Inhibition of Pig Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Isoenzymes by 3-Mercaptopicolinic Acid and Novel Inhibitors

There exist two isoforms of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) in pig populations that differ in a single amino acid (Met139Leu). The isoenzymes have different kinetic properties, affecting more strongly the K_m and V_max of nucleotides. They are associated to different phenotypes modifying traits of considerable economic interest. In this work we use inhibitors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity to search for further differences between these isoenzymes. On the one hand we have used the well-known inhibitor 3-mercaptopicolinic acid. Its inhibition patterns were the same for both isoenzymes: a three-fold decrease of the K_i values for GTP in 139Met and 139Leu (273 and 873 μM, respectively). On the other hand, through screening of a chemical library we have found two novel compounds with inhibitory effects of a similar magnitude to that of 3-mercaptopicolinic acid but with less solubility and specificity. One of these novel compounds, (N'1-({5-[1-methyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]-2-thienyl}methylidene)-2,4-dichlorobenzene-1-carbohydrazide), exhibited significantly different inhibitory effects on either isoenzyme: it enhanced threefold the apparent K_m value for GTP in 139Met, whereas in 139Leu, it reduced it from 99 to 69 μM. The finding of those significant differences in the binding of GTP reinforces the hypothesis that the Met139Leu substitution affects strongly the nucleotide binding site of PEPCK-C.

Rosmarinic acid ameliorates hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity in diabetic rats, potentially by modulating the expression of PEPCK and GLUT4

BACKGROUND

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural substance that may be useful for treating diabetes mellitus. The present study investigated the effects of RA on glucose homeostasis and insulin regulation in rats with streptozocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Glucose homeostasis was determined using oral glucose tolerance tests and postprandial glucose tests, and insulin activity was evaluated using insulin tolerance tests and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance. Additionally, the protein expression levels of PEPCK and GLUT4 were determined using Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

RA administration exerted a marked hypoglycemic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats and enhanced glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed diabetic rats. These effects of RA were dose-dependent. Meanwhile, RA administration reversed the STZ- and HFD-induced increase in PEPCK expression in the liver and the STZ- and HFD-induced decrease in GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle.

CONCLUSION

RA reduces hyperglycemia and ameliorates insulin sensitivity by decreasing PEPCK expression and increasing GLUT4 expression.

Purification and characterization of recombinant human soluble guanylate cyclase produced from baculovirus-infected insect cells

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) has been purified from 100 L cell culture infected by baculovirus using the newer and highly effective titerless infected-cells preservation and scale-up (TIPS) method. Successive passage of the enzyme through DEAE, Ni(2+)-NTA, and POROS Q columns obtained approximately 100mg of protein. The sGC obtained by this procedure was already about 90% pure and suitable for various studies which include high throughput screening (HTS) and hit follow-up. However, in order to obtain enzyme of greater homogeneity and purity for crystallographic and high precision spectroscopic and kinetic studies of sGC with select stimulators, the sGC solution after the POROS Q step was further purified by GTP-agarose affinity chromatography. This additional step led to the generation of 26 mg of enzyme that was about 99% pure. This highly pure and active enzyme exhibited a M(r)=144,933 by static light scattering supportive of a dimeric structure. It migrated as a two-band protein, each of equal intensity, on SDS-PAGE corresponding to the alpha (M(r) approximately 77,000) and beta (M(r) approximately 70,000) sGC subunits. It showed an A(430)/A(280)=1.01, indicating one heme per heterodimer, and a maximum of the Soret band at 430 nm indicative of a penta-coordinated ferrous heme with a histidine as the axial ligand. The Soret band shifted to 398 nm in the presence of an NO donor as expected for the formation of a penta-coordinated nitrosyl-heme complex. Non-stimulated sGC had k(cat)/K(m)=1.7 x 10(-3)s(-1)microM(-1) that increased to 5.8 x 10(-1)s(-1)microM(-1) upon stimulation with an NO donor which represents a 340-fold increase due to stimulation. The novel combination of using the TIPS method for co-expression of a heterodimeric heme-containing enzyme, along with the application of a reproducible ligand affinity purification method, has enabled us to obtain recombinant human sGC of both the quality and quantity needed to study structure-function relationships.

Structures of Rat Cytosolic PEPCK: Insight into the Mechanism of Phosphorylation and Decarboxylation of Oxaloacetic Acid,

The structures of the rat cytosolic isoform of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) reported in the PEPCK-Mn2+, -Mn2+-oxaloacetic acid (OAA), -Mn2+-OAA-Mn2+-guanosine-5'-diphosphate (GDP), and -Mn2+-Mn2+-guanosine-5'-tri-phosphate (GTP) complexes provide insight into the mechanism of phosphoryl transfer and decarboxylation mediated by this enzyme. OAA is observed to bind in a number of different orientations coordinating directly to the active site metal. The Mn2+-OAA and Mn2+-OAA-Mn2+GDP structures illustrate inner-sphere coordination of OAA to the manganese ion through the displacement of two of the three water molecules coordinated to the metal in the holo-enzyme by the C3 and C4 carbonyl oxygens. In the PEPCK-Mn2+-OAA complex, an alternate bound conformation of OAA is present. In this conformation, in addition to the previous interactions, the C1 carboxylate is directly coordinated to the active site Mn2+, displacing all of the waters coordinated to the metal in the holo-enzyme. In the PEPCK-Mn2+-GTP structure, the same water molecule displaced by the C1 carboxylate of OAA is displaced by one of the gamma-phosphate oxygens of the triphosphate nucleotide. The structures are consistent with a mechanism of direct in-line phosphoryl transfer, supported by the observed stereochemistry of the reaction. In the catalytically competent binding mode, the C1 carboxylate of OAA is sandwiched between R87 and R405 in an environment that would serve to facilitate decarboxylation. In the reverse reaction, these two arginines would form the CO2 binding site. Comparison of the Mn2+-OAA-Mn2+GDP and Mn2+-Mn2+GTP structures illustrates a marked difference in the bound conformations of the nucleotide substrates in which the GTP nucleotide is bound in a high-energy state resulting from the eclipsing of all three of the phosphoryl groups along the triphosphate chain. This contrasts a previously determined structure of PEPCK in complex with a triphosphate nucleotide analogue in which the analogue mirrors the conformation of GDP as opposed to GTP. Last, the structures illustrate a correlation between conformational changes in the P-loop, the nucleotide binding site, and the active site lid that are important for catalysis.

Roles of Asp75, Asp78, and Glu83 of GTP-dependent Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

The roles of Asp(75), Asp(78), and Glu(83) of the (75)DPSDVARVE(83) element of Mycobacterium smegmatis GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase (GTP-PEPCK) were investigated. Asp(78) and Glu(83) are fully conserved in GTP-PEP-CKs. The human PEPCK crystal structure suggests that Asp(78) influences Tyr(220); Tyr(220) helps to position bound PEP, and Glu(83) interacts with Arg(81). Experimental data on other PEPCKs indicate that Arg(81) binds PEP, and the phosphate of PEP interacts with Mn(2+) of metal site 1 for catalysis. We found that D78A and E83A replacements severely reduced activity. E83A substitution raised the apparent K(m) value for Mn(2+) 170-fold. In contrast, Asp(75) is highly but not fully conserved; natural substitutions are Ala, Asn, Gln, or Ser. Such substitutions, when engineered, in M. smegmatis enzyme caused the following. 1) For oxaloacetate synthesis, V(max) decreased 1.4-4-fold. K(m) values for PEP and Mn(2+) increased 3-9- and 1.2-10-fold, respectively. K(m) values for GDP and bicarbonate changed little. 2) For PEP formation, V(max) increased 1.5-2.7-fold. K(m) values for oxaloacetate increased 2-2.8-fold. The substitutions did not change the secondary structure of protein significantly. The kinetic effects are rationalized as follows. In E83A the loss of Glu(83)-Arg(81) interaction affected Arg(81)-PEP association. D78A change altered the Tyr(220)-PEP interaction. These events perturbed PEP-Mn(2+) interaction and consequently affected catalysis severely. In contrast, substitutions at Asp(75), a site far from bound PEP, brought subtle effects, lowering oxaloacetate formation rate but enhancing PEP formation rate. It is likely that Asp(75) substitutions affected PEP-Mn(2+) interaction by changing the positions of Asp(78), Arg(81), and Glu(83), which translated to differential effects on two directions.

