Small-molecule ghrelin receptor antagonists improve glucose tolerance, suppress appetite, and promote weight loss

Ghrelin, through action on its receptor, GH secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), exerts a variety of metabolic functions including stimulation of appetite and weight gain and suppression of insulin secretion. In the present study, we examined the effects of novel small-molecule GHS-R1a antagonists on insulin secretion, glucose tolerance, and weight loss. Ghrelin dose-dependently suppressed insulin secretion from dispersed rat islets. This effect was fully blocked by a GHS-R1a antagonist. Consistent with this observation, a single oral dose of a GHS-R1a antagonist improved glucose homeostasis in an ip glucose tolerance test in rat. Improvement in glucose tolerance was attributed to increased insulin secretion. Daily oral administration of a GHS-R1a antagonist to diet-induced obese mice led to reduced food intake and weight loss (up to 15%) due to selective loss of fat mass. Pair-feeding experiments indicated that weight loss was largely a consequence of reduced food intake. The impact of a GHS-R1a antagonist on gastric emptying was also examined. Although the GHS-R1a antagonist modestly delayed gastric emptying at the highest dose tested (10 mg/kg), delayed gastric emptying does not appear to be a requirement for weight loss because lower doses produced weight loss without an effect on gastric emptying. Consistent with the hypothesis that ghrelin regulates feeding centrally, the anorexigenic effects of potent GHS-R1a antagonists in mice appeared to correspond with their brain exposure. These observations demonstrate that GHS-R1a antagonists have the potential to improve the diabetic condition by promoting glucose-dependent insulin secretion and promoting weight loss.

Quinazolinone derivatives as orally available ghrelin receptor antagonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity

The peptide hormone ghrelin is the endogenous ligand for the type 1a growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a) and the only currently known circulating appetite stimulant. GHS-R1a antagonism has therefore been proposed as a potential approach for obesity treatment. More recently, ghrelin has been recognized to also play a role in controlling glucose-induced insulin secretion, which suggests another possible benefit for a GHS-R1a antagonist, namely, the role as an insulin secretagogue with potential value for diabetes treatment. In our laboratories, piperidine-substituted quinazolinone derivatives were identified as a new class of small-molecule GHS-R1a antagonists. Starting from an agonist with poor oral bioavailability, optimization led to potent, selective, and orally bioavailable antagonists. In vivo efficacy evaluation of selected compounds revealed suppression of food intake and body weight reduction as well as glucose-lowering effects mediated by glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

Quinazolinone derivatives as orally available ghrelin receptor antagonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity

The peptide hormone ghrelin is the endogenous ligand for the type 1a growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a) and the only currently known circulating appetite stimulant. GHS-R1a antagonism has therefore been proposed as a potential approach for obesity treatment. More recently, ghrelin has been recognized to also play a role in controlling glucose-induced insulin secretion, which suggests another possible benefit for a GHS-R1a antagonist, namely, the role as an insulin secretagogue with potential value for diabetes treatment. In our laboratories, piperidine-substituted quinazolinone derivatives were identified as a new class of small-molecule GHS-R1a antagonists. Starting from an agonist with poor oral bioavailability, optimization led to potent, selective, and orally bioavailable antagonists. In vivo efficacy evaluation of selected compounds revealed suppression of food intake and body weight reduction as well as glucose-lowering effects mediated by glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

A novel long-acting selective neuropeptide Y2 receptor polyethylene glycol-conjugated peptide agonist reduces food intake and body weight and improves glucose metabolism in rodents

