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PubMed1979

The effect of mazindol on metabolic and regulatory changes in obese women during weight reduction.

The effect of mazindol (1 mg/day) on some metabolic and regulatory values was investigated in ten adult obese women and compared with the same number of controls during weight reduction in hospital (a five-times repeated cycle of 5 days complete starvation and 3 days on a 500 kcal(2.1MJ/day diet.) Mazindol caused a rise of hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase in striated muscle by 70 per cent and a marked decline in malic dehydrogenase. Mazindol also produced higher levels of non-esterified fatty acids--significantly higher during the fifth starvation period; a small decrease in blood glucose, IRI and glucose/IRI ratio being unaffected, a significantly two-fold greater decrease of serum cholesterol; a significant increase of the noradrenaline elimination compared with a decrease in controls and in increase in triiodothyronine binding globulin towards the upper range of normal.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Regulation of lipid accumulation in oleaginous micro-organisms.

A small number of eukaryotic micro-organisms, the oleaginous species, can accumulate triacylglycerols as cellular storage lipids, sometimes up to 70% of the biomass. Some of these lipids, particularly those containing high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids of nutritional and dietary importance, are now in commercial production; these are known as single-cell oils. The biochemistry of lipid accumulation has been investigated in yeasts and filamentous fungi and can now be described in some detail: lipid accumulation is triggered by cells exhausting nitrogen from the culture medium, but glucose continues to be assimilated. Activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase within the mitochondrion, however, now slows or even stops due to the diminution of AMP within the cells. This leads to the accumulation of citrate, which is transported into the cytosol and cleaved to acetyl-CoA by ATP:citrate lyase, an enzyme that does not occur in non-oleaginous species. This enzyme is therefore essential for lipid accumulation. The presence of this enzyme does not, however, explain why different species of oleaginous micro-organisms have different capacities for lipid accumulation. The extent of lipid accumulation is considered to be controlled by the activity of malic enzyme (ME), which acts as the sole source of NADPH for fatty acid synthase (FAS). If ME is inhibited, or genetically disabled, then lipid accumulation is very low. There is no general pool of NADPH which can otherwise be used by FAS. The stability of ME is therefore crucial and it is proposed that ME is physically attached to FAS as part of the lipogenic metabolon. ME activity correlates closely with lipid accumulation in two filamentous fungi, Mucor circinelloides and Mortierella alpina. When ME ceases to be active, lipid accumulation also stops. No other enzyme activity shows such a correlation.

Fungi↗
PubMed2006

Estradiol stimulates the biosynthetic pathways of breast cancer cells: detection by metabolic flux analysis.

Selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators are highly successful breast cancer therapies, but they are not effective in patients with ER negative and selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)-resistant tumors. Understanding the mechanisms of estrogen-stimulated proliferation may provide a route to design estrogen-independent therapies that would be effective in these patients. In this study, metabolic flux analysis was used to determine the intracellular fluxes that are significantly affected by estradiol stimulation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Intracellular fluxes were calculated from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-generated isotope enrichment data and extracellular metabolite fluxes, using a specific flux analysis algorithm. The metabolic pathway model used by the algorithm includes glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), the pentose phosphate pathway, glutamine catabolism, pyruvate carboxylase, and malic enzyme. The pathway model also incorporates mitochondrial compartmentalization and reversible trans-mitochondrial membrane reactions to more accurately describe the role of mitochondria in cancer cell proliferation. Flux results indicate that estradiol significantly increases carbon flow through the pentose phosphate pathway and increases glutamine consumption. In addition, intra-mitochondrial malic enzyme was found to be inactive and the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) was only minimally active. The inactivity of these enzymes indicates that glutamine is not oxidized within mitochondria, but is consumed primarily to provide biosynthetic precursors. The excretion of glutamine carbons from the mitochondria has the secondary effect of limiting nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) recycle, resulting in NADH buildup in the cytosol and the excretion of lactate. The observed dependence of breast cancer cells on pentose phosphate pathway activity and glutamine consumption for estradiol-stimulated biosynthesis suggests that these pathways may be targets for estrogen-independent breast cancer therapies.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1996

NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme of Rhizobium meliloti.

