Characterization of the interactions between Asp141 and Phe236 in the Mn2+-l-malate binding of pigeon liver malic enzyme

Putative Key Role of Inositol Messengers in Endothelial Cells in Preeclampsia

Immunological alterations, endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance characterize preeclampsia. Endothelial cells hold the key role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The signaling pathways mediating these biological abnormalities converge on PKB/Akt, an intracellular kinase regulating cell survival, proliferation, and metabolism. Inositol second messengers are involved in metabolic and cell signaling pathways and are highly expressed during preeclampsia. Intracellular action of these molecules is deeply affected by zinc, manganese, and calcium. To evaluate the pathophysiological significance, we present the response of the intracellular pathways of inositol phosphoglycans involved in cellular metabolism and propose a link with the disease.

Glutamates 78 and 122 in the active site of saccharopine dehydrogenase contribute to reactant binding and modulate the basicity of the acid-base catalysts

Saccharopine dehydrogenase catalyzes the NAD-dependent oxidative deamination of saccharopine to give l-lysine and alpha-ketoglutarate. There are a number of conserved hydrophilic, ionizable residues in the active site, all of which must be important to the overall reaction. In an attempt to determine the contribution to binding and rate enhancement of each of the residues in the active site, mutations at each residue are being made, and double mutants are being made to estimate the interrelationship between residues. Here, we report the effects of mutations of active site glutamate residues, Glu(78) and Glu(122), on reactant binding and catalysis. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to generate E78Q, E122Q, E78Q/E122Q, E78A, E122A, and E78A/E122A mutant enzymes. Mutation of these residues increases the positive charge of the active site and is expected to affect the pK(a) values of the catalytic groups. Each mutant enzyme was completely characterized with respect to its kinetic and chemical mechanism. The kinetic mechanism remains the same as that of wild type enzymes for all of the mutant enzymes, with the exception of E78A, which exhibits binding of alpha-ketoglutarate to E and E.NADH. Large changes in V/K(Lys), but not V, suggest that Glu(78) and Glu(122) contribute binding energy for lysine. Shifts of more than a pH unit to higher and lower pH of the pK(a) values observed in the V/K(Lys) pH-rate profile of the mutant enzymes suggests that the presence of Glu(78) and Glu(122) modulates the basicity of the catalytic groups.

Long-range interaction between the enzyme active site and a distant allosteric site in the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Our previous study has suggested that mutation of the amino acid residue Asp102 has a significant effect on the fumarate-mediated activation of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME). In this paper, we examine the cationic amino acid residue Arg98, which is adjacent to Asp102 and is highly conserved in most m-NAD(P)-MEs. A series of R98/D102 mutants were created to examine the possible interactions between Arg98 and Asp102 using the double-mutant cycle analysis. Kinetic analysis revealed that the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme was severely affected by mutating both Arg98 and Asp102 residues. However, the binding energy of these mutant enzymes to fumarate as determined by analysis of the K(A,Fum) values, show insignificant differences, indicating that the mutation of Arg98 and Asp102 did not cause a significant decrease in the binding affinity of fumarate. The overall coupling energies for R98K/D102N as determined by analysis of the k(cat)/K(m) and K(A,Fum) values were -2.95 and -0.32kcal/mol, respectively. According to these results, we conclude that substitution of both Arg98 and Asp102 residues has a synergistic effect on the catalytic ability of the enzyme.

Reciprocal control of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and phosphatase by inositol phosphoglycans. Dynamic state set by "push-pull" system

Reversible phosphorylation of proteins regulates numerous aspects of cell function, and abnormal phosphorylation is causal in many diseases. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is central to the regulation of glucose homeostasis. PDC exists in a dynamic equilibrium between de-phospho-(active) and phosphorylated (inactive) forms controlled by pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatases (PDP1,2) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDK1-4). In contrast to the reciprocal regulation of the phospho-/de-phospho cycle of PDC and at the level of expression of the isoforms of PDK and PDP regulated by hormones and diet, there is scant evidence for regulatory factors acting in vivo as reciprocal "on-off" switches. Here we show that the putative insulin mediator inositol phosphoglycan P-type (IPG-P) has a sigmoidal inhibitory action on PDK in addition to its known linear stimulation of PDP. Thus, at critical levels of IPG-P, this sigmoidal/linear model markedly enhances the switchover from the inactive to the active form of PDC, a "push-pull" system that, combined with the developmental and hormonal control of IPG-P, indicates their powerful regulatory function. The release of IPGs from cell membranes by insulin is significant in relation to diabetes. The chelation of IPGs with Mn2+ and Zn2+ suggests a role as "catalytic chelators" coordinating the traffic of metal ions in cells. Synthetic inositol hexosamine analogues are shown here to have a similar linear/sigmoidal reciprocal action on PDC exerting push-pull effects, suggesting their potential for treatment of metabolic disorders, including diabetes.