Selective activation of the neuropeptide Y (NPY)2 receptor to suppress appetite provides a promising approach to obesity management. A selective NPY2 polyethylene glycol-conjugated (PEGylated) peptide agonist is described that consists of a peptide core corresponding to residues 13 to 36 of human peptide YY (PYY) and a nonpeptidic moiety (2-mercaptonicotinic acid) at the peptide N terminus that is derivatized with 20-kDa monomethoxypolyethylene glycol. The PEGylated peptide elicits a dose-dependent reduction in food intake in lean C57BL/6 mice and Wistar rats that persists for 72 and 48 h, respectively. The effect on food intake in lean C57BL/6 mice is blocked by the selective NPY2 antagonist BIIE0246 (N-[(1S)-4-[(aminoiminomethyl)amino]-1-[[[2-(3,5-dioxo-1,2-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazolidin-4-yl)ethyl]amino]carbonyl]butyl]-1-[2-[4-(6,11-dihydro-6-oxo-5H-dibenz[b,e]azepin-11-yl)-1-piperazinyl]-2-oxoethyl]-cyclopentaneacetamide formate). A dose-dependent reduction in body weight in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice is seen following daily dosing for 14 days. The reduction in body weight is sustained following dosing for 40 days, and it is accompanied by an increase in plasma adiponectin. Improvements in glucose disposal and in plasma insulin and glucose levels that are risk factors for type II diabetes are observed following once-daily subcutaneous dosing in DIO mice. The results provide evidence from two animal species that the long-acting selective NPY2 peptide agonist has potential for obesity management.

PDE-10A inhibitors as insulin secretagogues

Modulation of cAMP levels has been linked to insulin secretion in preclinical animal models and in humans. The high expression of PDE-10A in pancreatic islets suggested that inhibition of this enzyme may provide the necessary modulation to elicit increased insulin secretion. Using an HTS approach, we have identified quinoline-based PDE-10A inhibitors as insulin secretagogues in vitro. Optimized compounds were evaluated in vivo where improvements in glucose tolerance and increases in insulin secretion were measured.

Dual-acting peptide with prolonged glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist and glucagon receptor antagonist activity for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by reduced insulin secretion from the pancreas and overproduction of glucose by the liver. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) promotes glucose-dependent insulin secretion from the pancreas, while glucagon promotes glucose output from the liver. Taking advantage of the homology between GLP-1 and glucagon, a GLP-1/glucagon hybrid peptide, dual-acting peptide for diabetes (DAPD), was identified with combined GLP-1 receptor agonist and glucagon receptor antagonist activity. To overcome its short plasma half-life DAPD was PEGylated, resulting in dramatically prolonged activity in vivo. PEGylated DAPD (PEG-DAPD) increases insulin and decreases glucose in a glucose tolerance test, evidence of GLP-1 receptor agonism. It also reduces blood glucose following a glucagon challenge and elevates fasting glucagon levels in mice, evidence of glucagon receptor antagonism. The PEG-DAPD effects on glucose tolerance are also observed in the presence of the GLP-1 antagonist peptide, exendin(9-39). An antidiabetic effect of PEG-DAPD is observed in db/db mice. Furthermore, PEGylation of DAPD eliminates the inhibition of gastrointestinal motility observed with GLP-1 and its analogues. Thus, PEG-DAPD has the potential to be developed as a novel dual-acting peptide to treat type 2 diabetes, with prolonged in vivo activity, and without the GI side-effects.

Engineering of a VPAC2 Receptor Peptide Agonist To Impart Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Stability and Enhance in Vivo Glucose Disposal

VPAC2P-PEG is a VPAC2 receptor agonist peptide that acts as a glucose-dependent insulin secretagogue. Proteolysis by DPPIV may contribute to the in vivo clearance of VPAC2P-PEG. Here, the N-terminus of VPAC2P-PEG is modified by N-terminal acetylation to impart DPPIV resistance. The acetylated peptide, Ac-VPAC2P-PEG, is a selective and potent VPAC2 agonist, resistant to DPPIV proteolysis, and exhibits substantially improved half-life and glucose disposal in rodents. Ac-VPAC2P-PEG has therapeutic potential for diabetes management.

