Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources

Purification of 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes from ox heart by a new method.

A new method is described that allows the parallel purification of the pyruvate dehydrogenase and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes from ox heart without the need for prior isolation of mitochondria. All the assayable activity of the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes in the disrupted tissue is made soluble by the inclusion of non-ionic detergents such as Triton X-100 or Tween-80 in the buffer used for the initial extraction of the enzyme complexes. The yields of the pyruvate dehydrogenase and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes are many times greater than those obtained by means of previous methods. In terms of specific catalytic activity, banding pattern on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, sedimentation properties and possession of the regulatory phosphokinase bound to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes prepared by the new method closely resemble those described by previous workers. The greatly improved yield of 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes occasioned by the use of Triton X-100 or Tween-80 as solubilizing agent supports the possibility that the bulk of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is associated in some way with the mitochondrial inner membrane and is not free in the mitochondrial matrix space.

Animals↗

Mechanisms modifying glucose oxidation in diabetes mellitus.

The Glucose Fatty Acid Cycle as formulated 30 years ago and reviewed in the Minkowski lecture in 1966 described short term effects of fatty acids (minutes) to decrease uptake, glycolysis and oxidation of glucose in heart and skeletal muscles. Such short term effects have since been extended to include inhibition of glucose uptake and glycolysis and stimulation of gluconeogenesis in liver and these effects have also been convincingly demonstrated in man in vivo. More recently a longer term effect of fatty acid metabolism to decrease glucose oxidation (hours) has been shown in heart and skeletal muscle and liver. This effect increases the specific activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, which in turn results in enhanced phosphorylation and inactivation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is the major determinant of glucose oxidation rate. It seems likely that longer term effects of fatty acids on this and other aspects of glucose metabolism could be important in the development of insulin resistance in diabetes mellitus in man.

Animals↗

Mice deficient in dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase show increased vulnerability to MPTP, malonate and 3-nitropropionic acid neurotoxicity.

Altered energy metabolism, including reductions in activities of the key mitochondrial enzymes alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC) and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), are characteristic of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase is a critical subunit of KGDHC and PDHC. We tested whether mice that are deficient in dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (Dld+/-) show increased vulnerability to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), malonate and 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), which have been proposed for use in models of PD and HD. Administration of MPTP resulted in significantly greater depletion of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra of Dld+/- mice than that seen in wild-type littermate controls. Striatal lesion volumes produced by malonate and 3-NP were significantly increased in Dld+/- mice. Studies of isolated brain mitochondria treated with 3-NP showed that both succinate-supported respiration and membrane potential were suppressed to a greater extent in Dld+/- mice. KGDHC activity was also found to be reduced in putamen from patients with HD. These findings provide further evidence that mitochondrial defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗

Use of designer recombinant mitochondrial antigens in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

The appearance of autoantibodies against mitochondria in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis has been known for more than 25 yr. In the past, based on the biochemical complexity of the mitochondrion and the use of crude extracts for immunodiagnosis, a degree of nonspecificity in assaying for antibodies to mitochondria has been present. This problem has been largely circumvented by the cloning of the mitochondrial antigens and the identification of the E2 subunits of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and the branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex as the major and immunodominant autoantigens of primary biliary cirrhosis. More than 90% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have been shown to react with one or both of these enzymes using either recombinant antigen or purified native protein. Approximately 10% of patients recognize only E2 subunits of branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex and not pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Such patients would be missed by diagnostic assay that has a low sensitivity to antibodies against E2 subunits of branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex. The use of recombinant and biochemically pure antigens has permitted structural and conformational analysis of epitope mapping. We have taken advantage of the antigenic mapping studies of both primary biliary cirrhosis and branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex E2 subunits and designed a molecule that expresses the immunodominant epitopes of both. Using this dual-headed molecule that coexpresses the epitope of two different antigens, we report herein a sensitive and reproducible assay for antibodies to mitochondria in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3-Methyl-2-Oxobutanoate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide)↗

