Km For MgATP Research Articles

28] Glutamine synthetase from muscle

The assay for glutamine synthetase activity in muscle measures the rate of synthesis of radioactive glutamine from radioactive glutamate. In muscle, glutamine synthetase plays a biosynthetic role in maintaining the availability of glutamine as a source of nitrogen and as a respiratory or gluconeogenic substrate when dietary sources of nitrogen or carbon are limited. The sensitivity of the muscle enzymes to inhibition by ADP is probably of physiological significance in the in vivo regulation of glutamine metabolism. These enzymes have a significantly lower apparent Km for MgATP than do the enzymes from brain, liver, and spleen, which are less sensitive to inhibition by ADP. This suggests that an important mechanism of control of glutamine synthesis in muscle may be by the adenylate energy charge or by the ATP/ADP ratio in the cell.

Effects of human erythrocyte guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein on parathyroid hormone-responsive adenylate cyclase from canine renal cortex.

We studied the effects of the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (Gs) from human erythrocytes on PTH-responsive adenylate cyclase from partially purified membranes of canine renal cortex (CRC). Extracts of erythrocyte membranes, containing soluble Gs, was obtained by treatment with a detergent (Lubrol PX). Gs did not stimulate adenylate cyclase activity by itself, but amplified the response of adenylate cyclase in CRC membranes to both synthetic bovine PTH-(1-34) [bPTH-(1-34)] and to the hydrolysis-resistant GTP analog 5'-guanylimido-diphosphate [Gpp(NH)p]. Gs increased PTH stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in both the presence and absence of Gpp(NH)p. In the absence of Gpp(NH)p, the potentiating effect of Gs occurred only when the concentration of bPTH-(1-34) was greater than 10 ng/ml. bPTH-(1-34), Gpp(NH)p, and Gs each enhanced the catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase when added separately or in combination by increasing the apparent maximum velocity (Vmax) of the enzyme without altering the apparent Km for MgATP. The effect of Gs on CRC membrane adenylate cyclase activity in the presence of NaF (10 mM) and forskolin (100 microM) was also examined. NaF- and forskolin-stimulated enzyme activities were significantly increased by Gs in both the presence and absence of Gpp(NH)p (100 microM). Analysis of double reciprocal plots of substrate concentration and enzyme activity revealed that NaF and forskolin increased the Vmax of the catalytic activity and did not alter the apparent Km of the enzyme for MgATP. These data support the role of Gs as a regulator of the response of adenylate cyclase to hormones, guanyl nucleotides, NaF, and forskolin. Our studies address the relative functional stoichiometry between Gs and catalytic unit present in CRC membranes and suggest that the CRC adenylate cyclase system must contain insufficient Gs to couple with all available catalytic units. These results are consistent with the possibility that deficiency of Gs impairs hormonal stimulation by diminishing the apparent Vmax of the catalytic unit and does not alter the apparent affinity of the enzyme for MgATP.

Pyrimidine de novo Synthesis during the Life Cycle of the Intraerythrocytic Stage of Plasmodium falciparum

The 6 enzymes involved in de novo synthesis of pyrimidines were measured in Plasmodium falciparum isolated by saponin lysis from RBC's nonsynchronized and synchronized in vitro cultures. The total activities were found to be dependent on the stage of the P. falciparum cycle. In parasites isolated from synchronized cultures, the highest activities for all enzymes were found at about 27 hr after synchronization in the late trophozoite stage, or just before schizont formation. Merozoites and ring forms contained little de novo activity. The first enzyme of the pathway, carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS-II) preferentially utilized glutamine. Ammonia was a poor substrate. CPS-II was unstable in the absence of the cryoprotectants, dimethylsulfoxide and glycerol. The apparent Km for MgATP--was 3.8 +/- 0.7 mM and the enzyme in all morphological forms of P. falciparum (ring, mature trophozoites and schizonts) was inhibited by UTP. The activity of the fourth enzyme of the pathway, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, appeared to be linked to the cell's respiratory chain; inhibitors of mammalian electron transport such as cyanide, amytal, antimycin A, thenoyltrifluoroacetone and ubiquinone analogs also inhibited the P. falciparum enzyme. The demonstration of the variation of activity of the pyrimidine enzymes correlates with the increased synthesis of nucleic acids in the late trophozoite stage. These observations provide a basis for the testing of the effectiveness of pyrimidine analogs as potential antimetabolites against various forms of the parasite.

