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Efficient endosomal localization of major histocompatibility complex class II-invariant chain complexes requires multimerization of the invariant chain targeting sequence.

During biosynthesis, MHC class II-invariant chain complexes are transported into endosomal compartments where invariant chain (Ii) is degraded and class II encounters antigenic peptides. One of the signals that determines this intracellular transport route has been localized to the cytosolic domain of Ii. Deletion of this signal disrupts endosomal targeting and results in the stable expression of class II-Ii complexes at the surface. In this paper we have examined the role of Ii trimerization on the generation of this endosomal localization signal. In L cell transfectants expressing class II and both wild type Ii and a truncated form of Ii that lacks this endosomal localization signal, Ii was found to form multimers which could contain both wild type and truncated Ii. The multimers were not large aggregates but were found to be discrete complexes, probably the nine molecule class II-Ii complex that has been observed in human B cells. The co-expression of truncated Ii allowed for cell surface expression of a subset of wild type Ii. This surface-expressed wild type Ii associated with truncated Ii in multimers at a 2:1 ratio, indicating that these trimers contain two truncated and one wild type Ii molecule. These data suggest a division in trafficking of Ii trimers: if two wild type Ii molecules are present, the complex is transported to and rapidly degraded in endosomes, whereas the presence of only one wild type Ii results in trafficking and expression of the heterotrimer on the cell surface. Following surface arrival, complexes containing only a single wild type Ii molecule are internalized more rapidly and have a shorter half-life than complexes containing only truncated Ii molecules. These data suggest that although a single Ii cytosolic domain can function as a plasma membrane internalization signal, multimerization of Ii is required for efficient Golgi complex to endosome targeting of class II-Ii complexes.

Animals↗

The mammalian Sec6/8 complex interacts with Ca(2+) signaling complexes and regulates their activity.

The localization of various Ca(2+) transport and signaling proteins in secretory cells is highly restricted, resulting in polarized agonist-stimulated Ca(2+) waves. In the present work, we examined the possible roles of the Sec6/8 complex or the exocyst in polarized Ca(2+) signaling in pancreatic acinar cells. Immunolocalization by confocal microscopy showed that the Sec6/8 complex is excluded from tight junctions and secretory granules in these cells. The Sec6/8 complex was found in at least two cellular compartments, part of the complex showed similar, but not identical, localization with the Golgi apparatus and part of the complex associated with Ca(2+) signaling proteins next to the plasma membrane at the apical pole. Accordingly, immunoprecipitation (IP) of Sec8 did not coimmunoprecipitate betaCOP, Golgi 58K protein, or mannosidase II, all Golgi-resident proteins. By contrast, IP of Sec8 coimmunoprecipitates Sec6, type 3 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)R3), and the Gbetagamma subunit of G proteins from pancreatic acinar cell extracts. Furthermore, the anti-Sec8 antibodies coimmunoprecipitate actin, Sec6, the plasma membrane Ca(2+) pump, the G protein subunits Galphaq and Gbetagamma, the beta1 isoform of phospholipase C, and the ER resident IP(3)R1 from brain microsomal extracts. Antibodies against the various signaling and Ca(2+) transport proteins coimmunoprecipitate Sec8 and the other signaling proteins. Dissociation of actin filaments in the immunoprecipitate had no effect on the interaction between Sec6 and Sec8, but released the actin and dissociated the interaction between the Sec6/8 complex and Ca(2+) signaling proteins. Hence, the interaction between the Sec6/8 and Ca(2+) signaling complexes is likely mediated by the actin cytoskeleton. The anti-Sec6 and anti-Sec8 antibodies inhibited Ca(2+) signaling at a step upstream of Ca(2+) release by IP(3). Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton with latrunculin B in intact cells resulted in partial translocation of Sec6 and Sec8 from membranes to the cytosol and interfered with propagation of agonist-evoked Ca(2+) waves. Our results suggest that the Sec6/8 complex has multiple roles in secretory cells including governing the polarized expression of Ca(2+) signaling complexes and regulation of their activity.

Actins↗

Structural analysis of the p62 complex, an assembly of O-linked glycoproteins that localizes near the central gated channel of the nuclear pore complex.