Seasonal freeze resistance of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is generated by differential expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and antifreeze protein genes

In winter, rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) accumulate glycerol and produce an antifreeze protein (AFP), which both contribute to freeze resistance. The role of differential gene expression in the seasonal pattern of these adaptations was investigated. First, cDNAs encoding smelt and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and smelt glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were cloned so that all sequences required for expression analysis would be available. Using quantitative PCR, expression of beta actin in rainbow smelt liver was compared with that of GAPDH in order to determine its validity as a reference gene. Then, levels of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), PEPCK, and AFP relative to beta actin were measured in smelt liver over a fall-winter-spring interval. Levels of GPDH mRNA increased in the fall just before plasma glycerol accumulation, implying a driving role in glycerol synthesis. GPDH mRNA levels then declined during winter, well in advance of serum glycerol, suggesting the possibility of GPDH enzyme or glycerol conservation in smelt during the winter months. PEPCK mRNA levels rose in parallel with serum glycerol in the fall, consistent with an increasing requirement for amino acids as metabolic precursors, remained elevated for much of the winter, and then declined in advance of the decline in plasma glycerol. AFP mRNA was elevated at the onset of fall sampling in October and remained elevated until April, implying separate regulation from GPDH and PEPCK. Thus, winter freezing point depression in smelt appears to result from a seasonal cycle of GPDH gene expression, with an ensuing increase in the expression of PEPCK, and a similar but independent cycle of AFP gene expression.

Nucleotide specificity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase Kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular simulation studies

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases, depending on the enzyme origin, preferentially use adenine or guanine nucleotides as substrates. In this work, analyses of the substrate specificity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATP-dependent enzyme have been carried out. Kinetics studies gave relative values of k(cat)/K(m) for the nucleoside triphosphate complexes in the order ATP>>GTP>ITP>UTP>CTP. For the nucleoside diphosphate complexes the order is ADP>>GDP>IDP congruent withUDP>CDP. This shows that the enzyme has a strong preference for ADP (or ATP) over other nucleotides, being this preference about an order of magnitude higher for the diphosphorylated than for the triphosphorylated nucleosides. The calculated binding free energies (kcalmol(-1)) at 25 degrees C are 7.39 and 6.51 for ATP and ADP, respectively. These values decrease with the nucleotide structure in the same order than the kinetic specificity. The binding energy for any triphosphorylated nucleoside is more favourable than for the corresponding diphosphorylated compound, showing the relevance of the P(gamma) for nucleotide binding. Homology models of the adenine and guanine nucleotides in complex with the enzyme show that the base adopts a similar conformation in the diphosphorylated nucleosides while in the triphosphorylated nucleosides the sugar-base torsion angle is 61 degrees for ATP and -53 degrees for GTP. Differences are also noted in the distance between P(beta) and Mn2+ at site 1. This distance is almost the same in the ATP, GTP, and UTP complexes, however in the ADP, GDP and UDP complexes it is 2.9, 5.1, and 7A, respectively. Experimental data obtained with a Thr463Ala mutant enzyme agree with molecular simulation predictions. The results here presented are discussed in terms of the proposed interactions of the nucleotides with the protein.

First characterization of an archaeal GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK), which catalyzes the nucleotide-dependent, reversible decarboxylation of oxaloacetate to yield phosphoenolpyruvate and CO2, is one of the important enzymes in the interconversion between C3 and C4 metabolites. This study focused on the first characterization of the enzymatic properties and expression profile of an archaeal PCK from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis (PckTk). PckTk showed 30 to 35% identities to GTP-dependent PCKs from mammals and bacteria but was located in a branch distinct from that of the classical enzymes in the phylogenetic tree, together with other archaeal homologs from Pyrococcus and Sulfolobus spp. Several catalytically important regions and residues, found in all known PCKs irrespective of their nucleotide specificities, were conserved in PckTk. However, the predicted GTP-binding region was unique compared to those in other GTP-dependent PCKs. The recombinant PckTk actually exhibited GTP-dependent activity and was suggested to possess dual cation-binding sites specific for Mn2+ and Mg2+. The enzyme preferred phosphoenolpyruvate formation from oxaloacetate, since the Km value for oxaloacetate was much lower than that for phosphoenolpyruvate. The transcription and activity levels in T. kodakaraensis were higher under gluconeogenic conditions than under glycolytic conditions. These results agreed with the role of PckTk in providing phosphoenolpyruvate from oxaloacetate as the first step of gluconeogenesis in this hyperthermophilic archaeon. Additionally, under gluconeogenic conditions, we observed higher expression levels of PckTk on pyruvate than on amino acids, implying that it plays an additional role in the recycling of excess phosphoenolpyruvate produced from pyruvate, replacing the function of the anaplerotic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase that is missing from this archaeon.

Structure/function studies of phosphoryl transfer by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) catalyzes the conversion of oxaloacetate (OAA) to PEP and carbon dioxide with the subsequent conversion of nucleoside triphosphate to nucleoside diphosphate (NDP). The 1.9 A resolution structure of Escherichia coli PCK consisted of a 275-residue N-terminal domain and a 265-residue C-terminal domain with the active site located in a cleft between these domains. Each domain has an alpha/beta topology and the overall structure represents a new protein fold. Furthermore, PCK has a unique mononucleotide-binding fold. The 1.8 A resolution structure of the complex of ATP/Mg(2+)/oxalate with PCK revealed a 20 degrees hinge-like rotation of the N- and C-terminal domains, which closed the active site cleft. The ATP was found in the unusual syn conformation as a result of binding to the enzyme. Along with the side chain of Lys254, Mg(2+) neutralizes charges on the P beta and P gamma oxygen atoms of ATP and stabilizes an extended, eclipsed conformation of the P beta and P gamma phosphoryl groups. The sterically strained high-energy conformation likely lowers the free energy of activation for phosphoryl transfer. Additionally, the gamma-phosphoryl group becomes oriented in-line with the appropriate enolate oxygen atom, which strongly supports a direct S(N)2-type displacement of this gamma-phosphoryl group by the enolate anion. In the 2.0 A resolution structure of the complex of PCK/ADP/Mg(2+)/AlF(3), the AlF(3) moiety represents the phosphoryl group being transferred during catalysis. There are three positively charged groups that interact with the fluorine atoms, which are complementary to the three negative charges that would occur for an associative transition state.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) is a key enzyme involved in the regulation of gluconeogenesis. PCKs from higher animals require guanosine nucleotide for activity. PCK from Corynebacterium glutamicum is also GTP specific. X-ray diffraction data from a C. glutamicum PCK crystal were collected to 2.8 A resolution. The crystals were monoclinic, belonging to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 71.7, b = 117.4, c = 161.3 A, beta = 92.9 degrees. The presence of two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit gives a V(M) of 2.5 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 50.3%.

