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PubMed1985

The pH dependence of the reductive carboxylation of pyruvate by malic enzyme.

The maximum velocity of the malic enzyme (L-malate: NADP+ oxidoreductase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.40) reductive carboxylation of pyruvate and V/KCO2 are pH-independent from pH 5.5 to pH 8.5. V/K for pyruvate exhibits pK values values of 6.50 +/- 0.25 and 7.25 +/- 0.25. These data suggest that the binding of pyruvate locks the protonation state of enzyme. In addition, the pK values are within experimental error identical for the pH dependence of V/Kmalate and V/Kpyruvate. Thus, the catalytic groups appear to have reverse protonation states in the two reaction directions. The ratio of (V/Kmalate)/(V/Kpyruvate) is 100, suggesting that the protonation state of enzyme is optimum in the malate oxidative decarboxylation direction. Thus, the group with a pK of about 6 is unprotonated and the group with a pK of 7.5 is protonated for malate decarboxylation, and the opposite is true for pyruvate reductive carboxylation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Long-term maintenance of functional rat hepatocytes in primary culture by additions of pyruvate and various hormones.

Mature adult rat hepatocytes were cultured as monolayers in serum-free Williams medium E containing 10(-7) M each of insulin (Ins), dexamethasone (Dex) and triiodothyronine (T3) and 30 mM pyruvate. The hepatocytes remained morphologically intact for at least 14 days, during which period they maintained normal liver functions such as the expressions of cytochrome P-450 mRNA and glucokinase and secretion of albumin. They also retained the ability to resume proliferation. Cells cultured with pyruvate had a much higher ATP level than those without pyruvate, suggesting that pyruvate can sustain functional hepatocytes for a long period in culture in the presence of Ins, Dex and T3, probably by producing enough energy for their maintenance.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1989

The effects of 1,3-dinitrobenzene and mono-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate on hormonally stimulated lactate and pyruvate production by rat Sertoli cell cultures.

Lactate and pyruvate production by rat Sertoli cell cultures was measured after treatment with two toxicants (1,3-dinitrobenzene, DNB; mono-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, MEHP) in the presence or absence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP). 1,3-DNB together with FSH or dbcAMP produced increases in media lactate and pyruvate concentrations significantly greater than those induced by individual treatments. MEHP in conjunction with either hormone also produced greater increases in lactate concentrations compared with separate additions. However, MEHP produced a significant diminution in the hormonal stimulation of pyruvate secretion. Thus, 1,3-DNB appears to act independently of these hormones in stimulating the secretion of both metabolic products, whereas MEHP interferes with the hormonal stimulation of pyruvate (but not lactate) production.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Eighteen-hour preservation of rat hearts with hexanol and pyruvate cardioplegia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 1-hexanol as an arresting agent and pyruvate as a substrate in a cardioplegic solution. BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is limited in part by the short preservation time of donor hearts. Better preservation techniques would improve patient survival and the time and geographic area for using donor hearts. We previously showed that a cardioplegic solution containing ethanol and pyruvate was superior to a conventional high potassium cardioplegic solution in 24-h cold storage of hamster hearts. Hexanol, a more potent arresting agent than ethanol, might be a more suitable alcohol. METHODS: Rat hearts were arrested and stored for 18 h at 4 degrees C with an ethanol (3 vol% = 510 mmol/liter) or 1-hexanol (4 mmol/liter) and pyruvate (10 mmol/liter) cardioplegic solution, St. Thomas' Hospital solution and Stanford solution and subsequently reperfused for 1 h at 35 degrees C. In other groups of hearts, basal oxygen consumption and rest intracellular calcium (Indo 1 technique) were evaluated during ethanol-, hexanol- and potassium-induced cardiac arrest. RESULTS: The percent recovery of left ventricular developed pressure and rate-pressure product were significantly better with the hexanol cardioplegic solution (67 +/- 21% and 58 +/- 19%, respectively; p < 0.05 for all comparisons) compared with the ethanol (10 +/- 7% and 5 +/- 4%), St. Thomas' Hospital (14 +/- 6% and 10 +/- 5%) and Stanford solutions (2 +/- 2% and 2 +/- 1%, respectively). Exclusion of ethanol and hexanol from storage solutions did not influence functional recovery. Values for oxygen consumption after 15- and 30-min ethanol- and hexanol-induced arrest were significantly lower than those after potassium-induced cardiac arrest. There was no difference in the rest intracellular calcium during cardiac arrest induced by the three arresting agents. CONCLUSIONS: A hexanol and pyruvate cardioplegic solution was more favorable than ethanol or conventional solutions for long-term cold storage of rat hearts. The beneficial effects of hexanol may have been provided in part by lower energy consumption during hexanol-induced cardiac arrest. These results may have implications for preservation of hearts for heart transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Primary amino acid sequence and structure of human pyruvate carboxylase.

