Pyruvate kinases

Early studies of the stimulatory effects of glucagon on hepatic gluconeogenesis using different gluconeogenic substrates and measuring the changes in the concentrations of intermediary metabolites identified the substrate cycles between pyruvate and P-enolpyruvate and between fructose-1,6-P2 and fructose-6-P as major sites of 

There is now abundant evidence that the activity of pyruvate kinase is inhibited by glucagon in intact liver preparations [58,108] (Fig. 6), leading to reduced flux of 

The regulation of the fructose-1,6-P2/fructose-6-P cycle by glucagon occurs indirectly through a decrease in fructose-2,6-P2 [112] (Fig. 7), which activates 6-phos- 

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Pyruvate kinase isoenzymes (from Salmonella typhimurium) [9001-59-6] Mr 64,000, [EC 2.7.1.40], amorphous. Purified by (NH4)2S04 fractionation and gel filtration, ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. [Garcia-Olalla and Garrido-Pertierra Sioc/iem 7 241573 1987.]... 

Figure 4.5 The polypeptide chain of the enzyme pyruvate kinase folds into several domains, one of which is an a/p barrel (red). One of the loop regions in this barrel domain is extended and comprises about 100 amino acid residues that fold into a separate domain (blue) built up from antiparallel P strands. The C-terminal region of about 140 residues forms a third domain (green), which is an open twisted a/p structure.

Pyruvate kinase contains several domains, one of which is an a/f barrel... 

For example, each subunit of the dimeric glycolytic enzyme triosephos-phate isomerase (see Figure 4.1a) consists of one such barrel domain. The polypeptide chain has 248 residues in which the first p strand of the barrel starts at residue 6 and the last a helix of the barrel ends at residue 246. In contrast, the subunit of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase (Figure 4.5), which was solved at 2.6 A resolution in the laboratory of Ffilary Muirhead, Bristol University, UK, is folded into four different domains. The polypeptide chain of this cat muscle enzyme has 530 residues. In Figure 4.5, residues 1-42... 

FIGURE 3.13 Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is produced by the euolase reaction (hi glycolysis see Chapter 19) and hi turn drives the phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP in the pyruvate kinase reaction. 

Another important parallel /3-array is the eight-stranded parallel j8-barrel, exemplified in the structures of triose phosphate isomerase and pyruvate kinase (Figure 6.30). Each /3-strand in the barrel is flanked by an antiparallel a-helix. The a-helices thus form a larger cylinder of parallel helices concentric with the /3-barrel. Both cylinders thus formed have a right-handed twist. Another parallel /3-structure consists of an internal twisted wall of parallel or mixed /3-sheet protected on both sides by helices or other substructures. This structure is called the doubly wound parallel j8-sbeet because the structure can be... 

FIGURE 6.30 Parallel /3-array proteins—the eight-stranded /3-barrels of triose phosphate iso-merase (a, side view, and b, top view) and (c) pyruvate kinase. (Jane Richardson)... 

Mn-+ K+ Ni " Arginase Pyruvate kinase (also requires Mg ) U rease Tetrahydrofolate (THF) Other one-carbon groups Thymidylate synthase... 

The second ATP-synthesizing reaction of glycolysis is catalyzed by pyruvate kinase, which brings the pathway at last to its pyruvate branch point. Pyruvate kinase mediates the transfer of a phosphoryl group from phosphoenolpyru-vate to ADP to make ATP and pyruvate (Figure 19.27). The reaction requires... 

Pyruvate kinase possesses allosteric sites for numerous effectors. It is activated by AMP and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and inhibited by ATP, acetyl-CoA, and alanine. (Note that alanine is the a-amino acid counterpart of the a-keto acid, pyruvate.) Furthermore, liver pyruvate kinase is regulated by covalent modification. Flormones such as glucagon activate a cAMP-dependent protein kinase, which transfers a phosphoryl group from ATP to the enzyme. The phos-phorylated form of pyruvate kinase is more strongly inhibited by ATP and alanine and has a higher for PEP, so that, in the presence of physiological levels of PEP, the enzyme is inactive. Then PEP is used as a substrate for glucose synthesis in the pathway (to be described in Chapter 23), instead... 

FIGURE 19.29 A mechanism for the pyruvate kinase reaction, based on NMR and EPR studies by Albert Mildvan and colleagues. Phosphoryl transfer from phosphoenolpyrnvate (PEP) to ADP occurs in four steps (a) a water on the Mg ion coordinated to ADP is replaced by the phosphoryl group of PEP (b) Mg dissociates from the -P of ADP (c) the phosphoryl group is transferred and (d) the enolate of pyruvate is protonated. (Adapted from Mildvan, A., 1979. Advances in Eiizymology 49 103-126.)... 

Acetyl-CoA is a potent allosteric effector of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. It allosterically inhibits pyruvate kinase (as noted in Chapter 19) and activates pyruvate carboxylase. Because it also allosterically inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase (the enzymatic link between glycolysis and the TCA cycle), the cellular fate of pyruvate is strongly dependent on acetyl-CoA levels. A rise in... 

Transfer of the phosphoryl group to ADP in step 10 then generates ATP and gives enolpyruvate, which undergoes tautomerization to pyruvate. The reaction is catalyzed by pyruvate kinase and requires that a molecule of fructose 1,6-bis-phosphate also be present, as well as 2 equivalents of Mg2+. One Mg2+ ion coordinates to ADP, and the other increases the acidity of a water molecule necessary for protonation of the enolate ion. 

Figure 5.3 Major control points of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. Enzymes I, hexokinase II, phosphofructokinase III, pyruvate kinase IV, pyruvate dehydrogenase V, citrate synthase VI, aconitase VII, isocitrate dehydrogenase VIII, a-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase.

Let us consider Figure 5.3 again. Both pyruvate kinase and dtrate synthase (enzymes III and V) are inhibited by elevated ATP concentrations. During citric acid production ATP concentrations are likely to arise (ATP produced in glycolysis) and either of these enzymes could, if inhibited, slow down the process. In fact all of the evidence suggests that both enzymes are modified or controlled in some way such that they are insensitive to other cellular metabolites during citric add production. 

Decrease of cAMP, the second messenger of glucagon. Induction of pyruvate kinase and glycerinaldehyde dehydrogenase... 

Glycolysis A net formation of two results from the formation of lactate from one molecule of glucose, generated in two reactions catalyzed by phospho-glycerate kinase and pyruvate kinase, respectively (Figure 17-2). 

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