Cloning and characterization of bovine cytosolic and mitochondrial PEPCK during transition to lactation

The cytosolic (C) and mitochondrial (M) forms of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK; EC 4.1.1.32) are encoded by two different nuclear genes in mouse, human, and chicken. Our objective was to clone the two forms of PEPCK for bovine and determine their expression during the immediate periparturient interval in dairy cows. Bovine PEPCK-C cDNA contains 2,592 nucleotides and contains 84% similarity to the coding sequence of human PEPCK-C cDNA. A 449-nt partial clone of the 3' end of PEPCK-M is 76% similar to the corresponding sequence of human PEPCK-M. The coding sequence of bovine PEPCK-C and coding sequence of the partial PEPCK-M clone were 58% similar but the similarities in the 3'-untranslated regions were negligible. Northern blot analysis revealed single transcripts of 2.85 and 2.35 kb for PEPCK-C and PEPCK-M, respectively. The transition to lactation did not alter PEPCK-M transcript expression, but expression of PEPCK-C mRNA was transiently increased during early lactation, indicating that enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis during this period may be tied to enhanced capacity for cytosolic rather than mitochondrial formation of phosphoenolpyruvate.

Role of cysteine 306 in the catalytic mechanism of Ascaris suum phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Biochemical and metabolic data lead to the conclusion that the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) contributes to a critical point of divergence in energy conservation pathways between mammals and nematodes. The Ascaris suum PEPCK shares considerable homology with PEPCK from avian liver and is a good candidate for mutagenesis studies. The Cys306 substitution by Ser and Ala produced active enzymes and the two mutants are kinetically indistinguishable from each other. This substitution affects the catalytic affinity for the formation of the specific enzyme-nucleotide complex (k(cat)/K(m)) in the forward and reverse reactions. Studies with the substrate analogs 2(')dGDP and 2(')dGTP indicate that Cys306 in A. suum PEPCK is one of the residues important in nucleotide binding and may interact with the 2(')OH group in the ribose ring. Alternatively, mutation of this residue could cause protein changes that interfere with the proper conformation of the nucleotides for optimal catalysis to take place.

Crystal structure of human cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase reveals a new GTP-binding site

We report crystal structures of the human enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) with and without bound substrates. These structures are the first to be determined for a GTP-dependent PEPCK, and provide the first view of a novel GTP-binding site unique to the GTP-dependent PEPCK family. Three phenylalanine residues form the walls of the guanine-binding pocket on the enzyme's surface and, most surprisingly, one of the phenylalanine side-chains contributes to the enzyme's specificity for GTP. PEPCK catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the metabolic pathway that produces glucose from lactate and other precursors derived from the citric acid cycle. Because the gluconeogenic pathway contributes to the fasting hyperglycemia of type II diabetes, inhibitors of PEPCK may be useful in the treatment of diabetes.

Plasma glucose-lowering effect of tramadol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The effect of tramadol on the plasma glucose level of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated. A dose-dependent lowering of plasma glucose was seen in the fasting STZ-induced diabetic rats 30 min after intravenous injection of tramadol. This effect of tramadol was abolished by pretreatment with naloxone or naloxonazine at doses sufficient to block opioid mu-receptors. However, response to tramadol was not changed in STZ-induced diabetic rats receiving p-chlorophenylalanine at a dose sufficient to deplete endogenous 5-hydroxytrptamine (5-HT). Therefore, mediation of 5-HT in this action of tramadol is ruled out. In isolated soleus muscle, tramadol enhanced the uptake of radioactive glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. The stimulatory effects of tramadol on glycogen synthesis were also seen in hepatocytes isolated from STZ-induced diabetic rats. The blockade of these actions by naloxone and naloxonazine indicated the mediation of opioid mu-receptors. The mRNA and protein levels of the subtype 4 form of glucose transporter in soleus muscle were increased after repeated treatments for 4 days with tramadol in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Moreover, similar repeated treatments with tramadol reversed the elevated mRNA and protein levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the liver of STZ-induced diabetic rats. These results suggest that activation of opioid mu-receptors by tramadol can increase the utilization of glucose and/or decrease hepatic gluconeogenesis to lower plasma glucose in diabetic rats lacking insulin.

Structural investigation of the binding of nucleotide to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by NMR

The enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) catalyzes the reversible conversion of oxalacetate and GTP to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), GDP, and CO2. PEPCK from higher organisms is a monomer, specifically requires GTP or ITP, and uses Mn2+ as the activating cation. Currently, there is no crystal structure of GTP-utilizing PEPCKs. The conformation of the bound nucleotide was determined from transferred nuclear Overhauser effects (trnOe) experiments to determine internuclear proton distances. At 600 MHz in the presence of PEPCK, nOe effects were observed between nucleotide protons. Internuclear distances were calculated from the initial rate of the nOe buildup. These distance constraints were used in energy minimization calculations to determine the conformation of PEPCK-bound GTP. The bound nucleotide has the base oriented anti to the C2'-endo(2E) ribose ring conformation. Relaxation rate studies indicate that there is an additional relaxation effect on the C1' proton upon nucleotide binding to PEPCK. Nucleotide binding to PEPCK-Mn2+ was studied by 1H relaxation rate studies, but results were complicated by long dipole-dipole distances and the presence of competing complexes. Modification of PEPCK by iodoacetamido-TEMPO leads to an inactive enzyme that is spin-labeled at cys273. The interaction of TEMPO-PEPCK with GTP allows for the measurement of nuclear distances between GTP and the spin label. The results suggest that cys273 lies near the ribose ring of the bound nucleotide, but it is too far to be implicated in direct hydrogen bonding interactions consistent with previous results [Makinen, A. L., and Nowak, T. J. Biol. Chem. (1989) 264, 12148], suggesting that cys273 does not actively participate in catalysis. Modification of PEPCK with several cysteine specific modifying agents causes no change in the ability of the enzyme to bind nucleotide as monitored by fluorescence quenching. A correlation between the size of the modifying agent and the maximal observed quenching upon saturation of the enzyme with nucleotide is observed. This suggests a mechanism for inactivation of PEPCK by cysteine modification due to inhibition of a dynamic motion that may occur upon nucleotide binding.

A GTP-dependent vertebrate-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

This is the first report on a bacterial verterbrate-type GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK). The pck gene of Mycobacterium smegmatis was cloned. The recombinant PCK was overexpressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form and with high activity. The purified enzyme was found to be monomeric (72 kDa), thermophilic (optimum temperature, 70 degrees C), very stable upon storage at 4 degrees C, stimulated by thiol-containing reducing agents, and inhibited by oxalate and by alpha-ketoglutarate. The requirement for a divalent cation for activity was fulfilled best by Mn(2+) and Co(2+) and poorly by Mg(2+). At 37 degrees C, the highest V(m) value (32.5 units/mg) was recorded with Mn(2+) and in the presence of 37 mm dithiothreitol (DTT). The presence of Mg(2+) (2 mm) greatly lowered the apparent K(m) values for Mn(2+) (by 144-fold in the presence of DTT and by 9.4-fold in the absence of DTT) and Co(2+) (by 230-fold). In the absence of DTT but in the presence of Mg(2+) (2 mm) as the co-divalent cation, Co(2+) was 21-fold more efficient than Mn(2+). For producing oxaloacetate, the enzyme utilized both GDP and IDP; ADP served very poorly. The apparent K(m) values for phosphoenolpyruvate, GDP, and bicarbonate were >100, 66, and 8300 micrometer, respectively, whereas those for GTP and oxaloacetate (for the phosphoenolpyruvate formation activity) were 13 and 12 microm, respectively. Thus, this enzyme preferred the gluconeogenesis/glycerogenesis direction. This property fits the suggestion that in M. smegmatis, pyruvate carboxylase is not anaplerotic but rather gluconeogenic (Mukhopadhyay, B., and Purwantini, E. (2000) Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1475, 191-206). Both in primary structure and kinetic properties, the mycobacterial PCK was very similar to its vertebrate-liver counterparts and thus could serve as a model for these enzymes; examples for several immediate targets are presented.