The bacterium Rhizobium meliloti, which forms N2-fixing root nodules on alfalfa, has two distinct malic enzymes; one is NADP+ dependent, while a second has maximal activity when NAD+ is the coenzyme. The diphosphopyridine nucleotide (NAD+)-dependent malic enzyme (DME) is required for symbiotic N2 fixation, likely as part of a pathway for the conversion of C4-dicarboxylic acids to acetyl coenzyme A in N2-fixing bacteroids. Here, we report the cloning and localization of the tme gene (encoding the triphosphopyridine nucleotide [NADP+]-dependent malic enzyme) to a 3.7-kb region. We constructed strains carrying insertions within the tme gene region and showed that the NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme activity peak was absent when extracts from these strains were eluted from a DEAE-cellulose chromatography column. We found that NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme activity was not required for N2 fixation, as tme mutants induced N2-fixing root nodules on alfalfa. Moreover, the apparent NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme activity detected in wild-type (N2-fixing) bacteroids was only 20% of the level detected in free-living cells. Much of that residual bacteroid activity appeared to be due to utilization of NADP+ by DME. The functions of DME and the NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme are discussed in light of the above results and the growth phenotypes of various tme and dme mutants.

Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose↗
PubMed1984

Dark/Light modulation of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity in plants from different photosynthetic categories.

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCase) from several plants had substantially greater activity in extracts from lightexposed leaves than dark leaves, even when the extracts were incubated in vitro with saturating HCO(3) (-) and Mg(2+) concentrations. This occurred in Glycine max, Lycopersicon esculentum, Nicotiana tabacum, Panicum bisulcatum, and P. hylaeicum (C(3)); P. maximum (C(4) phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase); P. milioides (C(3)/C(4)); and Bromelia pinguin and Ananas comosus (Crassulacean acid metabolism). Little or no difference between light and dark leaf extracts of RuBPCase was observed in Triticum aestivum (C(3)); P. miliaceum (C(4) NAD malic enzyme); Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor (C(4) NADP malic enzyme); Moricandia arvensis (C(3)/C(4)); and Hydrilla verticillata (submersed aquatic macrophyte). It is concluded that, in many plants, especially Crassulacean acid metabolism and C(3) species, a large fraction of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in the dark is in an inactivatable state that cannot respond to CO(2) and Mg(2+) activation, but which can be converted to an activatable state upon exposure of the leaf to light.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Effects of dietary nutrients on substrate and effector levels of lipogenic enzymes, and lipogenesis from tritiated water in rat liver.

When fasted rats were refed for 4 days with a carbohydrate and protein diet, a carbohydrate diet (without protein) or a protein diet (without carbohydrate), the effects of dietary nutrients on the fatty acid synthesis from injected tritiated water, the substrate and effector levels of lipogenic enzymes and the enzyme activities were compared in the livers. In the carbohydrate diet group, although acetyl-CoA carboxylase was much induced and citrate was much increased, the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase extracted with phosphatase inhibitor and activated with 0.5 mM citrate was low in comparison to the carbohydrate and protein diet group. The physiological activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase seems to be low. In the protein diet group, the concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate, acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA were markedly higher than in the carbohydrate and protein group, whereas the concentrations of oxaloacetate and citrate were lower. The levels of hepatic cAMP and plasma glucagon were high. The activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and also fatty acid synthetase were low in the protein group. By feeding fat, the citrate level was not decreased as much as the lipogenic enzyme inductions. Comparing the substrate and effector levels with the Km and Ka values, the activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase could be limited by the levels. The fatty acid synthesis from tritiated water corresponded more closely to the acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity (activated 0.5 mM citrate) than to other lipogenic enzyme activities. On the other hand, neither the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme (even though markedly lowered by diet) nor the levels of their substrates appeared to limit fatty acid synthesis of any of the dietary groups. Thus, it is suggested that under the dietary nutrient manipulation, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity would be the first candidate of the rate-limiting factor for fatty acid synthesis with the regulations of the enzyme quantity, the substrate and effector levels and the enzyme modification.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMed1990

