Expression and enzymatic characterization of human glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) variants accounting for GPI deficiency

Glucose 6-Phosphate Accumulates via Phosphoglucose Isomerase Inhibition in Heart Muscle

RATIONALE

Metabolic and structural remodeling is a hallmark of heart failure. This remodeling involves activation of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway, but little is known on how intermediary metabolites are integrated as metabolic signals.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the metabolic control of cardiac glycolysis and explored the potential of glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) to regulate glycolytic flux and mTOR activation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed a kinetic model of cardiomyocyte carbohydrate metabolism, CardioGlyco, to study the metabolic control of myocardial glycolysis and G6P levels. Metabolic control analysis revealed that G6P concentration is dependent on phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) activity. Next, we integrated ex vivo tracer studies with mathematical simulations to test how changes in glucose supply and glycolytic flux affect mTOR activation. Nutrient deprivation promoted a tight coupling between glucose uptake and oxidation, G6P reduction, and increased protein-protein interaction between hexokinase II and mTOR. We validated the in silico modeling in cultured adult mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes by modulating PGI activity using erythrose 4-phosphate. Inhibition of glycolytic flux at the level of PGI caused G6P accumulation, which correlated with increased mTOR activation. Using click chemistry, we labeled newly synthesized proteins and confirmed that inhibition of PGI increases protein synthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The reduction of PGI activity directly affects myocyte growth by regulating mTOR activation.

Ornithine-δ-Aminotransferase Inhibits Neurogenesis During Xenopus Embryonic Development

PURPOSE

In humans, deficiency of ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) results in progressive degeneration of the neural retina (gyrate atrophy) with blindness in the fourth decade. In this study, we used the Xenopus embryonic developmental model to study functions of the OAT gene on embryonic development.

METHODS

We cloned and sequenced full-length OAT cDNA from Xenopus oocytes (X-OAT) and determined X-OAT expression in various developmental stages of Xenopus embryos and in a variety of adult tissues. The phenotype, gene expression of neural developmental markers, and enzymatic activity were detected by gain-of-function and loss-of-function manipulations.

RESULTS

We showed that X-OAT is essential for Xenopus embryonic development, and overexpression of X-OAT produces a ventralized phenotype characterized by a small head, lack of axial structure, and defective expression of neural developmental markers. Using X-OAT mutants based on mutations identified in humans, we found that substitution of both Arg 180 and Leu 402 abrogated both X-OAT enzymatic activity and ability to modulate the developmental phenotype. Neurogenesis is inhibited by X-OAT during Xenopus embryonic development.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurogenesis is inhibited by X-OAT during Xenopus embryonic development, but it is essential for Xenopus embryonic development. The Arg 180 and Leu 402 are crucial for these effects of the OAT molecule in development.

A novel binding of GTP stabilizes the structure and modulates the activities of human phosphoglucose isomerase/autocrine motility factor

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) catalyzes the interconversion between glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate in the glycolysis pathway. In mammals, the enzyme is also identical to the extracellular proteins neuroleukin, tumor-secreted autocrine motility factor (AMF) and differentiation and maturation mediator for myeloid leukemia. Hereditary deficiency of the enzyme causes non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia in human. In the present study, a novel interaction between GTP and human PGI was corroborated by UV-induced crosslinking, affinity purification and kinetic study. GTP not only inhibits the isomerization activity but also compromises the AMF function of the enzyme. Kinetic studies, including the Yonetani-Theorell method, suggest that GTP is a competitive inhibitor with a K_i value of 63 μM and the GTP-binding site partially overlaps with the catalytic site. In addition, GTP stabilizes the structure of human PGI against heat- and detergent-induced denaturation. Molecular modelling and dynamic simulation suggest that GTP is bound in a syn-conformation with the γ-phosphate group located near the phosphate-binding loop and the ribose moiety positioned away from the active-site residues.

Analysis of enzymopathies in the human red blood cells by constraint-based stoichiometric modeling approaches

The human red blood cell (RBC) metabolism is investigated by calculating steady state fluxes using constraint-based stoichiometric modeling approaches. For the normal RBC metabolism, flux balance analysis (FBA) is performed via optimization of various alternative objective functions, and the maximization of production of ATP and NADPH is found to be the primary objective of the RBC metabolism. FBA and two novel approaches, minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) and regulatory on-off minimization (ROOM), which can describe the behavior of the metabolic networks in case of enzymopathies, are applied to observe the relative changes in the flux distribution of the deficient network. The deficiencies in several enzymes in RBC metabolism are investigated and the flux distributions are compared with the non-deficient FBA distribution to elucidate the metabolic changes in response to enzymopathies. It is found that the metabolism is mostly affected by the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) enzymopathies, whereas the effects of the deficiency in DPGM on the metabolism are negligible. These stoichiometric modeling results are found to be in accordance with the experimental findings in the literature related to metabolic behavior of the human red blood cells, showing that human RBC metabolism can be modeled stoichiometrically.

Metabolic pathway analysis of enzyme-deficient human red blood cells

Five enzymopathies (G6PDH, TPI, PGI, DPGM and PGK deficiencies) in the human red blood cells are investigated using a stoichiometric modeling approach, i.e., metabolic pathway analysis. Elementary flux modes (EFMs) corresponding to each enzyme deficiency case are analyzed in terms of functional capabilities. When available, experimental findings reported in literature related to metabolic behavior of the human red blood cells are compared with the results of EFM analysis. Control-effective flux (CEF) calculation, a novel approach which allows quantification and interpretation of determined EFMs, is performed for further analysis of enzymopathies. Glutathione reductase reaction is found to be the most effective reaction in terms of its CEF value in all enzymopathies in parallel with its known essential role for red blood cells. Efficiency profiles of the enzymatic reactions upon the degree of enzyme deficiency are obtained by the help of the CEF approach, as a basis for future experimental studies. CEF analysis, which is found to be promising in the analysis of erythrocyte enzymopathies, has the potential to be used in modeling efforts of human metabolism.