Measurement of the energy-generating capacity of human muscle mitochondria: diagnostic procedure and application to human pathology.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders usually requires a muscle biopsy to examine mitochondrial function. We describe our diagnostic procedure and results for 29 patients with mitochondrial disorders. METHODS: Muscle biopsies were from 43 healthy individuals and 29 patients with defects in one of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes, the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc), or the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT). Homogenized muscle samples were used to determine the oxidation rates of radiolabeled pyruvate, malate, and succinate in the absence or presence of various acetyl Co-A donors and acceptors, as well as specific inhibitors of tricarboxylic acid cycle or OXPHOS enzymes. We determined the rate of ATP production from oxidation of pyruvate. RESULTS: Each defect in the energy-generating system produced a specific combination of substrate oxidation impairments. PDHc deficiencies decreased substrate oxidation reactions containing pyruvate. Defects in complexes I, III, and IV decreased oxidation of pyruvate plus malate, with normal to mildly diminished oxidation of pyruvate plus carnitine. In complex V defects, pyruvate oxidation improved by addition of carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenyl hydrazone, whereas other oxidation rates were decreased. In most patients, ATP production was decreased. CONCLUSION: The proposed method can be successfully applied to the diagnosis of defects in PDHc, OXPHOS complexes, and ANT.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Interactions of the peripheral subunit-binding domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase component in the assembly of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

The enzymes pyruvate decarboxylase (E1) and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3) bind tightly but in a mutually exclusive manner to the peripheral subunit-binding domain (PSBD) of dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase in the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus. The use of directed mutagenesis, surface plasmon resonance detection and isothermal titration microcalorimetry revealed that several positively charged residues of the PSBD, most notably Arg135, play an important part in the interaction with both E1 and E3, whereas Met131 makes a significant contribution to the binding of E1 only. This indicates that the binding sites for E1 and E3 on the PSBD are overlapping but probably significantly different, and that additional hydrophobic interactions may be involved in binding E1 compared with E3. Arg135 of the PSBD was also replaced with cysteine (R135C), which was then modified chemically by alkylation with increasingly large aliphatic groups (R135C -methyl, -ethyl, -propyl and -butyl). The pattern of changes in the values of DeltaG degrees, DeltaH degrees and TDeltaS degrees that were found to accompany the interaction with the variant PSBDs differed between E1 and E3 despite the similarities in the free energies of their binding to the wild-type. The importance of a positive charge on the side-chain at position 135 for the interaction of the PSBD with E3 and E1 was apparent, although lysine was found to be an imperfect substitute for arginine. The results offer further evidence of entropy-enthalpy compensation ('thermodynamic homeostasis') - a feature of systems involving a multiplicity of weak interactions.

Acetyltransferases↗

Random phage mimotopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies against the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-E2 (PDC-E2).

Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase, the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC-E2), is the autoantigen most commonly recognized by autoantibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). We identified a peptide mimotope(s) of PDC-E2 by screening a phage-epitope library expressing random dodecapeptides in the pIII coat protein of fd phage using C355.1, a murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes a conformation-dependent epitope in the inner lipoyl domain of PDC-E2 and uniquely stains the apical region of bile duct epithelium (BDE) only in patients with PBC. Eight different sequences were identified in 36 phage clones. WMSYPDRTLRTS was present in 29 clones; WESYPFRVGTSL, APKTYVSVSGMV, LTYVSLQGRQGH, LDYVPLKHRHRH, AALWGVKVRHVS, KVLNRIMAGVRH and GNVALVSSRVNA were singly represented. Three common amino acid motifs (W-SYP, TYVS, and VRH) were shared among all peptide sequences. Competitive inhibition of the immunohistochemical staining of PBC BDE was performed by incubating the peptides WMSYPDRTLRTS, WESYPDRTLRTS, APKTYVSVSGMV, and AALWGVKVRHVS with either C355.1 or a second PDC-E2-specific mAb, C150.1. Both mAbs were originally generated to PDC-E2 but map to distinct regions of PDC-E2. Two of the peptides, although selected by reaction with C355.1, strongly inhibited the staining of BDE by C150.1, whereas the peptide APKTYVSVSGMV consistently inhibited the staining of C355.1 on biliary duct epithelium more strongly than the typical mitochondrial staining of hepatocytes. Rabbit sera raised against the peptide WMSYPDRTLRTS stained BDE of livers and isolated bile duct epithelial cells of PBC patients more intensively than controls. The rabbit sera stained all size ducts in normals, but only small/medium-sized ductules in PBC livers. These studies provide evidence that the antigen present in BDE is a molecular mimic of PDC-E2, and not PDC-E2 itself.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Direct kinetic evidence for half-of-the-sites reactivity in the E1 component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex through alternating sites cofactor activation.

