CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN LIVER FROM FOETAL AND NEONATAL SHEEP

1. During development of the sheep, the activities of UDP-glucose-alpha-glucan glucosyltransferase and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and the glycogen content are highest in the liver of lambs 2 weeks old and considerably lower in liver from adult sheep. 2. The activity of hexokinase and the rate of incorporation of [(14)C]-glucose into glycogen are much lower in liver from postnatal sheep than in rat liver. 3. The activities of hexose diphosphatase and glucose 6-phosphatase and the rates of incorporation of [(14)C]pyruvate and [(14)C]propionate into glycogen increase from low levels in the liver of foetal sheep to maxima a few weeks after birth. The activities in the liver of adult sheep are slightly lower. 4. The incorporation rate of [(14)C]pyruvate into glucose has been measured in liver slices from rats, sheep and chick embryos at several ages of these animals. This pathway is active in liver from foetal sheep, embryonic chicks and postnatal rats or sheep, but is absent from the liver from foetal rats. 5. Fructose metabolism, as measured by the rates of incorporation of [(14)C]fructose into glycogen and glucose in liver slices and by assays of liver ketohexokinase, is barely detectable in the liver of foetal sheep and appears soon after birth. 6. During development of the sheep, the incorporation rate of [(14)C]galactose into glycogen in liver slices is highest in foetal sheep and decreases with increasing age of the animal. 7. These findings are discussed with reference to the changing pattern of carbohydrate metabolism during neonatal development of liver in the sheep.

PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF ENZYMES INVOLVED IN THE PROPIONIC ACID FERMENTATION

Allen, S. H. G. (Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio), R. W. Kellermeyer, R. L. Stjernholm, and Harland G. Wood. Purification and properties of enzymes involved in the propionic acid fermentation. J. Bacteriol. 87:171-187. 1964.-Chromatographic procedures are described for the separation and purification of phosphotransacetylase, acetyl kinase, malic dehydrogenase and coenzyme A (CoA) transferase. Purity of the enzymes was judged by homogeneity in an ultracentrifuge and by specific activity. Phosphotransacetylase was obtained 85% pure with a specific activity of 27.1. The preparation of acetyl kinase was a homogeneous protein with a specific activity of 531. The malic dehydrogenase likewise was homogeneous with a specific activity of 938. The CoA transferase, which was about 56% pure with a specific activity of 42.6, is the purest preparation of this enzyme yet described. The pH optimum was 6.5 to 7.8, and the K(m) for succinyl-CoA in the transfer of CoA to acetate was found to be 1.3 x 10(-4)m; for acetate, in the same transfer, the K(m) was 7.0 x 10(-3)m; for succinyl-CoA to propionate it was 6.8 x 10(-5)m, and for propionate, in the same reaction, 6.2 x 10(-4)m. Methods are described for the enzymatic production of methyl-malonyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, propionyl-CoA, acetyl-CoA, and succinyl-CoA. The role of these enzymes in the propionic acid fermentation as well as the possible mechanism responsible for the high yields of adenosine triphosphate from glucose are considered.

THE MICROBIAL METABOLISM OF CINNAMIC ACID

A strain of Pseudomanas isolated from soil with cinnamic acid as a sole carbon source was found to be simultaneously adapted to the utilization of cinnamic acid and phenylpropionic acid. During growth on either of these compounds, o-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid were produced in the culture medium. The organism, when grown on either cinnamic acid or phenylpropionic acid, was adapted to the utilization of m-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid, but not to the utilization of o-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid. According to the principle of sequential induction introduced by Stanier, the initial steps in the metabolism of cinnamic acid appear to involve the intermediates phenylpropionic acid, m-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid, and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid.

CONVERSION OF GLUCOSE-C14 TO PROPIONATE BY THE RUMEN MICROBIOTA

Baldwin, R. L. (Michigan State University, East Lansing), W. A. Wood, and R. S. Emery. Conversion of glucose-C(14) to propionate by the rumen microbiota. J. Bacteriol 85:1346-1349. 1963.-Rumen microbiota enriched on three different diets calculated to present different levels of available carbohydrate were incubated with glucose-1-C(14), glucose-2-C(14), and glucose-6-C(14) to determine the contribution of the randomizing (succinate) and nonrandomizing (acrylate) routes to propionate. The propionate was labeled as though 70 to 100% was formed via the randomizing route and 0 to 30% via the nonrandomizing route. The contribution of the acrylate pathway increased with higher carbohydrate availability of the diet. These results are discussed with respect to earlier data using lactate-2-C(14) and lactate-3-C(14), and a unifying concept for both sets of data is presented.