Dehydroepiandrosterone feeding and protein phosphorylation, phosphatases, and lipogenic enzymes in mouse liver.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment is effective in preventing or delaying the onset of various genetic and induced disorders of mice and rats. Associated with the beneficial therapeutic effects exerted by action of this steroid is the development of hepatomegaly. To determine whether the changes associated with hepatomegaly also involve alterations in activities of tissue enzymes, we evaluated the effects of DHEA (0.45% in food, w/w) on hepatic protein kinases, phosphatases, and lipogenic enzymes in mice of various strains. The rates of fatty acid and cholesterol syntheses also were evaluated. DHEA administration resulted in profound changes in the sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of endogenous radiophosphorylated proteins obtained by incubation of liver homogenates with (gamma-32P]ATP. These changes were dependent upon the medium used for homogenization. Thus, when homogenates of liver tissue of DHEA-treated mice were prepared in Tris buffer containing sucrose (0.25 M) there was a marked decrease in phosphorylation of the proteins of relative molecular weight approximately 116,000 (Mr approximately 116,000), approximately 82,000, approximately 80,000, approximately 58,000, approximately 56,000, approximately 48,000, approximately 34,000, and approximately 31,000 compared with controls. With liver homogenates of DHEA-treated mice prepared in Tris buffer alone, there was a marked increase in phosphorylation of the proteins of Mr approximately 70,000, approximately 49,000, approximately 34,000, approximately 31,000, and 28,000 compared with controls. Moreover, the specific activity of kinases for endogenous protein acceptors in liver of control mice was higher than that in liver of DHEA-treated animals. The specific activities of casein kinase, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and cGMP-dependent protein kinase remained unchanged with DHEA treatment, but the specific activity of histone kinase was increased approximately 30%. Long-term administration of DHEA also was associated with increases in the specific activities of liver AMPase and GTPase (approximately two times), but not of other nucleotidases, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, or phosphotyrosine phosphatase. The activity of hepatic NADP-linked malic enzyme was increased significantly (two to three times) by DHEA treatment of female mice of three different strains, but was unchanged in male C57BL/6 mice. The specific activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase, and ATP-citrate lyase were not affected significantly by DHEA treatment of mice. The rate of hepatic lipogenesis, determined by incorporation of tritium from 3H2O into fatty acids, was decreased approximately 70% in DHEA-treated mice, while the rate of cholesterol synthesis was increased approximately 44% compared with controls.

ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of the functional role of Asp141, Asp194, and Asp464 residues in the Mn2+-L-malate binding of pigeon liver malic enzyme.

Pigeon liver malic enzyme was inactivated and cleaved at Asp141, Asp194, and Asp464 by the Cu2+-ascorbate system in acidic environment. Site-specific mutagenesis was performed at these putative metal-binding sites. Three point mutants, D141N, D194N, and D464N; three double mutants, D(141,194)N, D(194,464)N, and D(141,464)N; and a triple mutant, D(141,194,464)N; as well as the wild-type malic enzyme (WT) were successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. All recombinant enzymes, except the triple mutant, were purified to apparent homogeneity by successive Q-Sepharose and adenosine-2',5'-bisphosphate-agarose columns. The mutants showed similar apparent Km,NADP values to that of the WT. The Km,Mal value was increased in the D141N and D194N mutants. The Km,Mn value, on the other hand, was increased only in the D141N mutant by 14-fold, corresponding to approximately 1.6 kcal/mol for the Asp141-Mn2+ binding energy. Substrate inhibition by L-malate was only observed in WT, D464N, and D(141,464)N. Initial velocity experiments were performed to derive the various kinetic parameters. The possible interactions between Asp141, Asp194, and Asp464 were analyzed by the double-mutation cycles and triple-mutation box. There are synergistic weakening interactions between Asp141 and Asp194 in the metal binding that impel the D(141,194)N double mutant to an overall specificity constant [k(cat)/(Kd,Mn Km,Mal Km,NADP)] at least four orders of magnitude smaller than the WT value. This difference corresponds to an increase of 6.38 kcal/mol energy barrier for the catalytic efficiency. Mutation at Asp464, on the other hand, has partial additivity on the mutations at Asp141 and Asp194. The overall specificity constants for the double mutants D(194,464)N and D(141,464)N or the triple mutant D(141,194,464)N were decreased by only 10- to 100-fold compared to the WT. These results strongly suggest the involvement of Asp141 in the Mn2+-L-malate binding for the pigeon liver malic enzyme. The Asp194 and Asp464, which may be oxidized by nonspecific binding of Cu2+, are involved in the Mn2+-L-malate binding or catalysis indirectly by modulating the binding affinity of Asp141 with the Mn2+.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The involvement of pyruvate cycling in the metabolism of aspartate and glycerate by the perfused rat kidney.