Engineering novel VPAC2-selective agonists with improved stability and glucose-lowering activity in vivo

A previously described VPAC2-selective agonist, BAY 55-9837 (peptide HSDAVFTDNYTRLRKQVAAKKYLQSIKNKRY), had several limitations with respect to its potential as an insulin secretagogue for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. These limitations were primarily poor stability in aqueous buffer and short duration of action in vivo. In this report, we describe a series of novel analogs of BAY 55-9837 that were designed around the likely degradation mechanisms and structure-activity relationship of this peptide with a view to overcoming its limitations. These analogs were tested for improved liquid stability and retention of VPAC2-selective binding and activation, as well as prolonged activity in vivo. Although several degradation mechanisms were possible based on the degradation pattern, it was determined that deamidation at the two asparagines (N9 and N28) was the major instability determinant. Changing these two asparagines to glutamines did not negatively affect VPAC2-selective binding and activation. The double glutamine mutein analog, BAY(Q9Q28), retained full VPAC2 activity and selectivity while displaying no significant degradation when stored at 40 degrees C for 4 weeks. This is in contrast to BAY 55-9837, which showed greater than 80% degradation when stored at 40 degrees C for 2 weeks. A cysteine was added to the C terminus of BAY(Q9Q28), followed by site-specific cysteine conjugation with a 22- or 43-kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) to yield BAY(Q9Q28C32)PEG22 or BAY(Q9Q28C32)PEG43, respectively. These PEGylated peptides retain the ability to selectively bind and activate the VPAC2 receptor and have prolonged glucose-lowering activity in vivo.

Design of a long acting peptide functioning as both a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist and a glucagon receptor antagonist

The closely related peptides glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and glucagon have opposing effects on blood glucose. GLP-1 induces glucose-dependent insulin secretion in the pancreas, whereas glucagon stimulates gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in the liver. The identification of a hybrid peptide acting as both a GLP-1 agonist and a glucagon antagonist would provide a novel approach for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Toward this end a series of hybrid peptides made up of glucagon and either GLP-1 or exendin-4, a GLP-1 agonist, was engineered. Several peptides that bind to both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors were identified. The presence of glucagon sequence at the N terminus removed the dipeptidylpeptidase IV cleavage site and increased plasma stability compared with GLP-1. Targeted mutations were incorporated into the optimal dual-receptor binding peptide to identify a peptide with the highly novel property of functioning as both a GLP-1 receptor agonist and a glucagon receptor antagonist. To overcome the short half-life of this mutant peptide in vivo, while retaining dual GLP-1 agonist and glucagon antagonist activities, site-specific attachment of long chained polyethylene glycol (PEGylation) was pursued. PEGylation at the C terminus retained the in vitro activities of the peptide while dramatically prolonging the duration of action in vivo. Thus, we have generated a novel dual-acting peptide with potential for development as a therapeutic for type 2 diabetes.

Specific inhibition of hormone-sensitive lipase improves lipid profile while reducing plasma glucose

Elevation of plasma free fatty acids has been linked with insulin resistance and diabetes. Inhibition of lipolysis may provide a mechanism to decrease plasma fatty acids, thereby improving insulin sensitivity. Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a critical enzyme involved in the hormonally regulated release of fatty acids and glycerol from adipocyte lipid stores, and its inhibition may thus improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose handling in type 2 diabetes. In rat adipocytes, forskolin-activated lipolysis was blocked by in vitro addition of a potent and selective HSL inhibitor or by prior treatment of the animals themselves. Antilipolytic effects also were demonstrated in overnight-fasted mice, rats, and dogs with species-dependent effects on plasma free fatty acid levels but with similar reductions in plasma glycerol being observed in all species. Inhibition of HSL also reduced hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The data support a connection between adipose tissue lipolysis and plasma glucose levels.

A potent and highly selective VPAC2 agonist enhances glucose-induced insulin release and glucose disposal: a potential therapy for type 2 diabetes

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) activate two shared receptors, VPAC1 and VPAC2. Activation of VPAC1 has been implicated in elevating glucose output, whereas activation of VPAC2 may be involved in insulin secretion. A hypothesis that a VPAC2-selective agonist would enhance glucose disposal by stimulating insulin secretion without causing increased hepatic glucose production was tested using a novel selective agonist of VPAC2. This agonist, BAY 55-9837, was generated through site-directed mutagenesis based on sequence alignments of PACAP, VIP, and related analogs. The peptide bound to VPAC2 with a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 0.65 nmol/l and displayed >100-fold selectivity over VPAC1. BAY 55-9837 stimulated glucose-dependent insulin secretion in isolated rat and human pancreatic islets, increased insulin synthesis in purified rat islets, and caused a dose-dependent increase in plasma insulin levels in fasted rats, with a half-maximal stimulatory concentration of 3 pmol/kg. Continuous intravenous or subcutaneous infusion of the peptide reduced the glucose area under the curve following an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test. The peptide had effects on intestinal water retention and mean arterial blood pressure in rats, but only at much higher doses. BAY 55-9837 may be a useful therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Hypertrophy of brown adipocytes in brown and white adipose tissues and reversal of diet-induced obesity in rats treated with a beta3-adrenoceptor agonist