Properties of rat heart adenosine kinase.

Adenosine kinase was purified 870-fold from rat heart by a combination of gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The preparation was free of purine-metabolizing enzymes that could interfere in the assay of the kinase. A study of the properties of the purified enzyme showed that it is activated by Na+ and K+, it possesses a broad pH optimum between 6 and 8, MgATP is the nucleotide substrate, free Mg2+ is an inhibitor with respect to both MgATP and adenosine, and the enzyme is subject to substrate inhibition by adenosine. The severity of this inhibition increases as the concentration of free Mg2+ increase. The Km for MgATP was calculated to be 0.8 mM and that for adenosine, at likely physiological concentrations of MgATP and free MgCl2, was about 0.2 microM. In vivo the enzyme is likely to be saturated with both MgATP and adenosine. Indeed, the adenosine concentration in rat heart in vivo is probably sufficient to cause substrate inhibition, and this would be increased by an increase in free Mg2+ concentration. Changes in the concentrations of adenosine and free Mg2+ may play a role in modifying the activity of the enzyme in vivo.

5,10-Methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase. Purification and properties of the enzyme from rabbit liver.

The enzyme 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase has been purified to homogeneity from rabbit liver. The substrates are MgATP and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate. The enzyme will accept as substrates a variety of divalent metal ions and trinucleotides. The products of the reaction are 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate, ADP, and inorganic phosphate. The enzyme is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of about 28,000. The stability of the enzyme is unusually sensitive to pH and ionic strength. Initial velocity studies suggest that the enzyme catalyzes a sequential mechanism. The turnover number of the enzyme is 300/min at 30 degrees C. The Km values for MgATP and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate are 0.3 mM and 0.5 microM, respectively. Product and dead-end inhibition studies indicate that substrates bind to the enzyme by a random mechanism. Vmax and the Km for MgATP are essentially constant over the pH range of 5.0-7.5. The results suggest that the enzyme catalyzes a reaction which serves as a salvage pathway to generate metabolically active one-carbon units from 5-formyltetrahydrofolate.

Characterization of initial autophosphorylation events in rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase.

Initial autophosphorylation of nonactivated rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase at pH 8.0 caused an increase in enzymatic activity that closely paralleled phosphorylation of the beta subunit. Peptide maps revealed that the first phosphate incorporated into the beta subunit during autophosphorylation was on the same tryptic peptide previously isolated from phosphorylase kinase that had been phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (Cohen P., Watson, D.C., and Dixon, G.H. (1975) Eur. J. Biochem. 51, 79-92). When preincubated with phosphorylase kinase for one min, Ca2+ and Mg2+ synergistically stimulated subsequent autophosphorylation at pH 6.8. After this treatment phosphorylation of both the alpha and beta subunits became linear, and the first site phosphorylated on the beta subunit at pH 6.8 corresponded to the first site phosphorylated at pH 8.0. Removal of the lag as a consequence of the synergistic action of the metal ions allowed determination of a Km for MgATP of approximately 20 microM during initial autophosphorylation at either pH 6.8 or 8.2. With phosphorylase b as the substrate the Km values for MgATP under identical conditions were determined to be approximately 30 and 60 microM at pH 6.8 and 8.2, respectively. Initial rates of autophosphorylation over a 30-fold range of phosphorylase kinase concentrations suggest that incorporation of the first 1 to 2 mol of phosphate per alpha beta gamma delta tetramer occurs through an intramolecular mechanism.