The p62 complex is an oligomeric assembly of O-linked glycoproteins of the nuclear pore complex that interacts with cytosolic transport factors and is part of the machinery for nuclear protein import. In this study we have purified the p62 complex from rat liver nuclear envelopes and analyzed its structure and composition. The p62 complex consists of four distinct polypeptides (p62, p58, p54, and p45) and has a mass of approximately 234 kDa, calculated from its hydrodynamic properties and supported by chemical cross-linking and scanning transmission electron microscopy. These data suggest that the p62 complex contains one copy of each constituent polypeptide. Analysis of preparations of the p62 complex by electron microscopy using rotary metal shadowing and negative staining revealed donut-shaped particles with a diameter of approximately 15 nm. Immunogold electron microscopy of isolated rat liver nuclear envelopes demonstrated that p62 occurs on both the nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic sides of the pore complex near the central gated channel involved in active transport of proteins and RNAs. The properties and localization of the p62 complex suggest that it may be involved in binding transport ligands near the center of the nuclear pore complex and in subsequently transferring them to the gated transport channel.

Animals↗

High-resolution structures of three new trypsin-squash-inhibitor complexes: a detailed comparison with other trypsins and their complexes.

An anionic trypsin from Atlantic salmon and bovine trypsin have been complexed with the squash-seed inhibitors, CMTI-I (Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor I, P1 Arg) and CPTI-II (Cucurbita pepo trypsin inhibitor II, P1 Lys). The crystal structures of three such complexes have been determined to 1.5-1.8 A resolution and refined to crystallographic R factors ranging from 17.6 to 19.3%. The two anionic salmon-trypsin complexes (ST-CPTI and ST-CMTI) and the bovine-trypsin complex (BT-CPTI) have been compared to other trypsin-inhibitor complexes by means of general structure and primary and secondary binding features. In all three new structures, the primary binding residue of the inhibitor binds to trypsin in the classical manner, but with small differences in the primary and secondary binding patterns. Lysine in CPTI-II binds deeper in the specificity pocket of bovine trypsin than lysine in other known lysine-bovine-trypsin complexes, and anionic salmon trypsin lacks some of the secondary binding interactions found in the complexes formed between squash inhibitors and bovine trypsin. The ST-CMTI complex was formed from the reactive-site-cleaved form of the inhibitor. However, well defined electron density was observed for the P1-P1' peptide bond, together with a hydrogen-bonding pattern virtually identical to those of all serine-protease-protein-inhibitor complexes, indicating a resynthesis of the scissile bond.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Social complexity can drive vocal complexity: group size influences vocal information in Carolina chickadees.

One hypothesis to explain variation in vocal communication in animal species is that the complexity of the social group influences the group's vocal complexity. This social-complexity hypothesis for communication is also central to recent arguments regarding the origins of human language, but experimental tests of the hypothesis are lacking. This study investigated whether group size, a fundamental component of social complexity, influences the complexity of a call functioning in the social organization of Carolina chickadees, Poecile carolinensis. In unmanipulated field settings, calls of individuals in larger groups had greater complexity (more information) than calls of individuals in smaller groups. In aviary settings manipulating group size, individuals in larger groups used calls with greater complexity than individuals in smaller groups. These results indicate that social complexity can influence communicative complexity in this species.

Animals↗

Strains of Mycobacterium terrae complex which react with DNA probes for M. tuberculosis complex.

Following a recent report that two isolates of Mycobacterium terrae complex had given positive reactions with M. tuberculosis complex DNA probes, a joint study was undertaken to determine the extent of these findings in the clinical culture collection holdings of two state health laboratories. A total of 117 M. terrae complex strains (identified by standard biochemical methods) were subjected to M. tuberculosis complex probe testing with the two then-available kits (from Syngene, Inc., and Gen-Probe, Inc.). In addition to the two original isolates first reported, two further M. terrae complex isolates were found to react with the M. tuberculosis complex probes. Two modifications of the Accuprobe (Gen-Probe, Inc.) test method were evaluated. Extension of the selection time to 8 min was the most convenient modification and rendered the M. terrae complex isolates negative when tested with the Accuprobe M. tuberculosis complex probe. However, the effects of increased selection time on the overall sensitivity of the M. tuberculosis complex probe require further study.

DNA Probes↗

Glycoprotein H-related complexes of human cytomegalovirus: identification of a third protein in the gCIII complex.