Recent kinetic and structural studies on various thiamin-dependent enzymes, including the bacterial E1 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc), suggested an active center communication between the cofactors in these multimeric enzymes. This regulatory mode has been inferred from the dissymmetry of active sites in proteolytic patterns and X-ray structures and from a complex macroscopic kinetic behavior not being consistent with independently working active sites. Here, direct microscopic kinetic evidence for this hypothesis is presented for the alpha2beta2-type E1 component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Only one of the two thiamin molecules bound to the two active sites is in a chemically activated state exhibiting an apparent C2 ionization rate constant of approximately 50 s(-1) at pH 7.6 and 30 degrees C, whereas the thiamin in the "inactive site" ionizes with a rate that is at least 3 orders of magnitude smaller. The chemical nonequivalence is also exhibited in the ability to bind the substrate analogue methyl acetylphosphonate and in the catalytic turnover of the substrate pyruvate in the E1-only reaction. In the activated active site, pyruvate is rapidly bound and decarboxylated with apparent forward rate constants of covalent pyruvate binding of 2 s(-1) and decarboxylation of the formed 2-lactyl-thiamin intermediate of 5 s(-1). In the dormant site, these steps are as slow as 0.03 s(-1). Under the conditions that were used, only the heterotetramer can be detected by analytical ultracentrifugation, thus ruling out the possibility that multiple oligomeric species with different reactivities cause the observed kinetic effects. The results are consistent with the recently suggested model of an active site synchronization in PDHc-E1 via a proton wire that keeps the two active sites in an alternating activation state [Frank, R. A., et al. (2004) Science 306, 872]. Kinetic studies on the related thiamin enzymes transketolase, pyruvate oxidase, and bacterial pyruvate decarboxylase are not consistent with a chemical and/or functional nonequivalence of the active sites as observed in the E1 component of hsPDHc. We hypothesize that the alternating sites reaction in PDHc-E1 aids in the synchronized acyl transfer to the E2 component in the highly organized multienzyme complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Activity of pyruvate- and ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes on various regions of the rat brain].

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase and ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes (PDC; EC 1.2.4.1 and KDC; EC 1.2.4.2, respectively) was studied in extracts and lysates of mitochondria isolated from the cortex, cerebellum and stem of the rat brain. In all the mentioned cerebral areas the PDC activity calculating per 1 mg protein noticeably increased that for KDC. Under conditions of solubilization the activity of KDC lowered to a greater extent than that of PDC. The studied brain areas are arranged according to the activity of PDC and KDC in lysates in the following order: stem much much greater than cortex greater than cerebellum, however, the highest stock of the PDC activity manifesting with activation of endogenous phosphatase and dephosphorylation of the complex is observed in cerebellum. When calculating per mitochondria isolated from 1 g of tissue, the value of the PDC activity/KDC activity ratio in all areas of the brain is more than 1, and in cerebellum allowing for the complete PDC activity it exceeds 3. The data obtained emphasize the biochemical originality of the cerebellum and the presence of specific peculiarities in regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity in this cerebral area.

Animals↗

Frequency of IgG and IgM autoantibodies to four specific M2 mitochondrial autoantigens in primary biliary cirrhosis.

