Malic enzyme activity in the developing rat brain in relation to thyroid status

Differentiation dependent activation of the myelin genes in purified oligodendrocytes is highly resistant to hypoglycemia

We have previously demonstrated that the developmental upregulation of myelin-specific genes in mixed glial cultures is strongly attenuated by hypoglycemia. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of hypoglycemia on differentiation-dependent upregulation of myelin genes in purified oligodendrocyte cultures. The expression of major myelin protein genes, i.e., proteolipid protein (PLP), basic protein (BP) and myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) were monitored by Northern blot analysis. In control cultures maintained at 6 mg/ml of glucose, the expression of all the genes upregulated rapidly, and plateaued at approximately day 4. A similar pattern of differentiation-dependent upregulation was observed for the gene encoding a lipogenic enzyme, i.e., malic enzyme (ME). In contrast to mixed glial cultures, however, this developmental gene upregulation was not significantly affected by severe hypoglycemia (approximately 0.02 mg/ml). The results indicate that the effect of glucose deprivation on oligodendrocyte genes observed in mixed glial cultures is mediated by other cells. The upregulation of the genes in differentiating oligodendrocytes was accompanied by the production of myelin-related membrane that was isolated by density gradient fractionation. In contrast to the effect on gene expression, this anabolic activity was highly dependent on glucose, as seen from a profound suppression by severe hypoglycemia.

Purification of cytosolic malic enzyme from bovine brain, generation of monoclonal antibodies, and immunocytochemical localization of the enzyme in glial cells of neural primary cultures

Cytosolic malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) was purified from bovine brain 5,600-fold to a specific activity of 47 U/mg. The enzyme is a homotetramer with a subunit molecular mass of 60 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.2. Mouse monoclonal antibodies raised against this enzyme were purified and shown to be monospecific, as indicated by immunoblotting. Immunocytochemical examination of rat astroglia-rich primary cultures at the light microscopic level revealed colocalization of cytosolic malic enzyme with the astroglial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein. Also, a colocalization with the oligodendroglial marker myelin basic protein was found. Neurons in rat neuron-rich primary cultures did not show positive staining. The data suggest that cytosolic malic enzyme is a glial enzyme and is lacking in neurons.

Changes of malic enzyme activity in the developing rat brain are due to both the increase of mitochondrial protein content and the increase of specific activity

1. The pattern of NADP-linked malic enzyme activity estimated in the whole brain homogenate did not parallel that found in liver of developing rat. 2. Studies on intracellular distribution of malic enzyme in brain showed that the mitochondrial enzyme increased about three-fold between 10th and 40th day of life. Thereafter, a slow gradual increase to the adult level was observed. 3. The extramitochondrial malic enzyme from brain, like the liver enzyme, increased at the time of weaning, although to a lesser extent. At day 5 the brain malic enzyme was equally distributed between mitochondria and cytosol. 4. During the postnatal development, the contribution of the mitochondrial malic enzyme in the total activity was increasing, reaching the value approx. 80% at day 150 after birth. 5. The increase with age of the malic enzyme specific activity was observed in both synaptosomal and non-synaptosomal mitochondria, the changes in the last fraction being more pronounced. 6. The activity of citrate synthase developed markedly between 10-40 postnatal days, increasing about five-fold, while the specific activity of the enzyme did change neither in the synaptosomal nor in non-synaptosomal mitochondria at this period. 7. We conclude that the changes in malic enzyme activity in the developing rat brain are mainly due both to the increase of mitochondrial protein content and to the increase of specific activity of the mitochondrial malic enzyme.