Previous studies have described three disulfide-bonded glycoprotein complexes within the envelope of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). These have been designated gCI, gCII, and gCIII. Although gCI has been identified as homodimeric glycoprotein B (gB, gpUL55), the compositions of gCII and gCIII remain incompletely defined. Earlier studies suggested that gCIII was composed of glycoprotein H (gH, gpUL75) complexed with a second glycoprotein, the gL homolog of HCMV. We characterized the gCIII complex of HCMV using recombinant vaccinia virus-expressed gH and gL. Our results indicated that authentic gCIII was not reconstituted by coexpression of gH and gL. The presence of a third, structurally and antigenically unique glycoprotein with an estimated molecular mass of 125,000 Da in virion-derived gCIII complexes suggested that at least three proteins were necessary for formation of this envelope glycoprotein complex. This third glycoprotein, gp125, contained both simple and complex N-linked carbohydrates and had an estimated deglycosylated mass of 64,000 Da. Furthermore, we demonstrated that mature gH existed as both a covalently complexed and noncovalently associated component of the gCIII complex within the envelope of infectious extracellular virions. These findings provide further evidence for the structural complexity of the envelope of HCMV and emphasize the uncertainties associated with the previous assignment of specific functions to envelope proteins of HCMV.

Animals↗

Cationic lipid-DNA complexes for gene therapy: understanding the relationship between complex structure and gene delivery pathways at the molecular level.

Cationic liposomes (CLs) are used as gene vectors (carriers) in worldwide human clinical trials of non-viral gene therapy. These lipid-gene complexes have the potential of transferring large pieces of DNA of up to 1 million base-pairs into cells. As our understanding of the mechanisms of action of CL-DNA complexes remains poor, transfection efficiencies are still low when compared to gene delivery with viral vectors. We describe recent studies with a combination of techniques (synchrotron x-ray diffraction for structure determination, laser-scanning confocal microscopy to probe the interactions of CL-DNA particles with cells, and luciferase reporter-gene expression assays to measure transfection efficiencies in mammalian cells), which collectively are beginning to unravel the relationship between the distinctly structured CL-DNA complexes and their transfection efficiency. The work described here is applicable to transfection optimization in ex vivo cell transfection, where cells are removed and returned to patients after transfection. CL-DNA complexes primarily form a multilayered sandwich structure with DNA layered between the cationic lipids (labeled L(alpha)(C)). On rare occasions, an inverted hexagonal structure with DNA encapsulated in lipid tubules (labeled H(II)(C)) is observed. A major recent insight is that for L(alpha)(C) complexes the membrane charge density sigma(M) of the CL-vector, rather than the charge of the cationic lipid alone, is a key universal parameter that governs the transfection efficiency of L(alpha)(C) complexes in cells. The parameter sigma(M) is a measure of the average charge per unit area of the membrane, thus taking into account the amount of neutral lipids. In contrast to L(alpha)(C) complexes, H(II)(C) complexes containing the lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerophosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) exhibit no dependence on sigma(M). The current limiting factor to transfection by cationic lipid vectors appears to be the tight association of a fraction of the delivered exogenous DNA with cationic cellular molecules, which may prevent optimal transcriptional activity. Future directions are outlined, which make use of surface-functionalized CL-DNA complexes suitable for transfection in vivo.

Animals↗

FAMS complex: a fully automated homology modeling system for protein complex structures.

The formation of a protein-protein complex is responsible for many biological functions; therefore, three-dimensional structures of protein complexes are essential for deeper understandings of protein functions and the mechanisms of diseases at the atomic level. However, compared with individual proteins, complex structures are difficult to solve experimentally because of technical limitations. Thus a method that can predict protein complex structures would be invaluable. In this study, we developed new software, FAMS Complex; a fully automated homology modeling system for protein complex structures consisting of two or more molecules. FAMS Complex requires only sequences and alignments of the target protein as input and constructs all molecules simultaneously and automatically. FAMS Complex is likely to become an essential tool for structure-based drug design, such as in silico screening to accelerate drug discovery before an experimental structure is solved. Moreover, in this post-genomic era when huge amounts of protein sequence information are available, a major goal is the determination of protein-protein interaction networks on a genomic scale. FAMS Complex will contribute to this goal, because its procedure is fully automated and so is suited for large-scale genome wide modeling.

Automation↗

Cadherin/catenin complexes in murine epidermal keratinocytes: E-cadherin complexes containing either beta-catenin or plakoglobin contribute to stable cell-cell contacts.