In a previous study, we demonstrated that chronic treatment with a new beta3-adrenoceptor agonist, CL 316,243 [disodium (R,R)-5-[2-[[2-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]-amino]propyl]-1,3-ben zodioxazole-2,2-dicarboxylate], promoted thermogenesis, caused the appearance of multilocular adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT), and retarded development of obesity in young rats eating a high-fat diet (Himms-Hagen et al., Am J Physiol 266: R1371-R1382, 1994). Objectives of the present study were to find out whether CL 316,243 could reverse established diet-induced obesity in rats and to identify the multilocular adipocytes that appeared in WAT. Infusion of CL 316,243 (1 mg/kg/day) reduced abdominal fat, with a decrease in enlarged adipocyte size but no loss of white adipocytes. The resting metabolic rate increased by 40-45%, but food intake was not altered. Abundant densely stained multilocular brown adipocytes expressing uncoupling protein (UCP) appeared in retroperitoneal WAT, in which a marked increase in protein content occurred. UCP content of interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) was also increased markedly. We suggest that the substantial increase in the resting metabolic rate induced by CL 316,243 occurs in brown adipocytes in both BAT and WAT. The origin of the brown adipocytes that appeared in WAT is uncertain. They may have been small brown preadipocytes, expressing beta3-adrenoceptors but with few mitochondria and little or no UCP, that were induced to hypertrophy by the beta3-agonist.

Effect of CL-316,243, a thermogenic beta 3-agonist, on energy balance and brown and white adipose tissues in rats

The objective was to assess the effect of a new, highly selective beta 3-adrenergic agonist, CL-316,243 (CL) (J. D. Bloom, M. D. Dutia, B. D. Johnson, A. Wissner, M. G. Burns, E. E. Largis, J. A. Dolan, and T. H. Claus., J. Med. Chem. 35: 3081, 1992), on energy balance and brown and white adipose tissues (BAT and WAT, respectively) in young rats eating a high-fat diet to induce obesity. Chronic treatment with CL increased body temperature and 24-h energy expenditure, mainly by increasing resting metabolic rate. Food intake was not altered but carcass fat was reduced. Interscapular BAT was markedly hypertrophied, with three- to fourfold increases in the content of uncoupling protein (UCP) and cytochrome oxidase. Quantitative immunoelectron microscopy of interscapular BAT of CL-treated rats showed smaller mitochondria with an unchanged total amount of UCP per mitochondrion. The relative frequency of the four major cell types in BAT (mature brown adipocytes, preadipocytes, interstitial cells, endothelial cells) was not altered. The CL-induced hypertrophy differed from that induced by chronic stimulation by endogenous norepinephrine (as in cold-adaptation) in absence of hyperplasia (there was a slightly reduced DNA content), absence of an increase in the thyroxine (T4) 5'-deiodinase activity, and absence of a selective increase in UCP concentration. WAT depots weighed less and had fewer cells (lower DNA content) in the CL-treated rats. Some multilocular adipocytes appeared in these normally almost exclusively unilocular WAT depots (mesenteric, inguinal, epididymal, retroperitoneal). We conclude that CL not only promotes BAT mitochondrial proliferation and thermogenesis and overall energy expenditure and leanness, but also retards the development of WAT hyperplasia during the early stage of diet-induced obesity.

