Among the branched-chain amino acids, only valine metabolism is up-regulated in astrocytes during glutamate exposure

Enzyme Complexes Important for the Glutamate-Glutamine Cycle

Transient multienzyme and/or multiprotein complexes (metabolons) direct substrates toward specific pathways and can significantly influence the metabolism of glutamate and glutamine in the brain. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in brain. This neurotransmitter has essential roles in normal brain function including learning and memory. Metabolism of glutamate involves the coordinated activity of astrocytes and neurons and high affinity transporter proteins that are selectively distributed on these cells. This chapter describes known and possible metabolons that affect the metabolism of glutamate and related compounds in the brain, as well as some factors that can modulate the association and dissociation of such complexes, including protein modifications by acylation reactions (e.g., acetylation, palmitoylation, succinylation, SUMOylation, etc.) of specific residues. Development of strategies to modulate transient multienzyme and/or enzyme-protein interactions may represent a novel and promising therapeutic approach for treatment of diseases involving dysregulation of glutamate metabolism.

1H nuclear magnetic resonance brain metabolomics in neonatal mice after hypoxia-ischemia distinguished normothermic recovery from mild hypothermia recoveries

BACKGROUND

Mild brain hypothermia (31-34 °C) after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) improves neurodevelopmental outcomes in human and animal neonates. Using an asphyxia model with neonatal mice treated with mild hypothermia after HI, we investigated whether (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics of brain extracts could suggest biomarkers and distinguish different treatments and outcome groups.

METHODS

At postnatal day 7 (P7), CD1 mice underwent right carotid artery occlusion, 30 min of HI (8% oxygen), and 3.5 h of either hypothermia (31 °C) or normothermia (37 °C). Whole brains were frozen immediately after HI, immediately after 3.5 h of hypothermia or normothermia treatments, and 24 h later. Perchloric acid extractions of 36 metabolites were quantified by 900 MHz (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Multivariate analyses included principal component analyses (PCA) and a novel regression algorithm. Histological injury was quantified after HI at 5 d.

RESULTS

PCA scores plots separated normothermia/HI animals from hypothermia/HI and control animals, but more data are required for multivariate models to be predictive. Loadings plots identified 11 significant metabolites, whereas the regression algorithm identified 6. Histological injury scores were significantly reduced by hypothermia.

CONCLUSION

Different treatment and outcome groups are identifiable by (1)H NMR metabolomics in a neonatal mouse model of mild hypothermia treatment of HI.

Role of branched chain amino acids in cerebral ammonia homeostasis related to hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is associated with increased ammonia levels in plasma and brain. Different treatment strategies have been developed to ameliorate the detrimental effects of the ammonia load. One such strategy is based on the finding of a low level of the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in plasma of patients suffering from HE and the assumption that in particular isoleucine could be beneficial to brain energy metabolism as it is metabolized to the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate and precursor succinyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA, respectively. This would enable de novo synthesis of glutamine via α-ketoglutarate and glutamate and at the same time stimulate oxidative metabolism. The present mini-review summarizes the metabolic basis for this hypothesis delineating studies in the brain in vivo as well as in cultured neural cells aimed at elucidating the metabolism of the BCAAs focusing on isoleucine. The conclusion is that isoleucine appears at least partially to act in this fashion albeit its metabolism is quantitatively relatively modest. In addition, a short section on the role of the BCAAs in synaptic ammonia homeostasis is included along with some thoughts on the role of the BCAAs in other pathologies such as cancer.

Primary cultures of astrocytes: their value in understanding astrocytes in health and disease

During the past few decades of astrocyte research it has become increasingly clear that astrocytes have taken a central position in all central nervous system activities. Much of our new understanding of astrocytes has been derived from studies conducted with primary cultures of astrocytes. Such cultures have been an invaluable tool for studying roles of astrocytes in physiological and pathological states. Many central astrocytic functions in metabolism, amino acid neurotransmission and calcium signaling were discovered using this tissue culture preparation and most of these observations were subsequently found in vivo. Nevertheless, primary cultures of astrocytes are an in vitro model that does not fully mimic the complex events occurring in vivo. Here we present an overview of the numerous contributions generated by the use of primary astrocyte cultures to uncover the diverse functions of astrocytes. Many of these discoveries would not have been possible to achieve without the use of astrocyte cultures. Additionally, we address and discuss the concerns that have been raised regarding the use of primary cultures of astrocytes as an experimental model system.