Characterization of the second metal site on avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Chicken liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) requires two divalent cations for activity. One cation activates the enzyme through a direct interaction with the protein at site n(1). The second cation, at site n(2), acts in the cation-nucleotide complex that serves as a substrate. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK and Cr(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK complexes were used to examine the kinetic, mechanistic, and binding properties of the n(2) metal. EPR studies performed on the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-GTP complex yielded a stoichiometry of 1 mol of Mn(2+) bound per mole of Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-GTP with a K(D) of 5 microM. PRR studies show a significant enhancement for the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GDP complex. A change in enhancement in the presence of PEP suggests that PEP interacts with the second metal ion. The distance between Mn(2+) at site n(2) on PEPCK and the cis and trans protons and the (31)P of PEP are 7.0, 7.5, and 4.8 A, respectively, as measured by high-resolution NMR. PRR studies of the Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GTP and Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Mn(2+)(n(2))-GDP complexes as a function of frequency (omega(I)) were used to estimate the hydration number of the n(2) metal to be between 0.5 and 0.7. The metal-metal distance for the M(n(1))-PEPCK-M(n(2))-GTP complex is approximately 8.3 A, and the distance for the M(n(1))-PEPCK-M(n(2))-GDP complex is 9.2 A. The change in the metal-metal distance suggests a conformational change at the active site of PEPCK occurs during catalysis. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK complex was incubated with Co(2+), GTP, and H(2)O(2) to create a doubly labeled and inactive Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Co(3+)(n(2))-GTP complex. The Co(3+)(n(1))-PEPCK-Co(3+)(n(2))-GTP complex was digested by LysC, and two cobalt-containing peptides were purified using RP-HPLC. Amino acid sequencing of the second cobalt-containing peptide points to the region of Tyr57-Lys76 of PEPCK. Asp66, Asp69, and Glu74 are all feasible ligands to the site n(2) metal.

Evaluation of charge derivatization of a proteolytic protein digest for improved mass spectrometric analysis: de novo sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization post-source decay mass spectrometry

A simple mass spectrometric method to sequence a recombinant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase of known structure and a novel variant of unknown structure isolated from Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens and Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z, respectively, was evaluated. The proteolytic digests of the proteins were each chemically derivatized at the N-terminus by addition of a tris(trimethoxyphenyl)phosphoniumacetyl (TMPP(+)-Ac) group to produce peptides with a fixed positive charge. The derivatized digests were then partially separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The fractions collected were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization post-source decay (MALDI/PSD) mass spectrometric analysis. The resulting spectra are sufficiently simple to allow the sequence to be read directly without extensive interpretation. This is in contrast to spectra of underivatized peptides obtained by MALDI/PSD or conventional tandem mass spectrometry, where full sequence interpretation can be challenging. Aided with a set of very simple established rules, it was shown that the sequence of TMPP(+)-Ac derivatives can be derived strictly from predictable fragment ion series. In most cases, this is sufficient to determine extensive, unambiguous, peptide sequences de novo. The partial sequence (35%) of the unknown phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z was obtained entirely by the mass spectrometric method evaluated here, which provided the basis for evaluating homology and for the design of oligonucleotide probes for cloning the corresponding gene.

Developmental activation of infective Trichinella spiralis larvae

The initiation of further development is fundamental to the infectious processes of parasitic nematodes. We have examined early developmental activation of Trichinella spiralis larvae during host invasion, with particular emphasis on the timing of events. Using a novel approach, we have observed changes in tissue-specific transcriptional activity in live larvae during the infectious process with the fluorescent nucleic acid dyes SYTO12 and acridine orange. Simultaneously, the metabolic switch from anaerobic metabolism, characteristics of the infective stage, to aerobic metabolism, as found in the enteral stages, was tracked by measuring activities of the key regulatory enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and pyruvate kinase, as well as isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP) activity, and used as a co-indicator for developmental activation. Both metabolic enzyme activities and transcription patterns were found to change in response to host death, liberation from the nurse cell, and exposure to components of the host stomach environment. The results give a clear indication that the activation processes of T. spiralis infective larvae occur at a much earlier time than previously thought, and are stimulated upon liberation of the larvae from the nurse cell inside the host stomach.

Protein synthesis is involved in the modulation of the level of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA by changes in cell volume in isolated rat hepatocytes

The mechanism of action of hydration state was studied on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) gene expression in isolated rat hepatocytes. Hypoosmolarity decreased the level of the PCK mRNA after a lag period of about 60 min. The decreasing effect of hypoosmolarity was totally blocked by inhibitors of both protein synthesis and gene transcription. Moreover, hypoosmolarity specifically increased the synthesis of a 45000 Mr protein, which decreased in the presence of inhibitors of transcription. A close relationship between the synthesis of the 45000 Mr protein and the decrease in the PCK mRNA level was observed, suggesting that this protein might potentially be involved in the regulation of the level of the PCK mRNA by cell swelling.

Cloning, sequencing, and overexpression of the Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pckA) gene

The phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase-encoding gene from the anaerobic, CO2-fixing, succinate-producing bacterium Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene encoded a 532-residue polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 58.7 kDa. The sequence of the A. succiniciproducens PEP carboxykinase was similar to those of all known ATP/ADP-dependent PEP carboxykinases. In particular, the A. succiniciproducens enzyme was 67.3% identical and 79.2% similar to the E. coli enzyme. The A. succiniciproducens pckA transcription start site was determined, and putative promoter regions were identified. The recombinant enzyme was overexpressed in E. coli. The purified enzyme was indiscernible from the native enzyme by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had the same activity as the native enzyme.

Purification and characterization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the anaerobic ruminal bacterium Ruminococcus flavefaciens

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase was purified 42-fold with a 25% yield from cell extracts of Ruminococcus flavefaciens by ammonium sulfate precipitation, preparative isoelectric focusing, and removal of carrier ampholytes by chromatography. The enzyme had a subunit molecular mass of approximately 66.3 kDa (determined by mass spectrometry), but was retained by a filter having a 100-kDa nominal molecular mass cutoff. Optimal activity required activation of the enzyme by Mn2+ and stabilization of the nucleotide substrate by Mg2+. GDP was a more effective phosphoryl acceptor than ADP, while IDP was not utilized. Under optimal conditions the measured activity in the direction of PEP carboxylation was 17.2 micromol min-1 (mg enzyme)-1. The apparent Km values for PEP (0.3 mM) and GDP (2.0 mM) were 9- and 14-fold lower than the apparent Km values for the substrates of the back reaction (oxaloacetate and GTP, respectively). The data are consistent with the involvement of PEP carboxykinase as the primary carboxylation enzyme in the fermentation of cellulose to succinate by this bacterium.