The metabolism of glycerate and aspartate was investigated in perfused rat kidneys. The major pathway active for aspartate metabolism and NH3 production was found to include transamination, and not the purine nucleotide cycle. Pyruvate cycling was identified as a means by which reducing potential is generated in the cytosol for glucose and lactate production from these substrates. Inhibition of mitochondrial pyruvate transport caused an inhibition of glucose production, accumulation of lactate and pyruvate in the perfusate, and a decrease in the [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio in kidneys perfused with aspartate. These data indicate a role of mitochondrial pyruvate transport in the provision of cytosolic reducing potential. With either aspartate or glycerate, 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (3-MPA) suppressed glucose synthesis and caused accumulation of malate plus fumarate within the kidney. Glucose production from glycerate was much less sensitive to the presence of 3-MPA than was glucose production from aspartate, illustrating a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK)-independent pathway for the cycling of pyruvate. In aspartate-perfused kidneys, the presence of 3-MPA, at concentrations that completely blocked glucose accumulation in the perfusate, did not affect the rate of NH3 production and had only a minor effect on the rate of aspartate uptake. These data allow for an estimation of the rate of pyruvate formation from aspartate of about 1 mumol/min per kidney under conditions of complete PEPCK inhibition. Thus a PEPCK-independent pathway is operative for amino acid oxidation and pyruvate formation in perfused kidneys. The NADP-linked, but not the NAD-linked, 'malic' enzyme activity of the kidney cortex was found to be sufficient to catalyse this estimated rate of pyruvate formation.

Aminooxyacetic Acid↗
PubMed1994

Dietary gamma-linolenic acid-enriched oil reduces body fat content and induces liver enzyme activities relating to fatty acid beta-oxidation in rats.

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of dietary gamma-linolenic acid-enriched oil extracted from fungi on rat body composition and on the various enzyme activities relating to fat metabolism in the liver. The oil contained 25.3 g gamma-linolenic acid/100 g fatty acids. The levels of gamma-linolenic acid-enriched oil in the diets were 0, 1.5 and 4%, to give 0, 2.88 and 7.68 g gamma-linolenic acid/kg diet. The control diet contained 8% soybean oil. The rats were given free access to these diets for 4 wk. Body weight gain was less in the gamma-linolenic acid oil-fed groups than in the control group, although food intake was similar among the three groups. Absolute and relative carcass fat weights were significantly lower in the gamma-linolenic acid oil-fed groups than in the control group. Carcass protein and water contents were not different among the three groups, although values were slightly greater than controls in gamma-linolenic acid-fed groups when expressed relative to body weight. Plasma total cholesterol and free fatty acid concentrations generally were lower in the gamma-linolenic acid oil-fed groups than in the control group. In the liver, there were no significant differences in activities of malic enzyme and citrate cleavage enzyme among the three groups. However, the activities of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase and peroxisomal beta-oxidation were significantly higher in the gamma-linolenic acid oil-fed groups than in the control group. These results clearly demonstrate that dietary gamma-linolenic acid oil reduces body fat content and facilitates fatty acid beta-oxidation in the liver.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Effect of sodium lauryl sulphate and nickel alone and in combination on the skin of guinea pigs.

Guinea pig skin was treated with 50 mg/kg sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and nickel (Ni) alone and in combination (50 mg/kg SLS and 50 mg/kg Ni) for 7 and 14 days. Release of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, beta-glucuronidase, lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase was observed, following treatment with SLS and Ni alone or in combination. Similarly, the skin contents of amino nitrogen and sulphydryl groups also increased significantly. These alterations were slightly more marked when the skin was treated simultaneously with the combination of SLS and Ni. The present study suggests that industrial workers or populations exposed simultaneously to SLS and Ni are more prone to dermal irritation or inflammation.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1984

Effect of chronic consumption of a high-fat diet on mammary metabolism.