METABOLISM OF PROPIONATE BY SHEEP LIVER. OXIDATION OF PROPIONATE BY HOMOGENATES

1. The rate and stability to aging of the metabolism of propionate by sheep-liver slices and sucrose homogenates were examined. Aging for up to 20min. at 37 degrees in the absence of added substrate had little effect with slices, whole homogenates or homogenates without the nuclear fraction. 2. Metabolism of propionate by sucrose homogenates was confined to the mitochondrial fraction, but the mitochondrial supernatant (microsomes plus cell sap) stimulated propionate removal. 3. The rate of propionate metabolism by liver slices was higher in a high potassium phosphate-bicarbonate medium [0.88(+/-s.e.m. 0.16)mumole/mg. of N/hr.] than in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium [0.44(+/-s.e.m. 0.13)mumole/mg. of N/hr.]. 4. Metabolism of propionate by sucrose homogenates freed from nuclei was dependent on the presence of oxygen, carbon dioxide and ATP. Propionate removal was stimulated 250% by Mg(2+) ions and 670% by cytochrome c. 5. In the complete medium 2.39(+/-s.e.m. 0.15)mumoles of propionate were consumed/mg. of N/hr. 6. The ratio of oxygen consumption to propionate utilization was sufficient to account for the complete oxidation of half the propionate consumed. 7. The only products detected under these conditions were succinate, fumarate and malate. Propionate had no effect on the production of lactate from endogenous sources and did not itself give rise to lactate. 8. Methylmalonate did not accumulate when propionate was metabolized and was not oxidized. It was detected as an intermediate in the conversion of propionyl-CoA into succinate. The rate of this reaction sequence was adequate to account for the rate of propionate metabolism by sucrose homogenates or slices, provided that the rate of formation of propionyl-CoA was not limiting. 9. The methylmalonate pathway was predominantly a mitochondrial function. 10. The metabolism of propionate appeared to be dependent on active oxidative phosphorylation.

MICROBIAL GROWTH ON C1 COMPOUNDS. SYNTHESIS OF CELL CONSTITUENTS BY METHANE- AND METHANOL-GROWN PSEUDOMONAS METHANICA

1. A study has been made of the incorporation of carbon from [(14)C]methane, [(14)C]methanol and [(14)C]bicarbonate by cultures of Pseudomonas methanica growing on methane, and [(14)C]methanol by cultures of the same organism growing on methanol. 2. The distribution of radioactivity within the non-volatile constituents of the ethanol-soluble fractions of the cells, after incubation with labelled compound for periods up to 3min., has been analysed by chromatography and radioautography. 3. Over 90% of the radioactivity fixed from [(14)C]methane or [(14)C]methanol at the earliest times of sampling appeared in phosphorylated compounds. Glucose phosphate and fructose phosphate together constituted the largest part of the radioactive phosphates (70-90%); phosphoglycerate was a relatively minor component (2-17%). Other compounds becoming labelled during the incubation included glycine, serine, glutamate, aspartate, malate, citrate and alanine. 4. The first stable products of [(14)C]bicarbonate fixation were malate and aspartate (containing between them over 90% of the total radioactivity fixed at the earliest times of sampling). 5. The percentage of the total radioactivity fixed that was contained in each of the radioactive compounds has been plotted against time. The slopes of the curves obtained show that hexose phosphates are primary stable products of [(14)C]methane and [(14)C]methanol incorporation and that aspartate and malate are primary stable products of [(14)C]bicarbonate incorporation. 6. No carboxydismutase activity has been found in cell-free extracts of the organism. This fact, together with the other findings, shows that an autotrophic metabolism involving the ribulose diphosphate cycle of carbon dioxide fixation cannot be operating.