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) (pyruvate:carbon dioxide ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.4.1.1.), a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial enzyme, catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to oxaloacetate. We have isolated and characterized cDNAs spanning the entire coding region of human PC. The sequence of human PC has an open reading frame of 3537 nucleotides which encodes for a polypeptide with a length of 1178 amino acids. The identity of the cDNA as PC is confirmed by comparison to PC cDNAs of other species and sequenced peptide fragments of mammalian PC. The M(r) of the full length precursor protein is 129,576 and that of the mature apoprotein is 127,370. RNA blot analysis from a variety of human tissues demonstrates that the highest level of PC mRNA is found in liver corresponding to this tissue's high level of PC activity. Based on homology with other biotin-containing proteins, the ATP, pyruvate, and biotin-binding sites can be identified. One of two patients with documented PC deficiency was found to be missing PC mRNA, further confirming the identity of this cDNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Development of a disposable pyruvate biosensor to determine pungency in onions (Allium cepa L.).

A disposable prototype pyruvate biosensor was constructed using pyruvate oxidase immobilised on mediated meldolas blue electrodes to determine pungency in onions (Allium cepa L.). The optimum operating potential was +150 mV (versus Ag/AgCl). A strong correlation between the biosensor response and untreated onion juice of known pyruvate concentration 2-12 micromol/g fresh weight (FW) was demonstrated. The biosensor was able to differentiate between low and high pungency onions. The detection limit using 1 unit of pyruvate oxidase was 1-2 micromol/g FW. Optimum concentrations of co-factors TPP, FAD and MgSO4 comprising the enzyme cocktail were determined as being 0.04, 0.1 and 30 mM, respectively.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed1998

Insulin stimulates pyruvate dehydrogenase and protects human ventricular cardiomyocytes from simulated ischemia.

UNLABELLED: Impaired myocardial metabolism after cardioplegic arrest results in persistent anaerobic lactate production. Insulin may protect the heart from ischemia and reperfusion by enhancing myocardial metabolic recovery. However, the stimulation of glycolysis during ischemia may be detrimental because of an accumulation of metabolic end-products. We examined the effect of insulin on quiescent human ventricular cardiomyocytes subjected to simulated cardioplegic ischemia and reperfusion. METHODS: Primary cardiomyocyte cultures were established from patients undergoing corrective repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of glucose and insulin during 30 minutes of stabilization in 10 mL of phosphate-buffered saline solution. Ischemia was simulated by exposing the cells to a low volume (1.5 mL) of deoxygenated phosphate-buffered saline solution for 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes of simulated reperfusion in 10 mL of normoxic phosphate-buffered saline solution. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion. The activity of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase was measured in 3 states: stabilization, ischemia, and reperfusion. In addition intracellular lactate, adenine nucleotides, extracellular lactate, pyruvate, and acid release were measured. RESULTS: Higher ambient glucose concentrations resulted in greater cellular injury although insulin-treated cells displayed less injury after ischemia and reperfusion. Insulin increased the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity by 31% in cardiomyocytes and reduced extracellular lactate production by 40%. Intracellular adenosine triphosphate was improved by 75% in cells exposed to high glucose concentrations in the presence of insulin. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin protected human ventricular cardiomyocytes from ischemia and reperfusion. This protection may be due to a stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity which resulted in improved aerobic metabolism.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed2001

Distinct regulatory properties of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and phosphatase isoforms.

The mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) plays central and strategic roles in the control of the use of glucose-linked substrates as sources of oxidative energy or as precursors in the biosynthesis of fatty acids. The activity of this mitochondrial complex is regulated by the continuous operation of competing pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (PDP) reactions. The resulting interconversion cycle determines the fraction of active (nonphosphorylated) pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. Tissue-specific and metabolic state-specific control is achieved by the selective expression and distinct regulatory properties of at least four PDK isozymes and two PDP isozymes. The PDK isoforms are members of a family of serine kinases that are not structurally related to cytoplasmic Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases. The catalytic subunits of the PDP isoforms are Mg2+-dependent members of the phosphatase 2C family that has binuclear metal-binding sites within the active site. The dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) and the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase-binding protein (E3BP) are multidomain proteins that form the oligomeric core of the complex. One or more of their three lipoyl domains (two in E2) selectively bind each PDK and PDP1. These adaptive interactions predominantly influence the catalytic efficiencies and effector control of these regulatory enzymes. When fatty acids are the preferred source of acetyl-CoA and NADH, feedback inactivation of PDC is accomplished by the activity of certain kinase isoforms being stimulated upon preferentially binding a lipoyl domain containing a reductively acetylated lipoyl group. PDC activity is increased in Ca2+-sensitive tissues by elevating PDP1 activity via the Ca2+-dependent binding of PDP1 to a lipoyl domain of E2. During starvation, the irrecoverable loss of glucose carbons is restricted by minimizing PDC activity due to high kinase activity that results from the overexpression of specific kinase isoforms. Overexpression of the same PDK isoforms deleteriously hinders glucose consumption in unregulated diabetes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Enzymatic evidence for an involvement of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the anaerobic glycerol metabolism of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Stoichiometric analysis of pathways involved in anaerobic bioconversion of glycerol by Klebsiella pneumoniae revealed that enzyme(s) in addition to pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL) must be involved in pyruvate decarboxylation. In this work, enzymatic evidence is presented that confirmed a simultaneous involvement of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) and excluded the presence of pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase in this anaerobic bioprocess. The in vitro PDH activity of cell extract from continuous culture was found to be strongly affected by the substrate (glycerol) concentration in medium and cell growth rate (dilution rate). It increases with increasing glycerol concentration and correlates well with the specific substrate uptake rate at different dilution rates in a kind of saturation function. At a similar substrate uptake rate, it decreases with cell growth rate. The in vitro activity of PDH is much higher than its in vivo activity calculated from the pathway stoichiometry but comparable to the calculated in vivo activity of PFL.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1989

Effect of sodium dichloroacetate on human pyruvate metabolism.

Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) was administered orally at doses of 12.5 to 50 mg/kg body weight twice or three times per day to a patient with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy associated with congenital lactic acidemia. During therapy, the rates of decarboxylation of (1-14C) pyruvate and (3-14C) pyruvate, which represent the activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex and the function of the TCA cycle, respectively, were markedly increased in the platelets and increases in the lactate levels in the blood and urine during exercise were markedly reduced. These results suggest that oral administration of DCA causes significant increases in the activities of the PDH complex and TCA cycle not only in the platelets but also in various tissues of humans, which is important as a pathway for production of energy, resulting in decreases in the lactate and pyruvate levels in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Acetates↗
PubMed2003

Determination of D- and L-alanine concentrations using a pyruvic acid sensor.