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate in control of hepatic gluconeogenesis. From metabolites to molecular genetics

Hormonal regulation of hepatic gluconeogenic pathway flux is brought about by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and control of gene expression of several key regulatory enzymes. Regulation by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation occurs at the level of pyruvate kinase and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (6PF-1-K)/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (Fru-2,6-P2ase). The latter is a unique bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes both the synthesis and degradation of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2), which is an activator of 6PF-1-K and an inhibitor of Fru-1,6-P2ase. The bifunctional enzyme is a homodimer whose activities are regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation at a single NH2-terminal seryl residue/subunit, which results in activation of the Fru-2,6-P2ase and inhibition of the PF-1-K reactions. Hormone-mediated changes in the phosphorylation state of the bifunctional enzyme are responsible for acute regulation of Fru-2,6-P2 levels. 6PF-2-K/Fru-2,6-P2ase thus provides a switching mechanism between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in mammalian liver. Pyruvate kinase is regulated by both phosphorylation and allosteric effectors. Fru-1,6-P2, an allosteric activator, also inhibits cAMP-dependent enzyme phosphorylation, and its steady-state concentration is indirectly determined by the level of Fru-2,6-P2. Therefore, acute regulation of both pyruvate kinase and the bifunctional enzyme provide coordinated control at both the pyruvate/phosphoenolpyruvate and Fru-6-P/Fru-1,6-P2 substrate cycles. The Fru-2,6-P2 system is also subject to complex multihormonal long-term control through regulation of 6 PF-2-K/Fru-2,6-P2ase gene expression. Glucocorticoids are the major factor in turning on this gene in liver, but insulin is also a positive effector. cAMP prevents the effects of glucocorticoids and insulin. Although Fru-2,6-P2 plays a key role in the regulation of carbon flux in the gluconeogenic pathway, the regulation of this flux depends on several factors and regulation of other key enzymes whose importance varies depending on the dietary and hormonal status of the animal. Molecular cloning of the cDNA encoding PF-2-K/Fru-2,6-P2ase has elucidated its structure and permitted analysis of its evolutionary origin as well as its tissue distribution and control of its gene expression. The rat liver and skeletal muscle isoforms arose by alternative splicing of a single gene. The muscle form differs from the liver form only at the NH2-terminal and does not have a cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation site. The hepatic enzyme subunit consists of 470 amino acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The sugar phosphate specificity of rat hepatic 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase

The sugar phosphate specificity of the active site of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and of the inhibitory site of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was investigated. The Michaelis constants and relative Vmax values of the sugar phosphates for the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase were: D-fructose 6-phosphate, Km = 0.035 mM, Vmax = 1; L-sorbose 6-phosphate, Km = 0.175 mM, Vmax = 1.1; D-tagatose 6-phosphate, Km = 15 mM, Vmax = 0.15; and D-psicose 6-phosphate, Km = 7.4 mM, Vmax = 0.42. The enzyme did not catalyze the phosphorylation of 1-O-methyl-D-fructose 6-phosphate, alpha- and beta-methyl-D-fructofuranoside 6-phosphate, 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate, D-ribose 5-phosphate, or D-arabinose 5-phosphate. These results indicate that the hydroxyl group at C-3 of the tetrahydrofuran ring must be cis to the beta-anomeric hydroxyl group and that the hydroxyl group at C-4 must be trans. The presence of a hydroxymethyl group at C-2 is required; however, the orientation of the phosphonoxymethyl group at C-5 has little effect on activity. Of all the sugar monophosphates tested, only 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate was an effective inhibitor of the kinase with a Ki = 95 microM. The sugar phosphate specificity for the inhibition of the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was similar to the substrate specificity for the kinase. The apparent I0.5 values for inhibition were: D-fructose 6-phosphate, 0.01 mM; L-sorbose 6-phosphate, 0.05 mM; D-psicose 6-phosphate, 1 mM; D-tagatose 6-phosphate, greater than 2 mM; 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate, 0.5 mM. 1-O-Methyl-D-fructose 6-phosphate, alpha- and beta-methyl-D-fructofuranoside 6-phosphate, and D-arabinose 5-phosphate did not inhibit. Treatment of the enzyme with iodoacetamide decreased sugar phosphate affinity in the kinase reaction but had no effect on the sensitivity of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase to sugar phosphate inhibition. The results suggest a high degree of homology between two separate sugar phosphate binding sites for the bifunctional enzyme.

