Regulation of enzymes by enzyme-catalyzed chemical modification

Regulation of photolyase in Escherichia coli K-12 during adenine deprivation

DNA photolyase, a DNA repair enzyme encoded by the phr gene of Escherichia coli, is normally regulated at 10 to 20 active molecules per cell. In purA mutants deprived of adenine, this amount increased sixfold within 2 h. Operon fusions placing lacZ under transcriptional control of phr promoters indicated no change in transcription rate during adenine deprivation, and gene fusions of phr with lacZ showed a nearly constant level of translation as well. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the total amount of photolyase protein remained constant during enzyme amplification. On the other hand, treatment of cells with chloramphenicol during the adenine deprivation prevented any increase. DNA regions lying 1.3 to 4.2 kb upstream of the phr coding sequences were necessary for this amplification to occur and for this purpose would function in trans. These results suggest that adenine deprivation leads to a posttranslational change, involving synthesis of protein encoded by sequences lying upstream of phr, which increases photolyase activity. The amplification in activity was found to be reversible, for when adenine was restored, the photolyase activity declined before cell growth resumed.

Control of Extracellular beta-1,3-glucanase activity in a basidiomycete species

The basidiomycete QM 806 excreted large amounts of beta-1,3-glucanase into the culture medium. Synthesis and excretion of the enzyme were triggered by a critically low concentration of carbon source. The extracellular beta-1,3-glucanase exhibited a remarkable stability. Addition of glucose or other carbon sources to a culture after consumption of the initial carbon source led to an inactivation of the extracellular beta-1,3-glucanase by an inactivating system, which could be separated from the cells. The inactivation of beta-1,3-glucanse was prevented by cycloheximide. This indicates the necessity of active protein synthesis for the inactivation process but does not prove that the inactivating system itself is a protein. Marked changes in the electrophoretic mobility and immunological properties of beta-1,3-glucanase indicate rather profound alterations of the enzyme protein in the course of inactivation.

Studies on L-serine deaminase in Escherichia coli K-12

l-Serine deaminase has been studied in toluene-treated cells of Escherichia coli K-12 and shown to be a discrete entity distinct from l-threonine deaminase. Its level in the cell varies as a function of nitrogen nutrition, carbon source, and amino acids (glycine and leucine). The metabolic role of the enzyme remains unclear but may be related to serine toxicity. The enzyme is unstable within the cell in the presence of its inducers, glycine and leucine, but not in their absence.

Comparative biochemical and immunological studies of bacterial glutamine synthetases

Antisera prepared against adenylylated and unadenylylated Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase cross-reacted with the glutamine synthetases from a number of gram-negative bacteria and one gram-variable species as demonstrated by immunodiffusion and inhibition of enzyme activity. In contrast, the antisera did not cross-react with the glutamine synthetases from gram-positive bacteria (with one exception) nor with the synthetases of higher organisms. Modification of the various glutamine synthetases by covalent attachment of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (or other nucleotides) was tested for by determining whether or not snake venom phosphodiesterase altered catalytic activity in a manner similar to its effect on adenylylated E. coli glutamine synthetase. Only the activity of the glutamine synthetases from gram-negative bacteria grown with specific levels of nitrogen sources could be altered by snake venom phosphodiesterase. In addition, a relative order of antigenic homology between cross-reacting enzymes was suggested based on the patterns of spur formation in the immunodiffusion assay.

Turnover of protein-bound phosphorylserine in membrane preparations from ox brain catalysed by intrinsic kinase and phosphatase activity

1. The turnover of protein-bound phosphorylserine in preparations of membrane fragments from ox brain cortex was studied. 2. Turnover was considered to arise from the action of intrinsic protein kinases and phosphatases on a membrane protein or proteins. 3. Properties of the kinase system were studied by measuring the rate of incorporation of (32)P from gamma-labelled ATP into protein-bound phosphorylserine isolated from partial acid hydrolysates of membrane proteins. 4. Properties of the phosphatase system were studied by observing the rate of loss of (32)P from membrane preparations pre-labelled with [(32)P]ATP. 5. Net phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of membrane protein was observed during incubation of membrane preparations with and without ATP. 6. The rate of turnover was about 4nmol of P/h per mg of protein at 20 degrees C; dephosphorylation was considered to be the rate-limiting step.

Inactivation of fructose-1,6-diphosphatase by glucose in yeast

Fructose-1,6-diphosphatase was derepressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by incubation in media containing non-sugar carbon sources. Addition of glucose to a derepressed culture led to a rapid loss of the measurable activity of the enzyme. Fructose and mannose also produced inactivation, but 2-deoxyglucose was ineffective. Experiments with cycloheximide indicated that the inactivation does not require protein synthesis. It was also shown that the process is not energy-dependent. The reappearance of the enzyme was dependent on an energy source and was prevented by cycloheximide. These results suggest that fructose diphosphatase inactivation is irreversible and that reappearance of enzyme activity implies de novo synthesis. Screening of different genera of yeasts has shown that the inactivation of fructose diphosphatase is a relatively widespread phenomenon.

