Factors Affecting the Rate of Gluconeogenesis from L-Cysteine in the Perfused Rat Liver

Abstract

It has been shown that the net rate of gluconeogenesis from cysteine was only 10% the rate observed from pyruvate. This suggested that the rate limiting step in gluconeogenesis from cysteine was between cysteine and pyruvate. Evidence is presented showing that the cysteine-sulfinate pathway does not play a regulating role in the conversion of cysteine to glucose. Thus, liver cysteine desulfhydrase (CDS) activity and hydrogen sulfide production were evaluated for their potential effects. Liver CDS activity was increased by a 3 day starvation, by feeding a 90% casein diet or a 4% cysteine + 86% casein diet. In all cases the activity of the enzyme was in excess of that required to account for the rate of conversion of cysteine to glucose observed, thus the potential activity of this enzyme was not a rate limiting factor. The possible effect of H2S, an end product of the CDS reaction, on gluconeogenesis from cysteine was evaluated. The addition of NaHS abolished the glucogenic response observed from cysteine, but had very little effect on glucoeogenesis from lactate, suggesting that accumulated H2S may inhibit CDS, marking CDS rate limiting in the conversion of cysteine to pyruvate.