We have previously identified four of the M2 antigens in primary biliary cirrhosis as the E2 components (dihydrolipoamide acyltransferases) of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and the protein X component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (approximate molecular masses: 74, 50, 50 and 52 kD, respectively). In the present study, we have examined by immunoblotting the frequency of IgG and IgM autoantibodies to these four proteins in 129 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (36 histological Stage I, 42 Stage II/III, 51 Stage IV) and 77 controls (49 non-primary biliary cirrhosis chronic liver disease, 16 primary Sjögren's syndrome, 12 healthy normal women). One hundred twenty-seven of 129 (98%) primary biliary cirrhosis patients had antibodies against at least one of the four M2 polypeptides, compared to 2/77 controls (both had autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and were antimitochondrial antibody positive by indirect immunofluorescence). One hundred twenty-one of 129 (94%) primary biliary cirrhosis sera reacted with the E2 component and protein X of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, 69/129 (53%) primary biliary cirrhosis sera reacted with E2 of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex and 113/129 (88%) reacted with E2 of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. Primary biliary cirrhosis patients with histological Stage I disease had a lower incidence of autoantibodies to each M2 protein, compared to more advanced disease (IgG, p less than 0.05) but only 2/36 Stage I patients had no anti-M2 antibodies. There was no correlation between the presence of IgG or IgM antibodies to the M2 polypeptides and established prognostic markers in primary biliary cirrhosis (serum bilirubin and albumin levels).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3-Methyl-2-Oxobutanoate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide)↗

Clarification of the identity of the major M2 autoantigen in primary biliary cirrhosis.

1. In primary biliary cirrhosis, the major M2 autoantigen, reacting with antimitochondrial antibodies in sera from greater than 90% of patients, has been identified as the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. However, two recent reports suggest that alternative polypeptides may be major autoantigens. 2. The evidence that a 75 kDa subunit of complex I of the respiratory chain is a major autoantigen (Frostell, Mendel-Hartvig, Nelson, Totterman, Bjorkland & Ragan, Scand. J. Immunol. 1988; 28, 157-65) is refuted. The findings of Frostell et al. can be explained by contamination of complex I with the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, evidence for which is presented here. 3. Inspection of the partial amino acid sequence of an unidentified mitochondrial autoantigen (Muno, Kominami, Ishii, Usui, Saituku, Sakakibara & Namihisa, Hepatology 1990; 11, 16-23) shows that it is the E1 beta-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, previously identified as a major autoantigen, and not a 'new' alternative major autoantigen. 4. These findings substantiate previous work showing that the mitochondrial M2 autoantigens identified so far in primary biliary cirrhosis are all polypeptide components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex or the other related 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes.

3-Methyl-2-Oxobutanoate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide)↗

Structural dependence of post-translational modification and reductive acetylation of the lipoyl domain of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex.

The lipoyl domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex is recognized specifically by the lipoylating enzyme(s) in the cell and by the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component in the parent complex. Highly conserved aspartic acid and alanine residues flank the lipoyl-lysine residue, on the N and C-terminal sides, respectively, in the sharp beta-turn in which the lipoyl-lysine residue is prominently displayed. A sub-gene encoding the lipoyl domain of the Bacillus stearothermophilus pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was subjected to mutagenesis in the vector M13mp18. Aspartic acid 41 was changed to glutamic acid (D41E), alanine (D41A) and lysine (D41K), and alanine 43 was changed to methionine (A43M), lysine (A43K) and glutamic acid (A43E). The double mutations D41KK42A and D41MA43M were also made. All mutant domains were capable of being lipoylated, apart from the D41KK42A domain where the lipoyl-lysine had been moved round the beta-turn by one position towards the N terminus. Neither the D41K nor the A43K mutants showed any doubly lipoylated domain and the single lipoyl group was found attached only to the correct lysine residue. Accurate positioning of the lipoyl-lysine in the beta-turn is thus an essential cue for lipoylation, but the conserved aspartic acid and alanine residues are not necessary for the domain to be recognized by the lipoylating enzyme(s). No biotinylation of the D41MA43M mutant domain was observed, although the sequence motif MKM is highly conserved as the biotinylation site in the structurally homologous biotinyl domain of biotin-containing enzymes. The mutations at the aspartic acid 41 position all lowered the rate of reductive acetylation of the lipoyl domain by the E1 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, as did the mutations A43E and A43K. The A43M mutant was reductively acetylated at the same rate as the wild-type domain. Thus, both the alanine and aspartic acid residues are important for recognition of the domain by E1, but there is no absolute dependence on retention of the sequence surrounding the lipoyl-lysine residue.