The concentrations of D- and L-alanine in bivalves are useful as indicators of environmental pollution. Amino acid oxidase with a low substrate specificity catalyzes the oxidation of various amino acids. Among the various amino acids, pyruvic acid can be generated from alanine only by the catalytic oxidative reaction of this oxidase. Therefore, in this study, the concentrations of D- and L-alanine were determined from the concentration of pyruvic acid, which was determined from the consumption of oxygen based on the oxidative reaction of pyruvate oxidase. From this point of view, there is a very strong possibility that biosensors utilizing enzymes with a low substrate specificity can be developed. The results obtained were as follows. (1) The optimum conditions for the use of pyruvic acid sensor were as follows: temperature of 25 degrees C, pH of 6.8, flow rate of 0.1 ml/min, thiamin diphosphate concentration of 1.5 mM, and injection volume of 50 microl. (2) D-Alanine and L-alanine optimally reacted with D- and L-amino acid oxidase at 30 degrees C, pH 8.2, for 30 min and at 37 degrees C, pH 7.8, for 90 min, respectively. (3) The linear relationships between the concentrations of D- and L-alanine and the output of the sensor were obtained at 3.56-106.8 microg of D-alanine and 5.34-71.3 microg of L-alanine. (4) The concentrations of D- and L-alanine in Meretrix iusoria, Patinopecten yessonsi, and Corbicula leana obtained by the proposed assay were in good agreement with those determined by a conventional method.

Alanine↗
PubMed2000

Operation of a miniature redox hydrogel-based pyruvate sensor in undiluted deoxygenated calf serum.

An amperometric sensor for the detection of pyruvate in biological fluids was formed by modifying the tip of a 0.25 mm gold wire with a layer of electrically "wired" recombinant pyruvate oxidase (POP). The sensor did not require O2 for its operation. The electroactive area of the tip of the microwire was increased by electrodeposition of platinum black. The POP was adsorbed on the platinum black and then "wired" with the cross-linked, subsequently deposited poly(4-vinylpyridine), part of the pyridine functions of which were complexed with [Os(bpy)2Cl](+/2+) and part quaternized with 2-bromoethylamine. In the resulting thin layer the POP was well "wired". When the electrode was poised at 0.4 V vs Ag/ AgCl, the sensitivity at pH 6 was 0.26 A cm(-2) M(-1) and the current increased linearly with the pyruvate concentration through the 2 x 10(-6) - 6 x 10(-4) M range. Thiamine diphosphate, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and MgCl2 were not required for the assay, but stabilized the stored enzyme electrode. Placement of a dialysis membrane (MWCO 3500) on the electrode alleviated the severe interference of ascorbate. In calf serum, the detection limit was 30 microM, suggesting that the electrode might be used in the continuous monitoring of pyruvate in hypoxic organs.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Isotope effect studies of the pyruvate-dependent histidine decarboxylase from Lactobacillus 30a.

The decarboxylation of histidine by the pyruvate-dependent histidine decarboxylase of Lactobacillus 30a shows a carbon isotope effect of k12/k13 = 1.0334 +/- 0.0005 and a nitrogen isotope effect k14/k15 = 0.9799 +/- 0.0006 at pH 4.8, 37 degrees C. The carbon isotope effect is slightly increased by deuteriation of the substrate and slightly decreased in D2O. The observed nitrogen isotope effect indicates that the imine nitrogen in the substrate-Schiff base intermediate complex is ordinarily protonated, and the pH dependence of the carbon isotope effect indicates that both protonated and unprotonated forms of this intermediate are capable of undergoing decarboxylation. As with the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzyme, Schiff base formation and decarboxylation are jointly rate-limiting, with the intermediate histidine-pyruvate Schiff base showing a decarboxylation/Schiff base hydrolysis ratio of 0.5-1.0 at pH 4.8. The decarboxylation transition state is more reactant-like for the pyruvate-dependent enzyme than for the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzyme. These studies find no particular energetic or catalytic advantage to the use of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate over covalently bound pyruvate in catalysis of the decarboxylation of histidine.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1977

Reciprocal cooperative effects of multiple ligand binding to pyruvate kinase.