Rats have been fed semi-synthetic diets containing 4 and 20% (w/w) corn oil for periods of 9-12 weeks covering two lactations. The mean maternal and pup weights at day-14 of the second lactation on the diets were not significantly different. The milk fatty acids of the rats on the high-fat diet contained 39 mol% linoleic acid and only 20 mol% medium-chain acids compared with over 40% for the low-fat diet. With the exception of "malic" enzyme, none of five enzymes assayed in mammary supernatants was significantly altered by the diet fed. These results suggest that the synthesis of these enzymes in the mammary gland is insensitive to dietary lipid.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Long-term consumption of a diet with moderate medium chain triglyceride content does not inhibit the activity of enzymes involved in hepatic lipogenesis in the rat].

The activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49), malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40), ATP-citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.8), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) and fatty acid synthetase were lower (-25 to -60%) in liver of rats fed during 45 days with a moderate long-chain triglycerides (LCT) content diet (32% of metabolizable energy, ME), than in control rats fed with a low fat diet (LCT, 10% of ME). However, the fall in malic enzyme activity was not significant. In contrast, these activities were higher (+40 to +160%) in rats fed with a diet with a moderate medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) content (32% of ME), than in control rats. Nevertheless, the increase in activity of malic enzyme and ATP-citrate lyase was more important. Contrary to LCTs, MCTs had no inhibitory effect on the activity of enzymes involved in hepatic lipogenesis.

ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase↗
PubMed1977

Effect of dietary fat level on growth and lipogenesis in the colostrum deprived neonatal pig.

Thirty male neonatal pigs were obtained by cesarean section and randomly allotted from littermate groups to three diets containing 2%, 17%, and 32% fat on a dry matter basis. Butterfat was used to replace glucose in the isoenergetic liquid, semipurified diets. Each pig was placed in a sterile isolator and fed ad libitum five times daily. After 14 days, pigs were weighed, killed, and samples of liver and backfat were obtained. The carcass of each pig was ground and samples obtained for determination of total body fat and protein. An increase in the level of dietary fat resulted in a significant increase in 14 day weight gain and a tendency for improved feed efficiency. These results demonstrate not only that the neonatal pig can utilize semipurified liquid diets high in butterfat content, but also that energy from butterfat appears to be used as efficiently as energy from glucose from growth purposes. Increasing dietary fat level decreased the activity of fatty acid synthetase and citrate cleavage enzyme in adipose tissue and liver, and decreased the activity of malic enzyme in adipose tissue. The specific activities of these three enzymes were higher in adipose tissue than in liver.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Levels of mRNAs coding for lipogenic enzymes in rat lung upon fasting and refeeding and during perinatal development.

The relative amounts of mRNAs coding for fatty-acid synthase (EC 2.3.1.85), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2), ATP citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.8) and malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) were determined in lungs and livers of adult rats that were normally fed, starved for 48 h or starved for 48 h and subsequently refed for 72 h with a carbohydrate-rich, fat-free diet. In the liver, starvation caused a small decrease in the relative abundance of the mRNAs which was not statistically significant. Subsequent refeeding caused a statistically significant increase in mRNAs for all of the enzymes studied. In the lung, no significant changes were found, indicating that the regulation of the abundance of mRNAs encoding the lipogenic enzymes in the lung differs from that in the liver. In the developing rat lung, mRNA for fatty-acid synthase increased 3-fold in abundance between fetal days 18 and 20 and decreased directly after birth (at day 22 of gestation). A similar pattern was observed for ATP citrate lyase mRNA. The level of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA decreased significantly after birth. These observations indicate that in perinatal rat lungs, pretranslational regulation is involved in the control of the synthesis of these enzymes. The abundance of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA did not change in the prenatal period, a time during which the specific activity of this enzyme increases. This lack of correlation between the specific activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and the abundance of its mRNA may indicate that translational regulation of the synthesis of the enzyme or post-synthetic regulatory effects on enzyme molecules are involved in the control of this enzyme in the prenatal period. No changes in the abundance of lung malic enzyme mRNAs were observed throughout the perinatal period.

ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase↗
PubMed1966

Factors influencing the utilization of ketone bodies by mouse adipose tissue.

Factors influencing the utilization of ketone bodies by mouse adipose tissue in vitro were studied. Epididymal fat pads can oxidize DL-Beta-hydroxybutyrate-3-(14)C and acetoacetate-3-(14)C to (14)CO(2) as well as convert these compounds to fatty acid-(14)C. An increased output of (14)CO(2) from Beta-hydroxybutyrate-3-(14)C was noted in response to glucose plus insulin, succinate, oxaloacetate, L-asparate, and L-malate. Fatty acid synthesis from Beta-hydroxybutyrate was enhanced by glucose plus insulin, L-aspartate, L-malate, oxaloacetate, and citrate. Nicotinamide stimulated the oxidation of Beta-hydroxybutyrate but not of acetoacetate to CO(2), and did not affect fatty acid synthesis from either ketone body. Nicotinamide increased NAD(+) and NADP(+) levels in epididymal fat pads without affecting the concentration of NADH and NADPH. "Superlipogenesis" caused by fasting the mice for 48 hr and re-feeding them for 24 hr sharply enhanced CO(2) output and lipogenesis from Beta-hydroxybutyrate. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase, NADP-malic dehydrogenase, and citrate cleavage enzyme from mouse adipose tissue were increased during "superlipogenesis." Free fatty acid release by epididymal fat pads in vitro was slightly increased by Beta-hydroxybutyrate. The relationship of ketone body metabolism and lipogenesis in adipose tissue is discussed.

Acetoacetates↗
PubMed2001

Mitochondrial biogenesis during germination in maize embryos.

Mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism were investigated during maize (Zea mays) seed germination. Mitochondria from dry and imbibed seed exhibited NADH-dependent O(2) uptake that was completely inhibited by KCN and antimycin A. Mitochondria in the dry seed had a lower rate of succinate-dependent O(2) uptake relative to that measured in imbibed and germinated seed. The activities of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, NAD-malic enzyme, and citrate synthase, are similarly low in mitochondria from dry seed and this correlates with a lower relative abundance of the mitochondrial matrix-located citrate synthase and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E1alpha-subunit polypeptides. Electron microscopy revealed that mitochondria in the dry seed have a poorly developed internal membrane structure with few cristae; following 24 h of germination the mitochondria developed a more normal structure with more developed cristae. The mitochondria from maize embryos could be fractionated into two subpopulations by Suc density gradient centrifugation: one subpopulation of buoyant density equivalent to 22% to 28% (w/w) Suc; the other equivalent to 37% to 42% (w/w) Suc. These two subpopulations had different activities of specific mitochondrial enzymes and contained different amounts of specific mitochondrial proteins as revealed by western-blot analysis. Both subpopulations from the dry embryo were comprised of poorly developed mitochondria. However, during imbibition mitochondria in the heavy fraction (37%-42% [w/w] Suc) progressively acquired characteristics of fully functional mitochondria found in the germinated seedling in terms of structure, enzymic activity, and protein complement. In contrast, mitochondria in the light fraction (22% to 28% [w/w] Suc) show no significant structural change during imbibition and the amounts of specific mitochondrial proteins decreased significantly during germination.

Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental↗
PubMed1982

Bio-inorganic regulation of pathways of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. II. The effect of iron-deficiency on the profile of enzymes in the developing rat adrenal gland.

The effect of iron-deficiency anaemia and iron supplementation on the enzyme profile and conversion of specifically labelled glucose to 14CO2 and 14C-lipid was measured in rat adrenal glands. Enzymes involved in lipogenesis were severely depressed in iron deficiency, addition of Fe2+ to the diet resulted in increased activity of fatty acid synthetase (+75%), NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase (+466%), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (+27%) and malic enzyme (+46%). Parallel increases occurred in the flux of glucose into lipid. The effects of iron-deficiency anaemia on adrenal and thyroid function in relation to developmental processes are discussed.

Adrenal Glands↗