Site-directed mutagenesis in basic amino acid residues of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Mutant Arg76Gln and Lys290Gln Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases have been prepared and analyzed. No alteration in the apparent kinetic constants were detected for the Arg76Gln mutant enzyme, while the Lys290Gln mutant showed a 12-fold decrease in V(max)/K(m)ADP. These results indicate that Arg76 is not involved in CO2 binding, but support the hypothesis that the binding of this substrate induces a conformational change that protects the region around Arg76 from trypsin action [Herrera et al. (1993) J. Protein Chem. 12, 413-418]. These findings also indicate that Lys290, a highly reactive residue against pyrydoxal phosphate [Bazaes et al. (1995), FEBS Lett. 360, 207-210], does not perform an essential function for the enzyme activity.

Formation and characterization of an active phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-cobalt(III) complex

Avian mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was incubated with Co2+ and H2O2 to form a stable Co3+-PEPCK complex. PEPCK, similarly incubated with H2O2 and either Mg2+ or Mn2+, resulted in no significant loss in activity over 30 min. PEPCK, incubated with Co2+ and H2O2 at pH 7.4, showed rapid inhibition as observed by a 40% decrease in activity after 5 min. The loss of activity is linear with the incorporation of cobalt into PEPCK, resulting in 15-25% activity for the stoichiometric Co3+-PEPCK complex. The incorporation of and inhibition by Co3+ is protected by PEP and GTP (ITP). Treatment of the Co3+-PEPCK complex with beta-mercaptoethanol results in a loss of cobalt and full recovery of activity. The reduction and reactivation are protected by PEP and GTP (ITP). EPR, PRR, circular dichroism, and fluorescence studies all indicate that Co3+ has been selectively incorporated into the cation site of PEPCK, resulting in a catalytically active enzyme-cation species. The substrates form Michaelis complexes with Co3+-PEPCK, and the catalytic reaction occurs as a second sphere complex as previously suggested [Lee & Nowak (1984) Biochemistry 23, 6506); Duffy & Nowak (1985) Biochemistry 24, 1152]. Proteolytic digestion of the Co3+-PEPCK complex and isolation of the cobalt-containing peptide by reverse phase HPLC were performed to identify the location of the cation binding site. From mass, amino acid composition, and sequence analyses of the isolated cobalt-peptide, the region Thr276-Lys301 is responsible for metal chelation. This very homologous region, located in the central portion of PEPCK, contains two highly conserved aspartic acids, Asp295 and Asp296, that are the only feasible metal binding ligands.

Identification of reactive conserved histidines in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases from Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae phospho enol pyruvate (PEP) carboxykinases are inactivated by diethylpyrocarbonate (DEP). Inactivation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and exhibits a second order rate constant of 0.8 M-1 s-1 for the bacterial enzyme and of 3.3 M-1 s-1 for the yeast carboxykinase. A mixture of ADP + PEP + MnCl2 protects against inactivation by DEP, suggesting that residues within the active site are being modified. After digestion of the modified proteins with trypsin, the labeled peptides were isolated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and sequenced by Edman degradation. His-271 of E. coli carboxykinase and His-273 of the yeast enzyme were identified as the reactive amino-acid residues. The modified histidine residues occupy equivalent positions in these enzymes, and they are located in a highly conserved region of all ATP-dependent phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinases described so far.

Phosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in plants. Studies in plants with C4 photosynthesis and Crassulacean acid metabolism and in germinating seeds

We have previously shown that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is phosphorylated in vivo in the cotyledons of darkened cucumber seedlings and that phosphorylation is reversed by light [Walker and Leegood (1995) FEBS Lett. 362, 70-74]. In this study the molecular mass of PEPCK was estimated in a range of gluconeogenic seedlings and in leaves of C4 plants and plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Phosphorylation of PEPCK was studied in these plants by feeding tissues with [32P]Pi and assessing phosphorylation by SDS/PAGE and autoradiography of either total proteins or of immunoprecipitated protein. In gluconeogenic seedlings and most CAM plants PEPCK had a molecular mass of 74 kDa, whereas in C4 grasses the molecular mass of PEPCK was always smaller and varied from 67-71 kDa. In all gluconeogenic seedlings and leaves of CAM plants PEPCK was phosphorylated, but it was not phosphorylated in all species of C4 grasses studied. In CAM plants, phosphorylation of PEPCK occurred at night and dephosphorylation occurred during the day. In C4 grasses phosphorylation occurred when leaves were darkened and the enzyme was dephosphorylated following illumination, but it was only phosphorylated in those plants with larger (71 kDa) molecular mass forms of PEPCK.

Woodward's reagent K reacts with histidine and cysteine residues in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases

The reaction of Woordward's reagent K (WRK) with model amino acids and proteins has been analyzed. Our results indicate that WRK forms 340-nm-absorbing adducts with sulfhydryl- and imidazol-containing compounds, but not with carboxylic acid derivatives, in agreement with Liamas et al. [(1986), J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108, 5543-5548], but not with Sinha and Brewer [(1985), Anal. Biochem. 151, 327-333]. The chemical modification of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases with WRK leads to an increase in the absorption at 340 nm, and we have demonstrated its reaction with His and Cys residues in these proteins. These results caution against claims of glutamic or aspartic acid modification by WRK based on the absorption at 340 nm of protein- WRK adducts.

Snapshot of an enzyme reaction intermediate in the structure of the ATP-Mg2+-oxalate ternary complex of Escherichia coli PEP carboxykinase

We report the 1.8 A crystal structure of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-magnesium-oxalate bound phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) from Escherichia coli. ATP binding induces a 20 degree hinge-like rotation of the N- and C-terminal domains which closes the active-site cleft. PCK possesses a novel nucleotide-binding fold, particularly in the adenine-binding region, where the formation of a cis backbone torsion angle in a loop glycine residue promotes intimate contacts between the adenine-binding loop and adenine, while stabilizing a syn conformation of the base. This complex represents a reaction intermediate analogue along the pathway of the conversion of oxaloacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate, and provides insight into the mechanistic details of the chemical reaction catalysed by this enzyme.

Reaction of wild-type C365S, and C458S saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases with fluorescent iodoacetamide derivatives

The reactivities of Cys365 and Cys458 of ATP-dependent Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase against a range of sulfhydryl reagents have been investigated. The effect of pH on the second order reaction constants of N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide with mutant C458S and C365S PEP carboxykinases allowed the determination of pKa values of 9.4 and 9.1 for Cys365 and Cys458, respectively. The analysis of the inactivation rates of C458S and C365S mutant enzymes by several sulfhydryl reagents of different hydrophobicity showed that the microenvironment of these residues is rather polar. Anisotrophy measurements and acrylamide quenching experiments carried out with N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine-labeled mutant enzymes indicated a higher rotational freedom and solvent exposure for the probe linked to Cys458 than to Cys365. These findings point to differences in the protein microenvironments around Cys365 and Cys458 in S. cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase. A comparison of the results obtained with published data for GTP-dependent PEP carboxykinases, suggest significant differences for the protein region around the reactive cysteinyl residues in these enzymes.