Modified plasma-membrane ATPase in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Mutations affecting the plasma membrane ATPase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were obtained by selecting mutants resistant to Dio-9. In a plasma-membrane-enriched fraction of the mutant MG2130, the ATPase activity was resistant to vanadate (50% inhibition by 26 microM in the mutant compared to 1.3 microM in the parental strain). Several catalytic properties of the membrane-bound ATPase were modified by 60-120% in the mutant which had a higher Km for MgATP and was more heatstable, less sensitive to mercurials, and more stimulated by monovalent cations than the parental type. A single mutation is responsible for the phenotypes of four independent allelic mutants. Resistance to Dio-9 in vivo and resistance to vanadate in vitro segregated together in three tetrads issued from a cross between the wild type and mutant. The mutation is semi-dominant as shown by expression of the mutant phenotype in a heterozygous diploid resulting from the cross between the wild type and mutant. It is concluded that the pma locus, affected by these mutations, is the structural gene either for the 100000-Mr subunit of plasma membrane ATPase or for a protein which tightly controls the conformation of the plasma-membrane ATPase within the membrane.

Cytoplasmic dynein of the sea urchin egg. II. Purification, characterization and interactions with microtubules and Ca-calmodulin.

Purification of cytoplasmic dynein from unfertilized sea urchin eggs was performed in the presence of protease inhibitors to avoid proteolysis throughout the purification procedure, which comprised several chromatographies, including a calmodulin-Sepharose 4B affinity column chromatography. This is the first report of the purification of cytoplasmic dynein to near homogeneity. The purified fraction was composed of a single high molecular weight polypeptide and some minor low molecular weight polypeptides. The high molecular weight polypeptide comigrated with flagellar dynein A beta chain from sperm on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. There was no polypeptide stainable with periodic acid-Schiff reagent (PAS) in the purified cytoplasmic dynein fraction. Cytoplasmic dynein showed characteristics quite similar to those of axonemal dynein, i.e. high substrate specificity for ATP and inhibition by low concentrations of vanadate, though its Ca-ATPase activity showed almost the same dependence on the concentration of either divalent cations or KC1 as the Mg-ATPase activity. The purified enzyme seemed to possess functional form as judged from its properties: 1) pH dependence of the ATPase activity, 2) dependence of the ATPase activity on MgCl2 and KCl concentration, 3) Km for Mg-ATP, and 4) binding to flagellar doublet microtubules. Cytoplasmic dynein bound to calmodulin-Sepharose 4B only in the presence of Ca2+, and was eluted with EGTA. Furthermore, the ATPase activity was enhanced 6-fold by calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The activation by calmodulin was prevented by a stoichiometric amount of trifluoperazine.

Regulatory properties and behavior of activity of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II (glutamine-hydrolyzing) in normal and proliferating tissues.

In rat livers and hepatomas, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (glutamine-hydrolyzing) (EC 6.3.5.5) (synthetase II), the rate-limiting enzyme of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, was separated from carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia) (EC 6.3.4.16) (synthetase I) ammonium sulfate and hydroxylapatite fractionations and gel filtration on Sephadex G-25. Both liver and hepatoma 3924A synthetase II activities were subject to feedback inhibition by UTP and to stimulation by 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate. UTP (0.5 mM) enhanced the apparent Km for MgATP from 2.3 to 7.6 mM, whereas 0.1 mM 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate reduced it to 0.5 mM. At 2 mM MgATP, 3 or 7 microM 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate yielded half-maximal activation (Ka) in the absence or presence of 0.5 mM UTP; UTP altered the stimulation kinetics from hyperbolic to sigmoidal. In the rat, synthetase II activities were highest in thymus, testis and spleen. In differentiating and regenerating rat livers, activities were 2.2- and 1.5-fold higher than in adult livers. In 17 hepatomas of different growth rates, synthetase II activity increased 1.3- to 9.5-fold over liver values; the rise correlated positively with tumor growth rates. Synthetase II activities also increased in a kidney tumor (5.0-fold) and in a sarcoma (18.1-fold) in the rat and in a human colon tumor (3.3-fold).