Valine but not leucine or isoleucine supports neurotransmitter glutamate synthesis during synaptic activity in cultured cerebellar neurons

Synthesis of neuronal glutamate from α-ketoglutarate for neurotransmission necessitates an amino group nitrogen donor; however, it is not clear which amino acid(s) serves this role. Thus, the ability of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), leucine, isoleucine, and valine, to act as amino group nitrogen donors for synthesis of vesicular neurotransmitter glutamate was investigated in cultured mouse cerebellar (primarily glutamatergic) neurons. The cultures were superfused in the presence of (15) N-labeled BCAAs, and synaptic activity was induced by pulses of N-methyl-D-aspartate (300 μM), which results in release of vesicular glutamate. At the end of the superfusion experiment, the vesicular pool of glutamate was released by treatment with α-latrotoxin (3 nM, 5 min). This experimental paradigm allows a separate analysis of the cytoplasmic and vesicular pools of glutamate. Amount and extent of (15) N labeling of intracellular amino acids plus vesicular glutamate were analyzed employing HPLC and LC-MS analysis. Only when [(15) N]valine served as precursor did the labeling of both cytoplasmic and vesicular glutamate increase after synaptic activity. In addition, only [(15) N]valine was able to maintain the amount of vesicular glutamate during synaptic activity. This indicates that, among the BCAAs, only valine supports the increased need for synthesis of vesicular glutamate.

Direct measurement of backflux between oxaloacetate and fumarate following pyruvate carboxylation

Pyruvate carboxylation (PC) is thought to be the major anaplerotic reaction for the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is necessary for de novo synthesis of amino acid neurotransmitters. In the brain, the main enzyme involved is pyruvate carboxylase, which is predominantly located in astrocytes. Carboxylation leads to the formation of oxaloacetate, which condenses with acetyl coenzyme A to form citrate. However, oxaloacetate may also be converted to malate and fumarate before being regenerated. This pathway is termed the oxaloacetate-fumarate-flux or backflux. Carbon isotope-based methods for quantification of activity of PC lead to underestimation when backflux is not taken into account and critical errors have been made in the interpretation of results from metabolic studies. This study was conducted to establish the degree of backflux after PC in cerebellar and neocortical astrocytes. Astrocyte cultures from cerebellum or neocortex were incubated with either [3-(13) C] or [2-(13) C]glucose, and extracts were analyzed using mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Substantial PC compared with pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was observed, and extensive backflux was demonstrated in both types of astrocytes. The extent of backflux varied between the metabolites, reaffirming that metabolism is highly compartmentalized. By applying our calculations to published data, we demonstrate the existence of backflux in vivo in cat, rat, mouse, and human brain. Thus, backflux should be taken into account when calculating the magnitude of PC to allow for a more precise evaluation of cerebral metabolism.

Glutamate dehydrogenase in brain mitochondria: do lipid modifications and transient metabolon formation influence enzyme activity?

Metabolism of glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in brain, is complex and of paramount importance to overall brain function. Thus, understanding the regulation of enzymes involved in formation and disposal of glutamate and related metabolites is crucial to understanding glutamate metabolism. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a pivotal enzyme that links amino acid metabolism and TCA cycle activity in brain and other tissues. The allosteric regulation of GDH has been extensively studied and characterized. Less is known about the influence of lipid modifications on GDH activity, and the participation of GDH in transient heteroenzyme complexes (metabolons) that can greatly influence metabolism by altering kinetic parameters and lead to channeling of metabolites. This review summarizes evidence for palmitoylation and acylation of GDH, information on protein binding, and information regarding the participation of GDH in transient heteroenzyme complexes. Recent studies suggest that a number of other proteins can bind to GDH altering activity and overall metabolism. It is likely that these modifications and interactions contribute additional levels of regulation of GDH activity and glutamate metabolism.