The cadherin/catenin complexes expressed by a murine epidermal keratinocyte cell line PDV, expressing E- and P-cadherin, have been analysed using a combination of biochemical and confocal microscopy analysis. Two types of E-cadherin complexes, containing beta-catenin or plakoglobin and alpha-catenin, were detected in PDV cells as in other cell types, while P-cadherin was mainly detected in complexes containing beta-catenin and alpha-catenin in PDV and other murine epidermal keratinocytes. Biotin-labelling studies have shown that both types of E-cadherin complexes are present at the surface of confluent cells. Furthermore, confocal microscopy analysis indicated that E-cadherin/plakoglobin complexes are located in stable cell-cell contacts at the middle lateral membranes and associated with alpha-catenin and the actin cytoskeleton, with a similar distribution to that to the E-cadherin/beta-catenin complexes. In addition, E-cadherin/plakoglobin complexes not associated with alpha-catenin or the actin cytoskeleton were detected in lower planes of the lateral contacting membranes as well as E-cadherin non-associated with catenins in the more basal planes. These studies support that in murine epidermal keratinocytes both beta-catenin- and plakoglobin-containing E-cadherin complexes contribute to the maintenance of stable cell-cell contacts and suggest a differential role of the plakoglobin containing complexes in different epithelial cell types.

Animals↗

[Formation of nitrosyl complexes of nonheme iron (2.03 complexes) in animal tissues in vivo].

Formation or dinitrozyl non-haem iron complexes (2.03 complexes) in white rats' tissues in vivo has been studied. The formation of these complexes has been examined in the liver kidneys and small intestines when injecting p/o NaNO2 to the rats. Most of the complexes have been found in the liver. They have not been detected in the heart, spleen, muscle, cerebrum and marrow in vivo. 3-4-fold content of 2.03 complexes has been determined while introducing iron and NaNO2 in running water. This effect has not been found when introducing iron and NaNO2 simultaneously. The mechanism of 2.03 complex formation in the animal tissues in vivo has been proposed. According to this mechanism these complexes are formed in the tissues when Fe-NO from nitrozyl non-haem from complexes originating in blood passes into SH-group of protein in tissues. The formation of 2.03 complexes in vivo has been found in blood uniform elements.

Administration, Oral↗

Photoaffinity labeling of the cap-binding protein complex with ATP/dATP. Differential labeling of free eukaryotic initiation factor 4A and the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A component of the cap-binding protein complex with [alpha-32P]ATP/dATP.

It has been suggested that the cap-binding protein complex is involved in ATP-mediated melting of 5'-mRNA secondary structure to facilitate ribosome binding during initiation of translation in eukaryotic cells (Edery, I., Lee, K. A. W., and Sonenberg, N. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2456-2462). Consequently, we have studied the interaction of dATP/ATP with the eukaryotic cap-binding protein complex by UV photoaffinity labeling. UV irradiation of the cap-binding protein complex in the presence of [alpha-32P]dATP/ATP resulted in the cross-linking of this compound to the 50-kDa polypeptide of the complex. This polypeptide is almost identical to the previously characterized eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A. We examined the ability of dATP/ATP to cross-link to eIF-4A and found that it cross-links less efficiently (approximately 60-fold on a molar basis) compared to the cross-linking obtained for the eIF-4A component of the cap-binding protein complex. Irradiation of purified eIF-4A together with the cap-binding protein complex in the presence of [alpha-32P]dATP resulted in greater than additive labeling of the eIF-4A component of the cap-binding protein complex and purified eIF-4A, suggesting a synergistic interaction between purified eIF-4A, the cap-binding protein complex, and dATP/ATP. We also report that photoaffinity labeling of eIF-4A and the eIF-4A component in the cap-binding protein complex is stimulated by eIF-4B, but not by other initiation factors or mRNA.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

The cytochrome b(6)f complex: structural studies and comparison with the bc(1) complex.

Electron crystallography of the chloroplastic b(6)f complex allowed the calculation of projection maps of crystals negatively stained or embedded in glucose. This gives insights into the overall structure of the extra- and transmembrane domains of the complex. A comparison with the structure of the bc(1) complex, the mitochondrial homologue of the b(6)f complex, suggests that the transmembrane domains of the two complexes are very similar, confirming the structural homology deduced from sequence analysis. On the other hand, the extramembrane organisation of the c-type cytochrome and of the Rieske protein seems quite different. Nevertheless, the same type of movement of the Rieske protein is observed in the b(6)f as in the bc(1) complex upon the binding of the quinol analogue stigmatellin. Crystallographic data also suggest movements in the transmembrane domains of the b(6)f complex, which would be specific of the b(6)f complex.