Changes in key regulatory enzymes of hepatic carbohydrate metabolism after glucose loading of starved rats

When glucose was given to starved rats there was an increase in both 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase and pyruvate kinase activity and a decrease in fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase activity 30 min and 60 min later. These changes were accompanied by an increase in glycogen deposition and by modest, but significant increases in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels at the same time. Metabolite measurements indicated that flux through 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and pyruvate kinase were increased. These results suggest that although glycogen deposition may occur via the gluconeogenic pathway, glycolysis is activated at the same time by changes in the phosphorylation state of key regulatory enzymes as well as by the small rise in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate.

Changes in fructose-2,6-bisphosphate levels after glucose loading of starved rats

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate levels in freeze-clamped livers of starved rats were 0.5 nmol/g liver. Oral administration of 1 g glucose per kg body weight to starved rats increased glycogen levels from 4 mg/g liver to 13.5 mg/g in 2 hr but did not significantly alter fructose-2,6-bisphosphate levels. The low level of this effector is consistent with an active gluconeogenic process and the results support the hypothesis that carbon atoms for glycogen synthesis can be derived from 3-carbon precursors via this pathway, even in the presence of glucose.

The action of insulin on hepatic fructose 2,6-bisphosphate metabolism

The inhibition of hepatocyte 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase by glucagon was suppressed by insulin when the enzyme was measured in crude extracts. However, no effect of either hormone was observed after the removal of allosteric effectors from the enzyme, suggesting that the alterations in activity may be due to changes in the level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, a potent allosteric activator of the enzyme. Insulin opposed the action of both glucagon and exogenous cyclic AMP to lower fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels. The concentration of glucagon and of cyclic AMP that gave a half-maximal decrease in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels was increased in the presence of 10 nM insulin from 0.03 to 0.09 nM and from 12 to 36 microM, respectively. Insulin also counteracted the effect of maximal concentrations of epinephrine on fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels. In the presence of 0.02 nM glucagon or 10 microM epinephrine, 10 nM insulin enhanced 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and decreased fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase activity in (NH4)2SO4-treated hepatocyte extracts. The bifunctional enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase was shown to be a substrate for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase but not for phosphorylase kinase. It was concluded that insulin opposed the action of glucagon and epinephrine by affecting the phosphorylation state of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels were decreased in liver cells from diabetic rats. Addition of 30 mM glucose elevated fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in cells from fed and 24-h-starved rats but not in cells from diabetic rats. This was probably due to decreases in both 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and glucokinase activity in the diabetic state. These results show that insulin has both short and long term effects on fructose 2,6-bisphosphate metabolism in liver.

Rat hepatic 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase: a unique bifunctional enzyme

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is a potent allosteric activator of 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and an inhibitor of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase. It potentiates the effect of AMP on both enzymes. A great deal of compelling evidence supports the hypothesis that fructose 2,6-bisphosphate plays a key role in the hormonal and substrate regulation of substrate cycling at the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate level in liver. This regulation is exerted at the level of the enzyme activities responsible for the synthesis and degradation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. Synthesis of the compound is catalyzed by a unique enzyme which transfers the gamma-phosphate of ATP to the C2 position of fructose 6-phosphate (ATP:D fructose 6-phosphate 2-phosphotransferase) while degradation is catalyzed by a phosphohydrolase activity which is specific for the C-2 position of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate 2-phosphohydrolase). These activities are distinct from the classical 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase with regard to molecular weight, interaction with ligands, and the efficiency with which phosphoryl transfer occurs. Both activities have been purified to homogeneity and have been shown to be present in a single enzyme protein, i.e. the enzyme is bifunctional. Incubation of the 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase with cAMP-dependent protein kinase and ATP leads to phosphorylation of the enzyme resulting in inactivation of the phosphotransferase activity and stimulation of the phosphohydrolase activity. Since fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is not further metabolized and can only be recycled to fructose 6-phosphate, simultaneous modulation of the synthesis and degradation of the compound by covalent modification of a single protein provides a very efficient and sensitive regulatory mechanism. The bifunctional enzyme was also shown to possess an ATPase activity which was nearly equal to the activity of the kinase reaction. However, in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate the enzyme did not transfer phosphate to water but rather to the C-2 position of the phosphorylated sugar. The ability of the enzyme to catalyze a partial reaction at a rate nearly equal to that of the forward reaction suggested that the reaction mechanism of the kinase proceeds by a two step transfer, i.e. via a phosphoryl enzyme intermediate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Regulation by glucagon of hepatic pyruvate kinase, 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