The formation of multiple ligand complexes with muscle pyruvate kinase was measured in terms of dissociation constants and the standard free energies of formation were calculated. The binding of Mn2+ to the enzyme (KA = 55 +/- 5 X 10(-6) M; deltaF degrees = -5.75 +/- 0.05 kcal/mol) and to the enzyme saturated with phosphoenolpyruvate (conditional free energy) KA' = 0.8 +/- 0.4 X 10(-6) M; deltaF degrees = -8.22 +/- 0.34 kcal/mol) has been measured under identical conditions giving a free energy of coupling, delta(deltaF degrees) = -2.47 +/- 0.34 kcal/mol. Such a large negative free energy of coupling is diagnostic of a strong positively cooperative effect in ligand binding. The binding of the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate to free enzyme and the enzyme-Mn2+ complex was, by necessity, measured by different methods. The free energy of phosphoenolpyruvate binding to free enzyme (KS = 1.58 +/- 0.10 X 10(-4)M; deltaF degrees = -5.13 +/- 0.04 kcal/mol) and to the enzyme-Mn2+ complex (K3 = 0.75 +/- 0.10 X 10(-6)M; deltaF degrees = -8.26 +/- 0.07 kcal/mol) also gives a large negative free energy of coupling, delta(deltaF degrees) = -3.16 +/- 0.08 kcal/mol. Such a large negative value confirms reciprocal binding effects between the divalent cation and the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate. The binding of Mn2+ to the enzyme-ADP complex was also investigated and a free energy of coupling, delta(deltaF degrees) = -0.08 +/- 0.08 kcal/mol, was measured, indicative of little or no cooperativity in binding. The free energy of coupling with Mn2+ and pyruvate was measured as -1.52 +/- 0.14 kcal/mol, showing a significant amount of cooperativity in ligand binding but a substantially smaller effect than that observed for phosphoenolpyruvate binding. The magnitude of the coupling free energy may be related to the role of the divalent cation in the formation of the enzyme-substrate complexes. In the absence of the activating monovalent cation, the coupling free energies for phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate binding decrease by 40-60% and 25%, respectively, substantiating a role for the monovalent cation in the formation of enzyme-substrate complexes with phosphoenolpyruvate and with pyruvate.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Investigation of the role of the domain linkers in separate site catalysis by Clostridium symbiosum pyruvate phosphate dikinase.

Pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) catalyzes the reversible reaction: ATP + P(i) + pyruvate <--> AMP + PP(i) + PEP using Mg2+ and NH4+ ions as cofactors. The reaction takes place in three steps, each mediated by a carrier histidine residue located on the surface of the central domain of this three-domain enzyme: (1) E-His + ATP <--> E-His-PP.AMP, (2) E-His-PP.AMP + P(i) <--> E-His-P + AMP + PP(i), (3) E-His-P + pyruvate <--> E-His + PEP. The first two partial reactions are catalyzed at an active site located on the N-terminal domain, and the third partial reaction is catalyzed at an active site located on the C-terminal domain. For catalytic turnover, the central domain travels from one terminal domain to the other. The goal of this work is to determine whether the two connecting linkers direct the movement of the central domain between active sites during catalytic turnover. The X-ray crystal structure of the enzyme suggests interaction between the two linkers that may result in their coordinated movement. Mutations were made at the linkers for the purpose of disrupting the linker-linker interaction and, hence, synchronized linker movement. Five linker mutants were analyzed. Two of these contain 4-Ala insertions within the solvated region of the linker, and three have 3-residue deletions in this region. The efficiencies of the mutants for catalysis of the complete reaction as well as the E-His + ATP <--> E-His-PP.AMP partial reaction at the N-terminal domain and the E-His + PEP <--> E-His-P + pyruvate reaction at the C-terminal domain were measured to assess linker function. Three linker mutants are highly active catalysts at both active sites, and the fourth is highly active at one site but not the other. These results are interpreted as evidence against coordinated linker movement, and suggest instead that the linkers move independently as the central domain travels between active sites. It is hypothesized that while the linkers play a passive role in central domain-terminal domain docking, their structural design minimizes the conformational space searched in the diffusion process.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1995

Pyruvate neutralizes peritoneal dialysate cytotoxicity: maintained integrity and proliferation of cultured human mesothelial cells.

