Oxidative decarboxylation of malate

Malic enzyme (malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.39) catalyzes reversible oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate. The enzyme uses NAD+ as an electron acceptor, but it is also able to utilize NADP+ with lower affinity (Drmota et al. 1996). With a subunit size of approximately 63 kDa, the Trichomonas hydrogenosomal malic enzyme belongs to the family of large, eukaryotic type of malic enzymes. In contrast, the approximately 40-kDa-subunit malic enzyme, located in the cytosol, belongs... 

In this pathway the electrons for the drug reduction are generated by the oxidative decarboxylation of malate catalyzed by the NAD-dependent malic enzyme (malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating)). The NADH produced by this reaction is reoxidized by an enzyme with NADH ferredoxin oxidoreductase activity that has been recently identified as a homologue of the NADH dehydrogenase (NDH) module of the mitochondrial respiratory complex I (Hrdy et al. 2004 and see Hrdy et al., this volume). The... 

One of the important mechanistic uses of isotopic substitution is that it can selectively affect different steps in a stepwise mechanism and so help resolve mechanisms and pathways. For example, in reactions where there is hydride transfer coupled to C—C bond formation, the measurement of both 13C/12C and D/H kinetic isotope effects can distinguish whether the steps are concerted or stepwise. Consider, for example, the oxidative decarboxylation of malate catalyzed by the malic enzyme, which could occur either via an intermediate mechanism (2.81) or in a concerted mechanism (2.82).59... 

Malic enzyme catalyses the NADP-dependent oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate and C02 with the production of NADP which is utilized for the synthesis of long chain saturated fatty acids from malonyl CoA. 

The answer is a. (Murray, pp 230-267. Scriver, pp 2297-2326. Sack, pp 121—138. Wilson, pp 287-320.) The sources of NADPH for synthesis of fatty acids are the pentose phosphate pathway and cytosolic malate formed during the transfer of acetyl groups to the cytosol as citrate. The enzyme citrate lyase splits citrate into acetyl CoA and oxaloacetate. The oxaloacetate is reduced to malate by NADH. NADP-linked malate enzyme catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate and carbon... 

In heterotrophic organisms, NADPH is formed in the oxidative phase of the Pentose phosphate cycle (see), and in photosynthetic organisms (except photosynthetic bacteria) in the lig t reaction of Photosynthesis (see). Another important source is the cytoplasmic oxidative decarboxylation of malate by NADP -linked malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.40). Pyruvate enters the mitochondria and undergoes... 

Malic enzyme —oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate, decarboxylation of oxalacetate to pyruvate. 

The problem of stepwise versus concerted oxidative decarboxylation of L-maleate to yield pyruvate CO2 and reduced dinucleotide catalysed by malic enzyme615 has been reinvestigated recently616. The new D and T KIE determinations, using L-malate-2D... 

All parasitic flatworms capable of anaerobic metabolism favour malate as the primary mitochondrial substrate and the oxidative decarboxylations of first malate and then pyruvate generate intramitochondrial reducing power in the form of NADH (Fig. 20.1). In contrast, the pathways used to reoxidize intramitochondrial NADH are quite diverse and depend on the stage or species of parasite under examination, but in all cases, redox balance is maintained and electron-transport associated ATP is generated by the NADH-reduction of fumarate to succinate. In the cestode, hi. diminuta, succinate and acetate are the major end products of anaerobic malate dismutation and are excreted in the predicted 2 1 ratio. In the trematode F. hepatica, succinate is then further decarboxylated to propionate with an additional substrate level phosphorylation coupled to the decarboxylation of methylmalonyl CoA. F. hepatica forms primarily propionate and acetate as end products, again in a ratio of 2 1 to maintain redox balance. 

Four pairs of hydrogen atoms leave the cycle in four oxidation reactions. Two molecules of NAD+ are reduced in the oxidative decarboxylations of isocitrate and a -ketoglutarate, one molecule of FAD is reduced in the oxidation of succinate, and one molecule of NAD+ is reduced in the oxidation of malate. 

Apart from catalyzing the (physiological) oxidative decarboxylation of lactate, LMO is also capabable of oxidizing L-malate ... 

This particular form of the system of dicarboxylic acids had to be abandoned when Krebs showed that a-ketoglutarate and citrate, in addition to succinate, fumarate, malate and oxaloacetate, also re-establish the respiration of a muscle pulp. The case of a-ketoglutaric acid, in the scheme of Szent-Gyorgyi, did not present an insurmountable difficulty since the oxidative decarboxylation of a-ketoglutarate pelds succinic acid. 

Finally, citrate can be exported from the mitochondria and then broken down by ATP-citrate lyase to yield oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA, a precursor of fatty acids (Figure 20.23). Oxaloacetate produced in this reaction is rapidly reduced to malate, which can then be processed in either of two ways it may be transported into mitochondria, where it is reoxidized to oxaloacetate, or it may be oxidatively decarboxylated to pyruvate by malic enzyme, with subse-... 

FIGURE 24.22 The malic enzyme reaction proceeds by oxidation of malate to oxaloace-tate, followed by decarboxylation to yield pyruvate. 

How many of the 14 NADPH needed to form one palmitate (Eq. 25.1) can be made in this way The answer depends on the status of malate. Every citrate entering the cytosol produces one acetyl-CoA and one malate (Figure 25.1). Every malate oxidized by malic enzyme produces one NADPH, at the expense of a decarboxylation to pyruvate. Thus, when malate is oxidized, one NADPH is produced for every acetyl-CoA. Conversion of 8 acetyl-CoA units to one palmitate would then be accompanied by production of 8 NADPH. (The other 6 NADPH required [Eq. 25.1] would be provided by the pentose phosphate pathway.) On the other hand, for every malate returned to the mitochondria, one NADPH fewer is produced. 

One of the first persons to study the oxidation of organic compounds by animal tissues was T. Thunberg, who between 1911 and 1920 discovered about 40 organic compounds that could be oxidized by animal tissues. Salts of succinate, fumarate, malate, and citrate were oxidized the fastest. Well aware of Knoop s (3 oxidation theory, Thunberg proposed a cyclic mechanism for oxidation of acetate. Two molecules of this two-carbon compound were supposed to condense (with reduction) to succinate, which was then oxidized as in the citric acid cycle to oxaloacetate. The latter was decarboxylated to pyruvate, which was oxidatively decarboxylated to acetate to complete the cycle. One of the reactions essential for this cycle could not be verified experimentally. It is left to the reader to recognize which one. 

Some enzymes contain bound NAD+ which oxidizes a substrate alcohol to facilitate a reaction step and is then regenerated. For example, the malolactic enzyme found in some lactic acid bacteria and also in Ascaris decarboxylates L-malate to lactate (Eq. 15-12). This reaction is similar to those of isocitrate dehydrogenase,110-112 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase,113 and the malic enzyme (Eq. 13-45)114 which utilize free NAD+ to first dehydrogenate the substrate to a bound oxoacid whose (3 carbonyl group facilitates decarboxylation. Likewise, the bound NAD+ of the malolactic... 

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