Characterization of NaK-ATPase from vascular smooth muscle

1. 1. NaK-ATPase activity can be demonstrated in a membrane fraction of bovine renal arteries. 2. 2. The temperature and pH optima were 44° and 7.0, respectively. 3. 3. The concentrations of monovalent cations required for maximal activity were 100 mM for Na + and 10 mM for K +. 4. 4. A Mg/ATP ratio of 2 gave greater activity than a ratio of 1; the Km for Mg ATP was 1.67 × 10 −3 M. 5. 5. The I 50 for ouabain inhibition was 5 × 10 −7 M and for inhibition by calcium was 0.3 mM. 6. 6. An ouabain insensitive Na + dependent ATPase was also present in the preparation; no K + dependent ATPase activity could be demonstrated. 7. 7. These ATPase activites could also be demonstrated in bovine coronary and canine mesenteric arteries in similar proportions.

Conformational changes of soluble mitochondrial ATPase as controlled by hydrophobic interactions within the enzyme

At 30° C soluble mitochondrial ATPase from baker's yeast shows non-linear kinetics with respect to Mg-ATP; the apparent Km values for Mg-ATP are 0.6 and 2.0 mM. At lower temperatures, 5° C and 12° C, the kinetics of the enzyme are linear with a Km for Mg-ATP of approximately 0.6 mM. Octylguanidine induces non-linear kinetics at 12° C. As octylguanidine and increases in temperature augment hydrophobic interactions within the enzyme, it is concluded that the strength of hydrophobic bonding within the protein regulates its conformational changes. Methanol activates the enzyme only at relatively high temperature which further indicates that the protein may exist in two active conformations.

The dnaB gene product of Escherichia coli. II. Single stranded DNA-dependent ribonucleoside triphosphatase activity.

The single-stranded DNA-dependent ribonucleoside triphosphatase activity of the Escherichia coli dnaB gene product was characterized. Purine ribonucleoside triphosphates were the preferred substrates, but all ribonucleoside triphosphates were cleaved at the gamma position to yield ribonucleoside diphosphates and Pi. The enzyme required Mg2+, which could be replaced by Mn2+ but with lower activity. The pH optimum was 7.5 in either Tris-HCl or phosphate buffer. The Km for MgATP was 0.59 mM and the Vmax was 8.7 nmol/min/microgram of protein at 30 degrees. The DNA requirement was best satisfied with either fd or phiX174 single-stranded DNA (Km 0.033 mM nucleotides); maximal rate of nucleoside diphosphate formation occurred with 1 dnaB molecule/fd or phiX174 single-stranded DNA molecule. The dnaB gene product was found to have hysteretic properties and the hysteresis appeared to be due to a dissociation and reassociation of the enzyme.

Kinetic properties of a magnesium ion- and calcium ion-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase from the outer-membrane fraction of rat spleen mitochondria.