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase: a new structural family with the P-loop nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase fold

The crystal structure of ATP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (ATP-oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase, (transphosphorylating), E.C. 4.1.1.49; PCK) from Escherichia coli strain K12 has been determined using a combination of multiple isomorphous replacement, density modification, and partial model phase combination, and refined to a conventional R-index of 0.204 (Rfree = 0.244) at 1.9 A resolution. Each PCK molecule consists of a 275 residue N-terminal domain and 265 residue C-terminal or mononucleotide-binding domain, with the active site postulated to be within a cleft between the two domains. PCK is an open-faced, mixed alpha/beta protein, with each domain having an alpha/beta folding topology as found in several other mononucleoside-binding enzymes. The putative phosphate-binding site of ATP adopts the P-loop motif common to many ATP and GTP-binding proteins, and is similar in structure to that found within adenylate kinase. However, the beta-sheet topology within the mononucleotide-binding fold of PCK differs from all other families within the P-loop containing nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase superfamily, therefore suggesting it represents the first member in a new family of such proteins. The mononucleotide-binding domain is also different in structure compared to the classical mononucleotide-binding fold (CMBF) common to adenylate kinase, p21ras, and elongation factor-Tu. Several amino acid residues, including R65, K212, K213, H232, K254, D269, K288 and R333 appear to make up the active site of the enzyme, and are found to be absolutely conserved among known members of the ATP-dependent PCK family. A cysteine residue is located near the active-site, as has been suggested for other PCKs, although in the E. coli enzyme C233 is buried and so is most likely not involved in substrate binding or catalysis. Two binding sites of the calcium-analog TB3+ have been determined, one within the active site coordinating to the side-chain of D269, and the other within the C-terminal domain coordinating to the side-chains of E508 and E511.

Circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies on the secondary structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinases

The secondary structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli phospho enolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinases was quantitatively examined using circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. From CD analyses, values of 24% alpha-helix and 38% beta-sheet were obtained for the E. coli enzyme, while the corresponding values for the S. cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase were 20% and 36%. Analysis of the amide I' infrared band indicated 20% alpha-helix and 36% beta-sheet for the S. cerevisiae enzyme, while for the E. coli protein values of 40% beta-sheet and between 9 and 36% alpha-helix could be inferred. It is concluded that the bacterial enzyme has more secondary structure elements than the yeast protein. No alteration of the CD or FTIR spectra was detected upon substrate or metal ion binding to any enzyme.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Trypanosoma cruzi. Purification and physicochemical and kinetic properties

Phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) has been purified to homogeneity from epimastigotes of the Tul 0 strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. The physicochemical parameters determined allowed the calculation of an average molecular mass of 120 kDa; the subunit molecular mass, about 61 kDa, is in good agreement with the value of 58.6 kDa recently determined from the sequence by Sommer et al. (FEBS Lett. 359 (1994) 125-129). The PEPCK from T. cruzi presented, in addition to its molecular mass, typical properties of other ATP-linked PEPCKs, namely strict specificity for ADP in the carboxylation reaction and lower specificity in the decarboxylation and exchange reactions, and synergistic activation by CdCl2 or MgCl2 when added in addition to MnCl2. The enzyme presented hysteretic behaviour, shown by a lag period in the carboxylation reaction, which was affected by dilution and preincubation. The decarboxylation reaction catalyzed by the T. cruzi PEPCK was not inhibited by excess of ATP-Mn. The apparent Km values for the carboxylation reaction, including the low value for PEP (0.035 mM) are compatible with an important role of PEPCK, as suggested by previous NMR experiments, on the CO2 fixation in vivo which leads to succinate excretion during aerobic fermentation of glucose.

Purification and characterization of phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase from Trypanosoma brucei

ATP-dependent phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.49; PEPCK, ATP) was purified from glycosomes of cultured procyclic Trypanosoma brucei to electrophoretic homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited a mean specific activity of 83 units mg-1, as measured in the carboxylation direction at 30 degrees C. A similar activity was obtained for the decarboxylation reaction. The enzyme was shown to be a homodimer in solution with a subunit molecular mass of 59 kDa. Amino acid sequence analysis suggested that the PEPCK (ATP) is identical to the trypanosomal protein p60, the sequence of which was previously predicted from the corresponding nucleotide sequence by other investigators. The basic nature of the enzyme was indicated by a high isoelectric point (pH 8.9). The enzyme was found to be strictly dependent on adenosine nucleotides for activity, as well as on the presence of Mn2+. Mg2+ was found to be ineffective as activator of the trypanosomal enzyme, but a combination of subsaturating (< or = 300 microM) concentrations of Mn2+ and high concentrations of Mg2+ caused a synergistic effect on the carboxylation activity, indicating a dual cation requirement. Mn2+ is necessary to activate the enzyme and Mn2+ or Mg2+ most likely forms the cation-nucleotide complex as the active form of the substrate. Relatively high (5 mM) levels of ATP were required to produce a significant inhibition of the carboxylation reaction. Quinolinic acid, a structural analogue of oxaloacetate, completely inhibited the decarboxylation reaction at a 1 mM concentration. The apparent Michaelis constants of the enzyme were 490 microM for PEP, 37 microM for oxaloacetate, 40 microM for ADP, 10.3 microM for ATP, 970 microM for Mn2+ and 26 mM for HCO3-. Endogenous substrate concentrations were found to be 327 nmol PEP, 1486 nmol ADP, 4200 nmol ATP and 11.5 nmol Mn2+ (ml cell volume)-1. Our kinetic data suggest that under physiological conditions PEPCK (ATP) in T. brucei is bidirectional and that its activity is regulated primarily by mass action. The physiological relevance of the enzyme in procyclic T. brucei is discussed.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase: revised amino acid sequence, site-directed mutagenesis, and microenvironment characteristics of cysteines 365 and 458

Two cysteine residues in phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae [ATP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.49] the modification of which leads to enzyme inactivation have been subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. PEP carboxykinase is inactivated by alkylation of Cys365 or Cys458; however, mutation of either or both of these residues to serine has little effect on the enzymatic activity. These results eliminate any possible catalytic function for these cysteinyl residues. In the course of this work, discrepancies in the published nucleotide sequence of the S. cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase gene were detected that alter the deduced amino acid sequence. Several of these discrepancies were verified through the sequencing of proteolytic peptides. Our results indicate that the protein corresponds to a 549 amino acid polypeptide and that the positions previously assigned to Cys364 and Cys457 correspond to Cys365 and Cys458. The individual reactivities and the microenvironment characteristics around these sulfhydryl groups were investigated by their selective modification with the fluorescent reagent N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide (PyM). Our findings indicate that Cys458 is 7-fold more reactive toward the sulfhydryl-directed probe than Cys365, while quenching experiments of PyM-labeled mutant enzymes suggest that the former residue is located in a region more accessible to water than the latter.

Identification of reactive lysines in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases from Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCKs), were inactivated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate followed by reduction with sodium borohydride. Concomitantly with the inactivation, one pyridoxyl group was incorporated in each enzyme monomer. The modification and loss of activity was prevented in the presence of ADP plus Mn2+. After digestion of the modified protein with trypsin plus protease V-8, the labeled peptides were isolated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and sequenced by gas-phase automatic Edman degradation. Lys286 of bacterial PEPCK and Lys289 of the yeast enzyme were identified as the reactive amino acid residues. The modified lysine residues are conserved in all ATP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases described so far.