Animals↗

Localization of the membrane attack complex (MAC) in experimental immune complex glomerulonephritis.

The role of the membrane attack complex (MAC) as a mediator of renal tissue injury was evaluated in rats affected by bovine serum albumin (BSA)-induced immune complex glomerulonephritis. Immunofluorescence studies revealed concurrent deposits of IgG, BSA, C3, and the MAC along glomerular capillary walls, although the MAC manifested a more restricted distribution than that observed for immune complexes. Immunoelectron microscopic techniques were utilized to demonstrate immune complexes, C3, and the MAC within dense deposits in the subepithelial aspect of the basement membrane. Visceral epithelial foot processes were fused in areas overlying large dense deposits and exhibited intense staining for the MAC, lesser reactivity for C3 but IgG was absent from the foot process membranes. Smaller granular deposits of immune complexes, C3, and the MAC were observed in the subendothelial region of the lamina rara interna and the lamina densa. Immune complexes may activate the classical complement pathway causing diffuse injury to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), allowing subepithelial accumulation of complexes. These observations implicate the MAC as a mediator of GBM and juxtaposed podocyte membrane injury, thereby contributing to disruption of the glomerular filtration barrier. IgG and C3 were demonstrated within tubulointerstitial regions on the surface of collagen fibers in close proximity to the tubular basement membrane (TBM) of proximal convoluted tubules. Within the TBM, C3 localization was prominent with diminished reactivity for the MAC, but IgG was not detectable. The demonstration of C3 and scant MAC deposits in the TBM of nonimmunized control rats without evidence of interstitial IgG and C3 deposits suggests that both nonimmune and immune processes play a role in the pathogenesis of extraglomerular lesions. Evidence derived from these morphologic studies indicates that the MAC is associated with injury to the GBM, foot process membranes of visceral epithelium, and the TBM. Further experiments designed to selectively enhance or inhibit the deposition of MAC and assess consequent renal dysfunction are required to substantiate hypotheses concerning the in vivo membranolytic potential of the MAC in experimental immune complex glomerulonephritis.

Animals↗

Expression and functional roles of the two distinct NDH-1 complexes and the carbon acquisition complex NdhD3/NdhF3/CupA/Sll1735 in Synechocystis sp PCC 6803.

To investigate the (co)expression, interaction, and membrane location of multifunctional NAD(P)H dehydrogenase type 1 (NDH-1) complexes and their involvement in carbon acquisition, cyclic photosystem I, and respiration, we grew the wild type and specific ndh gene knockout mutants of Synechocystis sp PCC 6803 under different CO2 and pH conditions, followed by a proteome analysis of their membrane protein complexes. Typical NDH-1 complexes were represented by NDH-1L (large) and NDH-1M (medium size), located in the thylakoid membrane. The NDH-1L complex, missing from the DeltaNdhD1/D2 mutant, was a prerequisite for photoheterotrophic growth and thus apparently involved in cellular respiration. The amount of NDH-1M and the rate of P700+ rereduction in darkness in the DeltaNdhD1/D2 mutant grown at low CO2 were similar to those in the wild type, whereas in the M55 mutant (DeltaNdhB), lacking both NDH-1L and NDH-1M, the rate of P700+ rereduction was very slow. The NDH-1S (small) complex, localized to the thylakoid membrane and composed of only NdhD3, NdhF3, CupA, and Sll1735, was strongly induced at low CO2 in the wild type as well as in DeltaNdhD1/D2 and M55. In contrast with the wild type and DeltaNdhD1/D2, which show normal CO2 uptake, M55 is unable to take up CO2 even when the NDH-1S complex is present. Conversely, the DeltaNdhD3/D4 mutant, also unable to take up CO2, lacked NDH-1S but exhibited wild-type levels of NDH-1M at low CO2. These results demonstrate that both NDH-1S and NDH-1M are essential for CO2 uptake and that NDH-1M is a functional complex. We also show that the Na+/HCO3- transporter (SbtA complex) is located in the plasma membrane and is strongly induced in the wild type and mutants at low CO2.

Carbon↗

A Drosophila ESC-E(Z) protein complex is distinct from other polycomb group complexes and contains covalently modified ESC.