Toxic effects of commercially available peritoneal dialysate (PD) fluid include damage to mesothelial cells (MC), causing a severely disturbed proliferation of cultured MC. We investigated the injury to the cell membrane (by release of lactate dehydrogenase, LDH), the proliferation (by cell counts and by 3H-thymidine incorporation), and optional the cytokine generation (by IL-1 receptor-antagonist production, IL-1 ra) of cultured human MC during the 48 hours after a 30 minute exposure to PD containing either 35 mmol/liter sodium lactate or sodium pyruvate. All solutions had a pH of 5.2 to 5.6 and were composed as standard PD. Glucose contents of 1.36 and 3.86 mmol/liter were tested. After exposure to the lactate-PD containing 1.36% glucose, LDH activity was increased by more than 30%, proliferation of MC was inhibited by more than 30%, and IL-1 ra production was reduced significantly when compared to pyruvate-PD and the control solution. After preincubation with 3.86% glucose containing PD, all negative effects became even more pronounced in the lactate group whereas the MC maintained their integrity, rate of proliferation and IL-1 ra release after pre-exposure to pyruvate containing PD. These results suggest that the acute toxic effects of commercially available PD on the integrity, proliferation and IL-1 ra production of MC can be avoided by the use of sodium pyruvate instead of sodium lactate.

Cell Division↗
PubMed2001

Methyl pyruvate initiates membrane depolarization and insulin release by metabolic factors other than ATP.

The role of mitochondria in stimulus-secretion coupling of pancreatic beta-cells was examined using methyl pyruvate (MP). MP stimulated insulin secretion in the absence of glucose, with maximal effect at 5 mM. K+ (30 mM) alone, or in combination with diazoxide (100 microM), failed to enhance MP-induced secretion. Diazoxide (100 microM) inhibited MP-induced insulin secretion. MP depolarized the beta-cell in a concentration-dependent manner (5-20 mM). The sustained depolarization induced by 20 mM MP was not influenced by 100 microM diazoxide, but the continuous spiking activity was suppressed by 500 microM diazoxide. Pyruvate failed to initiate insulin release (5-20 mM) or to depolarize the membrane potential. ATP production in isolated beta-cell mitochondria was detected as accumulation of ATP in the medium during incubation in the presence of malate or glutamate in combination with pyruvate or MP. There was no difference in ATP production induced by pyruvate/malate or MP/malate in isolated beta-cell mitochondria. ATP production by MP/glutamate was higher than that induced by pyruvate/glutamate, but it was much lower than that induced by alpha-ketoisocaproate/glutamate. Pyruvate (5 mM) or MP (5 mM) had no effect on the ATP/ADP ratio in whole islets, whereas glucose (20 mM) significantly increased the whole islet ATP/ADP ratio. It is concluded that MP-induced beta-cell membrane depolarization or insulin release does not relate directly to mitochondrial ATP production. Instead MP may exert a direct extramitochondrial effect, or it may stimulate beta-cell mitochondria to produce coupling factors different from ATP to initiate insulin release.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1968

Regulation of rat liver pyruvate kinase. The effect of preincubation, pH, copper ions, fructose 1,6-diphosphate and dietary changes on enzyme activity.

1. Preincubation of partially purified rat liver L-type pyruvate kinase at 25 degrees for 10min. causes a marked increase in co-operativity with respect to both the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and the allosteric activator, fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. The results are consistent with the existence of two forms of liver L-type pyruvate kinase, designated forms L(A) and L(B). It is postulated that form L(A) has a low K(m) for phosphoenolpyruvate (about 0.1mm) and is not allosterically activated, whereas form L(B) is allosterically activated by fructose 1,6-diphosphate, exhibiting in the absence of the activator sigmoidal kinetics with half-maximal activity at about 1mm-phosphoenolpyruvate. In the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, form L(B) gives Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m) less than 0.1mm. It is further postulated that preincubation converts form L(A) into form L(B). 3. The influence of pH on the preincubation effect was studied. 4. The inhibition of pyruvate kinase by Cu(2+) was studied in detail. Though phosphoenolpyruvate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate readily protect the enzyme against Cu(2+) inhibition, little evidence of significant reversal of the inhibition by these compounds could be found. 5. The effects of starvation, fructose feeding and preincubation on the pyruvate kinase activity of crude homogenates of various tissues of the rat were also studied.

Animals↗