Isolation and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the PCK-type C4 grass Urochloa panicoides

A rabbit antiserum was raised against phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) purified from Urochloa panicoides, a PCK-type C4 monocot. The antiserum was used to screen a cDNA expression library constructed from U. panicoides leaf poly(A)+RNA. Inserts from immunoreactive clones were used to rescreen the library and obtain three overlapping cDNAs comprising a 2220 bp composite sequence. The single complete open reading frame of 1872 bp encodes PCK1, a 624 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 68,474 Da. Comparison of PCK1 with other ATP-dependent PCKs indicates that PCK1 is significantly larger, mainly due to an N-terminal extension of greater than 65 residues, and reveals high sequence identity across the central portion of the protein, especially over seven sub-sequences. One of these sub-sequences spans motifs common to several ATP-utilising enzymes for phosphate and divalent cation binding. The anti-PCK antiserum recognises a 69 kDa polypeptide on immunoblots of either purified PCK or U. panicoides leaf extracts. However, polypeptides of 63, 62, 61 and 60 kDa are also immunoreactive. Amino terminal sequencing of polypeptides from preparations of purified PCK demonstrates that these smaller polypeptides are related to PCK1, and time course experiments show that these polypeptides arise from the breakdown of PCK during isolation. Northern blot analysis indicates that the 2.7 kb PCK mRNA is abundant in green leaves but not in roots or etiolated shoots. Moreover, PCK mRNA levels increase gradually during greening, reaching maximum levels after about 84 h.

Salt induction and the partial purification/characterization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase protein-serine kinase from an inducible crassulacean-acid-metabolism (CAM) plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L

Treatment of the common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) with high salinity caused the well-documented increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) protein and a concomitant rise in the activity of a Ca(2+)-independent PEPC-kinase (PEPC-PK). When the plants were irrigated with 0.5 M NaCl, PEPC protein level and PEPC-PK activity started to increase after 2 days of treatment and continued to rise for the next 8 days, attaining about a 14- and 8-fold total increase, respectively. This salt-induced PEPC-kinase activity was detected only in leaves harvested from the stressed plants at night. This highly regulated protein kinase was partially purified about 3500-fold from these darkened, salt-stressed plants by sequential fast-protein liquid chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, blue dextran-agarose, and Superdex 75. The gel-filtration data indicated that the native PEPC-kinase has a molecular weight around 33,000. Complementary analysis by denaturing electrophoresis and subsequent in situ renaturation and assay of PEPC-kinase activity revealed two major PEPC-PK polypeptides with approximate molecular masses of 39 and 32 kDa. The partially purified M. crystallinum PEPC-kinase readily phosphorylated PEPCs purified from maize, M. crystallinum, and tobacco leaves and a recombinant sorghum enzyme. In contrast, this Ca(2+)-independent protein kinase phosphorylated neither a recombinant sorghum mutant PEPC in which the target residue (Ser-8) was changed by site-directed mutagenesis to Asp nor histone III-S, casein, and bovine serum albumin. The optimal pH for PEPC-PK activity was pH 8.0 and this activity was affected by both the substrate (phosphoenolpyruvate) and the negative allosteric effector (L-malate) of PEPC in a pH-dependent manner. Overall, the molecular properties of this highly regulated PEPC-kinase from M. crystallinum are strikingly similar to those reported recently by this laboratory for the reversibly light-activated C4 enzyme from maize (Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 1993, 304, 496-502, and 307, 416-419).

Resonance energy transfer determination of the distance between the four cysteine-364 residues in Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Each of the four subunits of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has one cysteine residue (Cys-364) that is protected against alkylation by MnATP and that is thought to be located at (or close to) the active site (M. Alvear, M. V. Encinas, S. Latshaw, R. G. Kemp, and E. Cardemil, 1992, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1119, 35-38). To determine the distance relationships between these residues within this tetrameric enzyme, we have derivatized one of these reactive thiols with N-acetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine (AEDANS) and the others progressively with 4-[N-[(acetoxy)ethyl]-N-methylamino]-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (ANBD). In the doubly labeled protein nonradiative singlet-singlet energy transfer between AEDANS (donor) and ANBD (acceptor) was observed. The efficiency of the energy transfer is proportional to the number of occupied acceptor sites. From these data it has been determined that one of the acceptor sites is 33 A from the donor, and the remaining two sites are 44-46 A from the donor. Cross-linking experiments revealed that mainly cross-linked dimers were produced upon reaction of the enzyme with o-phthalaldehyde and dithiobissuccinimidylpropionate. We interpret these results as an indication that this tetrameric enzyme is most likely composed of an association of two dimers.

Reactivity of cysteinyl, arginyl, and lysyl residues of Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase against group-specific chemical reagents

Calcium-activated phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Escherichia coli is not inactivated by a number of sulfhydryl-directed reagents [5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate), iodoacetate, N-ethylmaleimide, N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide or N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthylethylenediamine)], unlike phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from other organisms. On the other hand, the enzyme is rapidly inactivated by the arginyl-directed reagents 2,3-butanedione and 1-pyrenylglyoxal. The substrates, ADP plus PEP in the presence of Mn2+, protect the enzyme against inactivation by the diones. Quantitation of pyrenylglyoxal incorporation indicates that complete inactivation correlates with the binding of one inactivator molecule per mole of enzyme. Chemical modification by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate also produces inactivation of the enzyme, and the labeled protein shows a difference spectrum with a peak at 325 nm, characteristic of a pyridoxyl derivative of lysine. The inactivation by this reagent is also prevented by the substrates. Binding stoichiometries of 1.25 and 0.30 mol of reagent incorporated per mole of enzyme were found in the absence and presence of substrates, respectively. The results suggest the presence of functional arginyl and lysyl residues in or near the active site of the enzyme, and indicate lack of reactive functional sulfhydryl groups.

Limited proteolysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Incubation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with trypsin under native conditions cases a time-dependent loss of activity and the production of protein fragments. Cleavage sites determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sequence analyses identified protease-sensitive peptide bonds between amino acid residues at positions 9-10 and 76-77. Additional fragmentation sites were also detected in a region approximately 70-80 amino acids before the carboxyl end of the protein. These results suggest that the enzyme is formed by a central compact domain comprising more than two thirds of the whole protein structure. From proteolysis experiments carried out in the presence of substrates, it could be inferred that CO2 binding specifically protects position 76-77 from trypsin action. Intrinsic fluorescence measurements demonstrated that CO2 binding induces a protein conformational change, and a dissociation constant for the enzyme CO2 complex of 8.2 +/- 0.6 mM was determined.

Comparative steady-state fluorescence studies of cytosolic rat liver (GTP), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATP) and Escherichia coli (ATP) phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinases

Two members of the ATP-dependent class of phospho enol pyruvate (PEP) carboxykinases (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli PEP carboxykinase), and one member of the GTP-dependent class (the cytosolic rat liver enzyme) have been comparatively analyzed by taking advantage of their intrinsic fluorescence. The S. cerevisiae and the rat liver enzymes show intrinsic fluorescence with a maximum emission characteristic of moderately buried tryptophan residues, while the E. coli carboxykinase shows somewhat more average exposure for these fluorophores. The fluorescence of the three proteins was similarly quenched by the polar compound acrylamide, but differences were observed for the ionic quencher iodide. For the ATP-dependent enzymes, these last experiments indicate more exposure to the aqueous media of the tryptophan population of the E. coli than of the S. cerevisiae enzyme. The effect of nucleotides on the emission intensities and quenching efficiencies revealed substrate-induced conformational changes in the E. coli and cytosolic rat liver PEP carboxykinases. The addition of Mn2+ or of the adenosine nucleotides in the presence of Mg2+ induced an enhancement in the fluorescence of the E. coli enzyme. The addition of guanosine or inosine nucleotides to the rat liver enzyme quenched its fluorescence. From the ligand-induced fluorescence changes, dissociation constants of 40 +/- 6 microM, 10 +/- 0.8 microM, and 15 +/- 1 microM were obtained for Mn2+, MgATP and MgADP binding to the E. coli enzyme, respectively. For the cytosolic rat liver PEP carboxykinase, the respective values for GDP, IDP and ITP binding are 6 +/- 0.5 microM, 6.7 +/- 0.4 microM and 10.1 +/- 1.7 microM. A comparison of the dissociation constants obtained in this work with those reported for other PEP carboxykinases is presented.