Glucagon stimulates gluconeogenesis in part by decreasing the rate of phosphoenolpyruvate disposal by pyruvate kinase. Glucagon, via cyclic AMP (cAMP) and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, enhances phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. Phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase results in enzyme inhibition and decreased recycling of phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate and enhanced glucose synthesis. Although phosphorylation of 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is catalyzed in vitro by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, the role of phosphorylation in regulating the activity of and flux through these enzymes in intact cells is uncertain. Glucagon regulation of these two enzyme activities is brought about primarily by changes in the level of a novel sugar diphosphate, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. This compound is an activator of phosphofructokinase and an inhibitor of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase; it also potentiates the effect of AMP on both enzymes. Glucagon addition to isolated liver systems results in a greater than 90% decrease in the level of this compound. This effect explains in large part the effect of glucagon to enhance flux through fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and to suppress flux through phosphofructokinase. The discovery of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate has greatly furthered our understanding of regulation at the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate substrate cycle.

Regulation of rat liver fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase

An enzyme activity that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphate from the C-2 position of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate has been detected in rat liver cytoplasm. The S0.5 for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was about 15 microM and the enzyme was inhibited by fructose 6-phosphate (Ki 40 microM) and activated by Pi (KA 1 mM). Fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase activity was purified to homogeneity by specific elution from phosphocellulose with fructose by specific elution from phosphocellulose with fructose 6-phosphate and had an apparent molecular weight of about 100,000, 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase activity copurified with fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase activity at each step of the purification scheme. Incubation of the purified protein with [gamma-32P]ATP and the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase resulted in the incorporation of 1 mol of 32P/mol of enzyme subunit (Mr = 50,000). Concomitant with this phosphorylation was an activation of the fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase and an inhibition of the 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase activity. Glucagon addition to isolated hepatocytes also resulted in an inhibition of 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase and activation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase measured in cell extracts, suggesting that the hormone regulates the level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate by affecting both synthesis and degradation of the compound. These findings suggest that this enzyme has both phosphohydrolase and phosphotransferase activities i.e. that it is bifunctional, and that both activities can be regulated by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation.

Regulation of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activity by cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation

Addition of glucagon to isolated rat hepatocytes resulted in inhibition of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (ATP:D-fructose-6-phosphate-2-phosphotransferase) activity in extracts of the cells and in a decrease in the intracellular level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. The effect on 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase was characterized by a decrease in the affinity of the enzyme for fructose 6-phosphate. To investigate the mechanism of action of glucagon, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase from rat liver was partially purified by polyethylene glycol precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. Incubation of the purified enzyme with the catalytic subunit of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase from rat liver and [gamma-32P]ATP resulted in 32P incorporation into a protein with a subunit Mr of 49,000 as determined by NaDodSO4 disc gel electrophoresis. Associated with this phosphorylation was an inhibition of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activity that was also characterized by a decrease in the affinity of the enzyme for fructose-6-phosphate. Both the phosphorylation and the inhibition of the purified 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase were blocked by addition of the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor. It is concluded that the glucagon-induced decrease in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels observed in isolated hepatocytes is due, at least in part, to cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation and inhibition of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase.

Effect of diabetes, insulin, starvation, and refeeding on the level of rat hepatic fructose 2,6-bisphosphate

The influence of alloxan diabetes and starvation for 72 h on the level of rat hepatic fructose 2,6-biphosphate was investigated. Both diabetes and starvation decreased the level to 10% of the value found in livers of normal, fed rats (10 nmol/g liver). The activity of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase, was also decreased in livers of diabetic rats. Insulin administration for 24 h to diabetic rats restored the level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate to normal. Refeeding a high carbohydrate diet for 24 h to starved rats resulted in fructose, 2,6-biphosphate levels that were 2.5-fold higher than that in livers of fed rats. The level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in diabetes and starvation, and after refeeding correlates as well with the rate of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in these states and thereby provides further support for its role in regulating hepatic carbohydrate metabolism.

