fold respectively in rats repeatedly injected with glucagon for 2 days. 2. An additional histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 2) was partially purified from both the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver. Nearly identical properties were observed with both preparations. Isoenzyme 2 had pI5.2 and a pH optimum of 9.3. The enzyme was specific for pyruvate and did not function with 2-oxoglutarate. The order of effectiveness of amino donors was tyrosine = phenylalanine greater than histidine greater than tryptophan greater than 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values for histidine and phenylalanine were about 0.51 and 1.8 mM respectively. Km values for pyruvate were about 3.5mM with phenylalanine and 4.7mM with histidine as amino donors. Histidine inhibited phenylalanine aminotransferase activity of the enzyme. Gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation yielded a mol.wt. of approx. 90000. Neither the mitochondrial nor the supernatant isoenzyme 2 activity was elevated by glucagon injection.     

Aminotransferases in the bivalve mollusc Mytilus edulis L. and short term effects of crude oil in brackish water

Transaminases are among the crucial enzymes in amino acid metabolism, which in aquatic organisms is known to be affected by exposure to oil hydrocarbons. The transamination reactions in Mytilus edulis L. were studied to estimate their adequacy to indicate short term oil exposure in mussels. The transamination reactions were measured using paper chromatography and spectrophotometry. A high degree of transamination was observed between 2 oxoglutarate and alanine, aspartate and ornithine. A slight degree of transamination was shown with methionine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, serine, tryptophan, threonine, tyrosine and valine. No transamination was observed between 2 oxoglutarate and glycine, arginine, histidine, lysine, proline, citrulline and alanine. The effect of the water accommodated fraction WAF of crude oil on selected transaminase reactions was measured. The highest changes during the WAF exposure were mostly observed in the gills and mantle. Alanine aminotransferase EC 2.6.1.2 activity in the mantle was, at its highest, 55 over the control. Aspartate aminotransferase EC 2.6.1.1 activity increased in the gills by 52 . For ornithine transamination, in the gills the highest increase was by 75 and in the mantle by 50 . The metabolic pathways involved in the alterations of aminotransferase activities are discussed. It is concluded that ornithine transamination in gills is a potential indicator for short term crude oil exposure in Mytilus edulis. More studies are needed to evaluate the effects of other organic pollutants on ornithine transamination.