Purification and characterization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase,a catabolic CO2-fixing enzyme, from Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.49) from the obligate anaerobe Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens was purified 18-fold. The enzyme was monomeric, with an Mr of 57,000 +/- 2,000. The enzyme was oxygen stable, had a pH optimum of 6.7-7.1, and was stable from pH 5.0 to 9.0. The enzyme displayed Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrate PEP and the cosubstrates bicarbonate and ADP with a Km of 0.54 mM, 17 mM and 0.42 mM, respectively. The enzyme required Mn(2+) or Co(2+) in addition to Mg(2+) to exhibit maximum activity. p-Chloromercuribenzoate inhibited activity and phosphoenolpyruvate protected the enzyme against inactivation, suggesting that an essential cysteine may be in the active site.

Identification of vicinal thiols of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP)

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) from the cytosol of rat liver has 13 cysteines, at least one of which (Cys288) is known to be very reactive and critical for catalytic activity (Lewis, C. T., Seyer, J. M., and Carlson, G. M. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 27-33). Previous results provided evidence for the existence of at least 1 pair of vicinal cysteines within or near the active site of PEPCK (Lewis, C. T., Haley, B. E., and Carlson, G. M. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 9248-9255). An intramolecular cystine disulfide is induced to form upon treatment of PEPCK with equimolar 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (Nbs2) or upon irradiation of the enzyme in the presence of the photoaffinity probe 8-azidoGTP. In each case, modification is accompanied by a substantial loss in catalytic activity, and substrates protect against inactivation and modification. We now report the identification of these modified thiols by differential alkylation of cysteines and half-cystines with radioactive iodoacetate, followed by isolation and sequencing of the modified tryptic peptides. The results indicate that the disulfide formed by equimolar Nbs2 lies within a 15-residue region of the PEPCK sequence that includes Cys399, Cys407, and Cys413. In addition, Cys407 and/or Cys413 also appear to participate in formation of the disulfide induced by 8-azidoGTP. These thiols lie very near a consensus sequence that has been suggested to represent the binding site for the guanine ring of GTP.

The kinetic mechanism of yeast phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The kinetic mechanism of yeast phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, in the physiological direction, has been determined. Product inhibition using KHCO3 showed competitive inhibition, when both oxalacetate (OAA) and ATP were varied. Phosphoenolpyruvate showed noncompetitive inhibition against OAA, and competitive inhibition with respect to ATP. Conversely, ADP showed competitive inhibition against OAA and noncompetitive inhibition vs. ATP. Dead-end inhibition studies with beta-sulfopyruvate showed competitive inhibition against OAA and noncompetitive inhibition vs. ATP. Ethene-ATP exhibited competitive inhibition against ATP and noncompetitive inhibition with respect to OAA. These results are consistent with a random Bi-Ter mechanism with the formation of two abortive complexes: enzyme-ATP-ADP and enzyme-OAA-PEP.

Photochemical cross-linking of guanosine 5'-triphosphate to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP)

Mammalian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) specifically requires a guanosine or inosine nucleotide as a substrate; however, the structural basis for this nucleotide specificity is not yet known. Because affinity labels derived from guanosine have not yielded a stable, modified peptide in quantities sufficient for sequence analysis, we have investigated the utility of direct photochemical cross-linking of GTP to PEPCK in order to identify the nucleotide binding site. UV irradiation at a distance of 2 cm by a Mineralight lamp (330 microW/cm2) results in the attachment of [alpha-32P]GTP to PEPCK via a stable, covalent linkage in a reaction that is dependent upon GTP concentration and duration of irradiation. After 10 min of irradiation, more than 0.2 mol of [alpha-32P] GTP is incorporated per mole of PEPCK; under these conditions the GTP concentration required for half-maximal labeling is 69 microM. The substrates phosphoenolpyruvate, ITP, and GDP provide protection against photolabeling, as do Mn2+ and Mg2+. One major and one minor radioactive peptide derived from proteolytic digests of photolabeled PEPCK have been isolated and identified. The major modified peptide has been provisionally assigned to an acidic region near the C-terminus, and the minor peptide has been identified as Ser462-Lys471.

ATP-dependent Saccharomyces cerevisiae phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase: isolation and sequence of a peptide containing a highly reactive cysteine

Saccharomyces cerevisiae phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.49), inactivated by N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine, incorporated 0.95 mol of the fluorescent moiety per mol of enzyme subunit. Reagent incorporation was completely protected by the presence of ADP plus MnCl2. The labeled protein was digested with trypsin after carboxymethylation. Two labeled peptides were isolated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and were sequenced by gas-phase automatic Edman degradation. Both peptides contained overlapping amino acid sequences from Asn-358 to Lys-375, thus identifying Cys-364 as the reactive amino acid residue. The position of the target amino acid residue is immediately preceding a putative phosphoryl-binding sequence proposed for some nucleotide-binding proteins.

Sequence of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-encoding cDNA from the rumen anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix frontalis: comparison of the amino acid sequence with animals and yeast

The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-encoding gene from the fungus Neocallimastix frontalis, was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence (608 residues) and the predicted protein structure were compared to their counterparts in animals and yeast. Catalytic regions (substrate-binding site and nucleotide-binding domains) are highly conserved among fungal and animal organisms. The yeast sequence showed no similarity to the fungal sequence.

An active-site lysine in avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The participation of lysine in the catalysis by avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied by chemical modification and by a characterization of the modified enzyme. The rate of inactivation by 2,4-pentanedione is pseudo-first-order and linearly dependent on reagent concentration with a second-order rate constant of 0.36 +/- 0.025 M-1 min-1. Inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate of the reversible reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase follows bimolecular kinetics with a second-order rate constant of 7700 +/- 860 M-1 min-1. A second-order rate constant of inactivation for the irreversible reaction catalyzed by the enzyme is 1434 +/- 110 M-1 min-1. Treatment of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate gives incorporation of 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mole of enzyme or one lysine residue modified concomitant with 100% loss in activity. A stoichiometry of 1:1 is observed when either the reversible or the irreversible reactions catalyzed by the enzyme are monitored. A study of kobs vs pH suggests this active-site lysine has a pKa of 8.1 and a pH-independent rate constant of inactivation of 47,700 M-1 min-1. The phosphate-containing substrates IDP, ITP, and phosphoenolpyruvate offer almost complete protection against inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Modified, inactive enzyme exhibits little change in Mn2+ binding as shown by EPR. Proton relaxation rate measurements suggest that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modification alters binding of the phosphate-containing substrates. 31P NMR relaxation rate measurements show altered binding of the substrates in the ternary enzyme.Mn2+.substrate complex. Circular dichroism studies show little change in secondary structure of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modified phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. These results indicate that avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has one reactive lysine at the active site and it is involved in the binding and activation of the phosphate-containing substrates.