Immunization with glucose-6-phosphate isomerase induces T cell-dependent peripheral polyarthritis in genetically unaltered mice

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the joints. The search for arthritogenic autoantigens that trigger autoimmune responses in rheumatoid arthritis has largely focused on cartilage- or joint-specific Ags. In this study, we show that immunization with the ubiquitously expressed glycolytic enzyme glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6PI) induces severe peripheral symmetric polyarthritis in normal mice. In genetically unaltered mice, T cells are indispensable for both the induction and the effector phase of G6PI-induced arthritis. Arthritis is cured by depletion of CD4(+) cells. In contrast, Abs and FcgammaR(+) effector cells are necessary but not sufficient for G6PI-induced arthritis in genetically unaltered mice. Thus, the complex pathogenesis of G6PI-induced arthritis in normal mice differs strongly from the spontaneously occurring arthritis in the transgenic K/B x N model where Abs against G6PI alone suffice to induce the disease. G6PI-induced arthritis demonstrates for the first time the induction of organ-specific disease by systemic autoimmunity in genetically unaltered mice. Both the induction and effector phase of arthritis induced by a systemic autoimmune response can be dissected and preventive and therapeutic strategies evaluated in this model.

Functions of the conserved anionic amino acids and those interacting with the substrate phosphate group of phosphoglucose isomerase

Phosphoglucose isomerase catalyzes the isomerization between glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate in cytoplasm, and functions as autocrine motility factor and neuroleukin outside the cells. A phosphoglucose isomerase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (pgiA) was subjected to mutagenesis study to address the catalytic function of the conserved anionic residues and those probably interacting with the phosphate group of substrates. The results suggest that Glu290 works concertedly with His311 as a general acid-base pair to initiate the isomerization step, and Glu150 assists the base function of His311. The conserved loop structure consisting of Gly205-Gly206-Arg207 plays a critical role for the recognition of substrates.

Highly heterogeneous nature of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) deficiencies in ALAD porphyria

The properties of 9 delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) mutants from patients with ALAD porphyria (ADP) were examined by bacterial expression of their complementary DNAs and by enzymologic and immunologic assays. ALADs were expressed as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and purified by glutathione-affinity column chromatography. The GST-ALAD fusion proteins were recognized by anti-ALAD antibodies and were enzymatically active as ALAD. The enzymatic activities of 3 ALAD mutants, K59N, A274T, and V153M, were 69.9%, 19.3%, and 41.0% of that of the wild-type ALAD, respectively, whereas 6 mutants, G133R, K59N/G133R, F12L, R240W, V275M, and delTC, showed little activity (< 8%). These variations generally reflect the phenotype of ALAD in vivo in patients with ADP and indicate that GST-ALAD fusion protein is indeed useful for predicting of the phenotype of ALAD mutants. The location of F12L mutation in the enzyme's molecular structure indicates that its disturbance of the quaternary contact of the ALAD dimer appears to have a significant influence on the enzymatic activity. Mouse monoclonal antibodies to human ALAD were developed that specifically recognized a carboxy terminal portion of ALAD, or other regions in the enzyme. This study represents the first complete analysis of 9 mutants of ALAD identified in ADP and indicates the highly heterogeneous nature of mutations in this disorder.

Biochemical and genetic basis of red cell enzyme deficiencies

Enzyme deficiencies have been identified in all erythrocyte pathways. Their frequencies differ with respect to the affected enzyme, the severity of the clinical manifestations and the geographical distribution. Most mutations are found within the coding sequences of genes, missense mutations occurring more often than deletions, insertions, splice site defects or premature stop codons. Promoter mutations are rare. The clinical manifestations are chronic or non-chronic haemolytic anaemias. The first of these are characterized by an impairment of cell function at normal values of the external load parameters kATPase and kGSHox. Haemolysis with a non-chronic course is induced only at enhanced values of the load parameters, caused by free radical generation by oxidative drugs, fava beans, infections, fever and physical exercise. The development of secondary haemochromatosis is the most common cause of mortality in patients suffering from severe chronic non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemia. Intracellular iron deposits must be prevented by timely treatment with effective chelating agents.

Probing the location and function of the conserved histidine residue of phosphoglucose isomerase by using an active site directed inhibitor N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate

Phosphoglucose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.9) catalyzes the interconversion of D-glucopyranose-6-phosphate and D-fructofuranose-6-phosphate by promoting an intrahydrogen transfer between C1 and C2. A conserved histidine exists throughout all phosphoglucose isomerases and was hypothesized to be the base catalyzing the isomerization reaction. In the present study, this conserved histidine, His311, of the enzyme from Bacillus stearothermophilus was subjected to mutational analysis, and the mutational effect on the inactivation kinetics by N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate was investigated. The substitution of His311 with alanine, asparagine, or glutamine resulted in the decrease of activity, in k(cat)/K(M), by a factor of 10(3), indicating the importance of this residue. N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate inactivated irreversibly the activity of wild-type phosphoglucose isomerase; however, His311 --> Ala became resistant to this inhibitor, indicating that His311 is located in the active site and is responsible for the inactivation of the enzyme by this active site-directed inhibitor. The pKa of His311 was estimated to be 6.31 according to the pH dependence of the inactivation. The proximity of this value with the pKa value of 6.35, determined from the pH dependence of k(cat)/K(M), supports a role of His311 as a general base in the catalysis.