Regulation of rat liver glutamine synthetase: activation by alpha-ketoglutarate and inhibition by glycine, alanine, and carbamyl phosphate

Rat liver glutamine synthetase (s(20,w) 15.0 S; MW about 352,000) resembles ovine brain glutamine synthetase in that it (a) has 8 subunits, (b) acts on both L- and D-glutamate and certain glutamate analogs (e.g., beta-glutamate, cis-cycloglutamate, and alpha-methyl-L-glutamate), and (c) is irreversibly inhibited by L-methionine-S-sulfoximine. The liver enzyme (but not the brain enzyme) is (a) markedly activated by alpha-ketoglutarate and less so by citrate, and (b) inhibited noncumulatively by glycine and alanine, in the presence of Mn(++) but not Mg(++); inhibition increases with increasing concentrations of glutamate. These regulatory phenomena seem to be correlated with metabolically related enzymes, e.g., glutamine transaminase. Both liver and brain glutamine synthetases are inhibited by carbamyl phosphate (with Mn(++) but not with Mg(++)), which provides a means for controlling glutamine for pyrimidine biosynthesis. Addition of Mn(++) to the Mg(++)-synthetase system, even at Mg(++): Mn(++) ratios of 1000, markedly inhibits synthesis by both brain and liver enzymes. This finding, and the fact that Mn(++) promotes sensitivity to the negative effectors, indicates that Mn(++) plays a central role in the regulation of glutamine synthetase. Properties of the glutamine synthetases that have been isolated from mammalian, plant, and bacterial cells are compared. They are similar with respect to subunit size, substrate specificity, inhibition by methionine sulfoximine, and Mn(++)-sensitive inhibition by glycine, alanine, and carbamyl phosphate, but differ in certain other regulatory phenomena and in subunit structure.

Adenosine triphosphate: glutamine synthetase adenylyltransferase of Escherichia coli: two active molecular forms

Two active forms of purified ATP:glutamine synthetase adenylyl-transferase from Escherichia coli are apparent on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8. The slower migrating component, which is identical to the P(I)-protein fraction of the glutamine synthetase deadenylylating enzyme system, has S(20.w) congruent with 5.1 S and a molecular weight of about 130,000. The more rapidly migrating adenylyltransferase component has S(20.w) congruent with 4.0 S and a molecular weight of about 70,000. During storage at 4 degrees C, the larger adenylyltransferase component (P(I)) converts to the smaller active unit with a concomitant loss of both P(I) deadenylylating activity and soluble protein. It is concluded that the low-molecular weight form of the adenylyltransferase is a subunit of the deadenylylating P(I)-protein.

Disappearance of isocitrate lyase enzyme from cells of Chlorella pyrenoidosa

1. When acetate-adapted cells of Chlorella are suspended in nitrogen-free medium and supplied with glucose, isocitrate lyase activity disappears from the cells at a rate of about 9%/h. This loss of activity is shown to be accompanied by loss of isocitrate lyase protein. 2. When isocitrate lyase activity is assayed in intact cells after freezing and thawing, the rate of loss of activity after addition of glucose approaches 20%/h. 3. It is shown, by using (35)S, that the rate of turnover of isocitrate lyase protein is somewhat lower than that of other major soluble proteins; general protein turnover during nitrogen starvation, and after glucose addition, is too slow to account for the rate of loss of isocitrate lyase protein. 4. Disappearance of isocitrate lyase activity must result from a mechanism that allows degradation of this specific protein under conditions of limiting nitrogen supply.

Reversibility of the ATP:glutamine synthetase adenylyltransferase reaction

The reversibility of adenylylation of glutamine synthetase from E. coli by adenylyltransferase was demonstrated. Several positive effectors (Gln, 2-hydroxyethyl-S-cysteine, Trp and Met) stimulate the back reaction in the same manner as the forward reaction. The apparent Michaelis constant for PP(i) is 2.2 mM at pH 7.35. The pH optimum of the back reaction is 6.5-7 while the pH optimum of the forward reaction is 7.6. The apparent equilibrium constant in the presence of 10 mM Mg(2+) at pH 7.36 is 8.5 in favor of adenylylated glutamine synthetase and PP(i). The equilibrium constant is strongly dependent from pH and from Mg(2+) concentration. There is a difference of about 0.5 to 1 kcal/mole free energy between the adenylyl-O-tyrosine bond and the pyrophosphate bond of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It follows from these considerations that the adenylyl-O-tyrosine bond is an "energy-rich phosphate bond."