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. A new activator of phosphofructokinase

A new activator of rat liver phosphofructokinase was partially purified from rat hepatocyte extracts by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. The activator, which eluted in the sugar diphosphate region, was sensitive to acid treatment but resistant to heating in alkali. Mild acid hydrolysis resulted in the appearance of a sugar monophosphate which was identified as fructose 6-phosphate by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. These observations suggest that the activator is fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. This compound was synthesized by first reacting fructose 1,6-bisphosphate with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and then treating the cyclic intermediate with alkali. The structure of the synthetic compound was definitively identified as fructose 2,6-bisphosphate by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate had properties identical with those of the activator purified from hepatocyte extracts. It activated both the rat liver and rabbit skeletal muscle enzyme in the 0.1 microM range and was several orders of magnitude more effective than fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was not a substrate for aldolase or fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase. It is likely that this new activator is an important physiologic factor of phosphofructokinase in vivo.

Mechanism of action of glucagon on hepatocyte phosphofructokinase activity

Addition of glucagon to isolated hepatocytes reduced the activity of 6-phosphofructokinase (ATP:D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.11) and pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40). Phosphorylation contributed to the inhibition of pyruvate kinase, but several lines of evidence indicated that this reaction was not responsible for the inhibition of phosphofructokinase. First, the increase in phosphorylation in intact cells induced by increasing the concentration of glucagon did not correlate well with the decrease in enzyme activity. Second, phosphorylation of phosphofructokinase induced by addition of cyclic AMP and Mg2+-ATP or by addition of Mg2+-ATP and the catalytic subunit of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to hepatocyte extracts had no effect on enzyme activity. Third, ammonium sulfate precipitation of the enzyme from extracts of cells incubated with glucagon abolished the hormone effect. The effect could be restored, however, by the addition of a phosphofructokinase-free extract from glucagon-treated cells to the ammonium sulfate-treated enzyme from either untreated or glucagon-treated cells. These results suggest that the inhibition of phosphofructokinase by glucagon is due to changes in the level of an allosteric effector(s).

The role of phosphorylation in the alpha-adrenergic-mediated inhibition of rat hepatic pyruvate kinase

Phenylephrine in the presence of 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine and propanolol caused a 40-50% inhibition of pyruvate kinase (type L) activity in isolated hepatocytes, which was accompanied by a 2-3-fold increase in the phosphate content of the enzyme. These changes were blocked by the alpha-adrenergic antagonist dihydroergocryptine and could not be accounted for by the slight increase in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity generated by the alpha-adrenergic agonist. It is concluded that a significant component of the inhibition of hepatic pyruvate kinase mediated by alpha-adrenergic agonists can be attributed to a cyclic AMP-independent alteration in the phosphorylation state of the enzyme.

Phosphorylation of rat hepatic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and pyruvate kinase

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from rat liver was phosphorylated with cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP. Brief exposure of the 32P-labeled enzyme to trypsin removed all radioactivity from the enzyme core and produced a single-labeled peptide. The partial sequence of the 17-amino acid peptide was found to be Ser-Arg-Pro-Ser(P)-Leu-Pro-Leu-Pro-(Ser2, Glx2, Pro2, Leu, Arg2). The kinetics of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of native fructose bisphosphatase were compared with those of rat liver type L pyruvate kinase where the sequence around the phosphoserine is known (Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser(P)-Val; Hjelmquist, G., Anderson, J., Edlund, B., and Engstrom, L. (1974) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 61, 559-563). The Km for pyruvate kinase (17 microM) was less than that for fructose bisphosphatase (58 microM); the Vmax was about 3-fold greater with pyruvate kinase as substrate. The relationship between the rates of phosphorylation of these native substrates and the amino acid sequences surrounding the phosphorylated sites is discussed.