Acetylation↗

Localization and kinetics of pyruvate-metabolizing enzymes in relation to aerobic alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae CBS 8066 and Candida utilis CBS 621.

The role of pyruvate metabolism in the triggering of aerobic, alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied. Since Candida utilis does not exhibit a Crabtree effect. this yeast was used as a reference organism. The localization, activity and kinetic properties of pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) in cells of glucose-limited chemostat cultures of the two yeasts were compared. In contrast to the general situation in fungi, plants and animals, pyruvate carboxylase was found to be a cytosolic enzyme in both yeasts. This implies that for anabolic processes, transport of C4-dicarboxylic acids into the mitochondria is required. Isolated mitochondria from both yeasts exhibited the same kinetics with respect to oxidation of malate. Also, the affinity of isolated mitochondria for pyruvate oxidation and the in situ activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was similar in both types of mitochondria. The activity of the cytosolic enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase in S. cerevisiae from glucose-limited chemostat cultures was 8-fold that in C. utilis. The enzyme was purified from both organisms, and its kinetic properties were determined. Pyruvate decarboxylase of both yeasts was competitively inhibited by inorganic phosphate. The enzyme of S. cerevisiae was more sensitive to this inhibitor than the enzyme of C. utilis. The in vivo role of phosphate inhibition of pyruvate decarboxylase upon transition of cells from glucose limitation to glucose excess and the associated triggering of alcoholic fermentation was investigated with 31P-NMR. In both yeasts this transition resulted in a rapid drop of the cytosolic inorganic phosphate concentration. It is concluded that the relief from phosphate inhibition does stimulate alcoholic fermentation, but it is not a prerequisite for pyruvate decarboxylase to become active in vivo. Rather, a high glycolytic flux and a high level of this enzyme are decisive for the occurrence of alcoholic fermentation after transfer of cells from glucose limitation to glucose excess.

Candida↗

Nonlinear dynamics of eucaryotic pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex: decarboxylation rate, oscillations, and multiplicity.

Pyruvate conversion to acetyl-CoA by the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) multienzyme complex is known as a key node in affecting the metabolic fluxes of animal cell culture. However, its possible role in causing possible nonlinear dynamic behavior such as oscillations and multiplicity of animal cells has received little attention. In this work, the kinetic and dynamic behavior of PDH of eucaryotic cells has been analyzed by using both in vitro and simplified in vivo models. With the in vitro model the overall reaction rate (nu(1)) of PDH is shown to be a nonlinear function of pyruvate concentration, leading to oscillations under certain conditions. All enzyme components affect nu(1) and the nonlinearity of PDH significantly, the protein X and the core enzyme dihydrolipoamide acyltransferase (E2) being mostly predominant. By considering the synthesis rates of pyruvate and PDH components the in vitro model is expanded to emulate in vivo conditions. Analysis using the in vivo model reveals another interesting kinetic feature of the PDH system, namely, multiple steady states. Depending on the pyruvate and enzyme levels or the operation mode, either a steady state with high pyruvate decarboxylation rate or a steady state with significantly lower decarboxylation rate can be achieved under otherwise identical conditions. In general, the more efficient steady state is associated with a lower pyruvate concentration. A possible time delay in the substrate supply and enzyme synthesis can also affect the steady state to be achieved and leads to oscillations under certain conditions. Overall, the predictions of multiplicity for the PDH system agree qualitatively well with recent experimental observations in animal cell cultures. The model analysis gives some hints for improving pyruvate metabolism in animal cell culture.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗

Elementary steps in the reaction mechanism of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex from Escherichia coli: kinetics of acetylation and deacetylation.