Branched-chain amino acids induce neurotoxicity in rat cortical cultures

The higher risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among professional soccer players, recently reported in Italy, has stimulated investigations in the search for environmental factors that may be at the origin of the increased susceptibility to the disease. Here we studied if high concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), widely used among athletes as dietary integrators to improve physical performance, may be related to an excitotoxic neuronal cell damage. Our results show that (i) high concentrations of BCAAs are neurotoxic and increase excitotoxicity in cortical neurons; (ii) neurotoxicity is brain area specific, being detected in cortical, but not in hippocampal neurons; (iii) it is related to NMDA receptor overstimulation, since it is abolished in the presence of MK-801, a specific NMDA channel blocker; (iv) it depends on the presence of astrocytes. We describe here a possible biological link between an environmental factor (high dietary intake of BCAAs) and the increased risk of ALS among soccer players.

The human GLUD2 glutamate dehydrogenase: localization and functional aspects

In all mammals, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), an enzyme central to the metabolism of glutamate, is encoded by a single gene (GLUD1 in humans) which is expressed widely (housekeeping). Humans and other primates also possess a second gene, GLUD2, which encodes a highly homologous GDH isoenzyme (hGDH2) expressed predominantly in retina, brain and testis. There is evidence that GLUD1 was retro-posed <23 million years ago to the X chromosome, where it gave rise to GLUD2 through random mutations and natural selection. These mutations provided the novel enzyme with unique properties thought to facilitate its function in the particular milieu of the nervous system. hGDH2, having been dissociated from GTP control (through the Gly456Ala change), is mainly regulated by rising levels of ADP/l-leucine. To achieve full-range regulation by these activators, hGDH2 needs to set its basal activity at low levels (<10% of full capacity), a property largely conferred by the evolutionary Arg443Ser change. Studies of structure/function relationships have identified residues in the regulatory domain of hGDH2 that modify basal catalytic activity and regulation. In addition, enzyme concentration and buffer ionic strength can influence basal enzyme activity. While mature hGDH1 and hGDH2 isoproteins are highly homologous, their predicted leader peptide sequences show a greater degree of divergence. Study of the subcellular sites targeted by hGDH2 in three different cultured cell lines using a GLUD2/EGFP construct revealed that hGDH2 localizes mainly to mitochondria and to a lesser extent to the endoplasmic reticulum of these cells. The implications of these findings for the potential role of this enzyme in the biology of the nervous system in health and disease are discussed.

The micro-architecture of the cerebral cortex: functional neuroimaging models and metabolism

In order to interpret/integrate data obtained with different functional neuroimaging modalities (e.g. fMRI, EEG/MEG, PET/SPECT, fNIRS), forward-generative models of a diversity of brain mechanisms at the mesoscopic level are considered necessary. For the cerebral cortex, the brain structure with possibly the most relevance for functional neuroimaging, a variety of such biophysical models has been proposed over the last decade. The development of technological tools to investigate in vitro the physiological, anatomical and biochemical principles at the microscopic scale in comparative studies formed the basis for such theoretical progresses. However, with the most recent introduction of systems to record electrical (e.g. miniaturized probes chronically/acutely implantable in the brain), optical (e.g. two-photon laser scanning microscopy) and atomic nuclear spectral (e.g. nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) signals using living laboratory animals, the field is receiving even greater attention. Major advances have been achieved by combining such sophisticated recording systems with new experimental strategies (e.g. transgenic/knock-out animals, high resolution stereotaxic manipulation systems for probe-guidance and cellular-scale chemical-delivery). Theoreticians may now be encouraged to re-consider previously formulated mesoscopic level models in order to incorporate important findings recently made at the microscopic scale. In this series of reviews, we summarize the background at the microscopic scale, which we suggest will constitute the foundations for upcoming representations at the mesoscopic level. In this first part, we focus our attention on the nerve ending particles in order to summarize basic principles and mechanisms underlying cellular metabolism in the cerebral cortex. It will be followed by two parts highlighting major features in its organization/working-principles to regulate both cerebral blood circulation and neuronal activity, respectively. Contemporary theoretical models for functional neuroimaging will be revised in the fourth part, with particular emphasis in their applications, advantages/limitations and future prospects.