1. Isolated outer membranes from rat spleen mitochondria can be stored in liquid N(2) for several weeks without significant loss of ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) activity. 2. The ATPase reaction has a broad pH optimum centering on neutral pH, with little significant activity above pH9.0 or below pH5.5. 3. A sigmoidal response of the ATPase activity to temperature is observed between 0 and 55 degrees C, with complete inactivation at 60 degrees C. The Arrhenius plot shows that the activation energy above the transition temperature (22 degrees C) (E(a)=144kJ/mol) is one-third of that calculated for below the transition temperature (E'(a)=408kJ/mol). 4. The outer-membrane ATPase (K(m) for MgATP=50mum) is inactive unless Mg(2+) is added, whereas the inner-membrane ATPase (K(m) for ATP=11mum) is active without added Mg(2+) unless the mitochondria have been depleted of all endogenous Mg(2+) (by using ionophore A23187). 5. The substrate for the outer-membrane ATPase is a bivalent metal ion-nucleoside triphosphate complex in which Mg(2+) (K(m)=50mum) can be replaced effectively by Ca(2+) (K(m)=6.7mum) or Mn(2+), and ATP by ITP. Cu(2+), Co(2+), Sr(2+), Ba(2+), Ni(2+), Cd(2+) and Zn(2+) support very little ATP hydrolysis. 6. Univalent metal ions (Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+) and NH(4) (+), but not Li(+)) stimulate the MgATPase activity (<10%) at low concentrations (50mm), but, except for K(+), are slightly inhibitory (20-30%) at higher concentrations (500mm). 7. The Mg(2+)-stimulated ATPase activity is significantly inhibited by Cu(2+) (K(i)=90mum), Ni(2+) (K(i)=510mum), Zn(2+) (K(i)=680mum) and Co(2+) (K(i)=1020mum), but not by Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+) or Sr(2+). 8. The outer-membrane ATPase is insensitive to the inhibitors oligomycin, NN'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, NaN(3), ouabain and thiol-specific reagents. A significant inhibition is observed at high concentrations of AgNO(3) (0.5mm) and NaF (10mm). 9. The activity towards MgATP is competitively inhibited by the product MgADP (K(i)=0.7mm) but not by the second product P(i) or by 5'-AMP.

The stimulating action of K + on the hydrolytic activity of soluble mitochondrial ATPase

Potassium ions stimulate the hydrolytic activity of the soluble oligomycin-insensitive ATPase activity of bovine heart mitochondria. The stimulatory action of K+ only occurs in the presence of an ATP generating system or in conditions in which the level of ADP is extremely low. A Lineweaver-Burk plot of ATPase activity measured at various concentrations of Mg-ATP shows that K+ increases the Vmax and that it does not modify the Km for Mg-ATP. ATPase activity is not modified by Li+ and Na+, but Cs+ induces a small stimulating action.

Glutamine Synthetase of Pea Leaves

Purified glutamine synthetase from pea seedlings was most active with Mg(2+) as the metal activator, but Mn(2+) and Co(2+) were 45 to 60% and 30 to 45% as effective, respectively, when assayed at the optimal pH for each cation. The Mg(2+) saturation curve was quite sigmoid, and evidence indicates that MgATP is the active ATP substance. Co(2+) also gave a sigmoidal saturation curve, but when Mn(2+) was varied only slightly sigmoidal kinetics were seen. Addition of Mn(2+), Ca(2+), or Zn(2+) at low concentrations sharply inhibited the Mg(2+) -dependent activity, partially by shifting the pH optimum. Addition of Co(2+) did not inhibit Mg(2+)-dependent activity. The nucleotide triphosphate specificity changed markedly when Co(2+) or Mn(2+) replaced Mg(2+). Using the Mg(2+)-dependent assay, the Michaelis constant (Km) for NH(4) (+) was about 1.9 x 10(-3) M. The Km for l-glutamate was directly proportional to ATP concentration and ranged from 3.5 to 12.4 mm with the ATP levels tested. The Km for MgATP also varied with the l-glutamate concentration, ranging from 0.14 mm to 0.65 mm. Ethylenediaminetetracetic acid activated the enzyme by up to 54%, while sulfhydryl reagents gave slight activation, occasionally up to 34%.

Dissociation by elastase digestion of enzyme complex catalyzing the initial steps of pyrimidine biosynthesis in rat liver

Glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase of rat liver, purified about 2,100-fold, existed as a complex with aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase, the second and third enzymes of pyrimidine biosynthesis, with a sedimentation coefficient of 27 S. Treatment of this complex with pancreatic elastase caused a selective inactivation of the transcarbamylase with concomitant dissociation of the complex. The dissociated synthetase was as sensitive to allosteric effectors as the enzyme within the complex, but had a 5 times higher apparent Km for MgATP 2−. This change appears to be intimately related to the release of the enzyme from the complex.