The kinetics of the acetylation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Escherichia coli by [3-14C]pyruvate and of the deacetylation of the complex by coenzyme A have been studied by using rapid mixing-quench techniques. The time course for acetylation in 4 mM thiamin pyrophosphate, 2 mM MgSO4, and 0.02 M potassium phosphate (pH 7.0) at 4 degrees C can be analyzed in terms of two kinetic processes. At long times 10 nmol of acetyl groups is incorporated per mg of enzyme complex (48 sites per complex of molecular weight 4.8 X 10(6)). The slower process is much too slow to be of catalytic significance. The rate constant for the faster process is not dependent on enzyme concentration and reaches a limiting value of 40--65 s-1 at high pyruvate concentrations; the exact value is dependent on the detailed acetylation mechanism assumed. The minimum molar turnover number of the enzyme complex is 420 s-1 (17.5 s-1 per pyruvate decarboxylase). The acetylated lipoic acids are deacetylated by coenzyme A at a rate much faster than that of acetylation. Complete deacetylation is obtained only if the deacetylation is carried out within seconds of the acetylation, apparently because dead-end intramolecular transfers of acetyl groups from the lipoic acids to other functional groups on the enzyme not essential for catalytic activity can occur. The results obtained suggest only about half of the acetylation reactions are on the main catalytic pathway.

Acetylation↗

Biochemistry and autoimmune response to the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), 2-oxo-glutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDC), and the branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCOADC) constitute the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase family of multienzyme complexes. These complexes, which are larger than ribosomes and which consist of multiple copies of E1, E2, and E3 subunits together with regulatory kinases and phosphatases and, in the case of PDC, an E3-binding protein (protein X), each play an important role in oxidative metabolism in mitochondria. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is associated with a high incidence of autoantibodies directed at mitochondrial autoantigens (the antimito-chondrial antibodies), identified as the E2 components of PDC, OGDC, and BCOADC, together with protein X and the E1 alpha and E1 beta subunits of PDC. The dominant B-cell autoepitope in PBC has been identified as the inner lipoic acid binding domain of PDC-E2, with the lipoic acid co-factor, which plays a critical role in E2 enzymatic activity, playing a role in autoantibody binding to antigen. Autoreactive CD4+ T cells specific for human PDC-E2 are also present in both the peripheral blood and liver mononuclear cell infiltrates of PBC patients. The mechanism of break-down of B-cell and T-cell self-tolerance to these ubiquitous mitochondrial antigens in such an organ-specific manner remains unclear. The apparent importance of autoreactive responses to these self-antigens does, however, raise the possibility that antigen-specific immunotherapy may offer a novel route to therapy in PBC.

3-Methyl-2-Oxobutanoate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide)↗

Sequential deletion of C-terminal amino acids of the E(1)alpha component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex leads to reduced steady-state levels of functional E(1)alpha(2)beta(2) tetramers: implications for patients with PDH deficiency.

Human pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex deficiency is an extremely heterogeneous disease in its presentation and clinical course. We have characterized novel mutations that affect the C-terminal portion of the PDH-E(1)alpha-coding sequence. Although the molecular defects underlying these mutations are different, both effectively produce a stop codon prematurely three amino acids from the C-terminus. The clinical and biochemical consequences of these mutations are unusual in that the affected individuals are very long-term survivors with PDH complex deficiency despite having low (<20%) activity in skin fibroblasts. These findings prompted us to investigate the C-terminus of E(1)alpha in greater detail. We constructed and expressed a series of PDH-E(1)alpha deletion mutants in a cell line with zero PDH complex activity due to a null E(1)alpha allele. Sequential deletion of the C-terminus by one, two, three and four amino acids resulted in PDH complex activities of 100, 60, 36 and 14%, respectively, compared with wild-type E(1)alpha expressed in PDH complex-deficient cells. The immunodetectable protein was decreased by the same amount as the activity, suggesting that the stability and/or assembly of the E(1)alpha(2)beta(2)heterotetramer might depend on the intactness of the PDH-E(1)alpha C-terminus. In addition, we compared the somatic and the testis-specific isoforms of E(1)alphaand concluded that they are biochemically equivalent.

Adult↗