The extra sex combs (ESC) and Enhancer of zeste [E(Z)] proteins, members of the Polycomb group (PcG) of transcriptional repressors, interact directly and are coassociated in fly embryos. We report that these two proteins are components of a 600-kDa complex in embryos. Using gel filtration and affinity chromatography, we show that this complex is biochemically distinct from previously described complexes containing the PcG proteins Polyhomeotic, Polycomb, and Sex comb on midleg. In addition, we present evidence that ESC is phosphorylated in vivo and that this modified ESC is preferentially associated in the complex with E(Z). Modified ESC accumulates between 2 and 6 h of embryogenesis, which is the developmental time when esc function is first required. We find that mutations in E(z) reduce the ratio of modified to unmodified ESC in vivo. We have also generated germ line transformants that express ESC proteins bearing site-directed mutations that disrupt ESC-E(Z) binding in vitro. These mutant ESC proteins fail to provide esc function, show reduced levels of modification in vivo, and are still assembled into complexes. Taken together, these results suggest that ESC phosphorylation normally occurs after assembly into ESC-E(Z) complexes and that it contributes to the function or regulation of these complexes. We discuss how biochemically separable ESC-E(Z) and PC-PH complexes might work together to provide PcG repression.

Animals↗

The single chlorophyll a molecule in the cytochrome b6f complex: unusual optical properties protect the complex against singlet oxygen.

The cytochrome b(6)f complex of oxygenic photosynthesis mediates electron transfer between the reaction centers of photosystems I and II and facilitates coupled proton translocation across the membrane. High-resolution x-ray crystallographic structures (Kurisu et al., 2003; Stroebel et al., 2003) of the cytochrome b(6)f complex unambiguously show that a Chl a molecule is an intrinsic component of the cytochrome b(6)f complex. Although the functional role of this Chl a is presently unclear (Kuhlbrandt, 2003), an excited Chl a molecule is known to produce toxic singlet oxygen as the result of energy transfer from the excited triplet state of the Chl a to oxygen molecules. To prevent singlet oxygen formation in light-harvesting complexes, a carotenoid is typically positioned within approximately 4 A of the Chl a molecule, effectively quenching the triplet excited state of the Chl a. However, in the cytochrome b(6)f complex, the beta-carotene is too far (> or =14 Angstroms) from the Chl a for effective quenching of the Chl a triplet excited state. In this study, we propose that in this complex, the protection is at least partly realized through special arrangement of the local protein structure, which shortens the singlet excited state lifetime of the Chl a by a factor of 20-25 and thus significantly reduces the formation of the Chl a triplet state. Based on optical ultrafast absorption difference experiments and structure-based calculations, it is proposed that the Chl a singlet excited state lifetime is shortened due to electron exchange transfer with the nearby tyrosine residue. To our knowledge, this kind of protection mechanism against singlet oxygen has not yet been reported for any other chlorophyll-containing protein complex. It is also reported that the Chl a molecule in the cytochrome b(6)f complex does not change orientation in its excited state.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Kinetic advantages of hetero-enzyme complexes with glutamate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex.

We have found previously (Fahien, L.A., Kmiotek, E.H., MacDonald, M. J., Fibich, B., and Mandic, M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 10687-10697) that glutamate-malate oxidation can be enhanced by cooperative binding of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase to the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. The present results demonstrate that glutamate dehydrogenase, which forms binary complexes with these enzymes, adds to this ternary complex and thereby increases binding of the other enzymes. Kinetic evidence for direct transfer of alpha-ketoglutarate and NADH, within these complexes, has been obtained by measuring steady-state rates of E2 when most of the substrate or coenzyme is bound to the aminotransferase or glutamate dehydrogenase (E1). Rates significantly greater than those which can be accounted for by the concentration of free ligand, calculated from the measured values of the E1-ligand dissociation constants, require that the E1-ligand complex serve as a substrate for E2 (Srivastava, D. K., and Bernhard, S. A. (1986) Curr. Tops. Cell Regul. 28, 1-68). By this criterion, NADH is transferred directly from glutamate dehydrogenase to malate dehydrogenase and alpha-ketoglutarate is channeled from the aminotransferase to both glutamate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. Similar evidence indicates that GTP bound to an allosteric site on glutamate dehydrogenase functions as a substrate for succinic thiokinase. The potential physiological advantages to channeling of activators and inhibitors as well as substrates within multienzyme complexes organized around the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex are discussed.

Animals↗