Molecular mechanism for the regulation of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme by ATP and fumarate

Sample optimizations to enable the structure determination of biotin-dependent carboxylases

Biotin-dependent carboxylases have central roles in the metabolisms of fatty acids, amino acids and other compounds. Their functional importance is underscored by their strong conservation from bacteria to humans. These enzymes are large, multi-domain or multi-subunit complexes, and can have molecular weights of 500 to 750 kDa. Despite their large sizes, the first structures of most of these enzymes were determined using X-ray crystallography. This chapter presents various technical challenges that were overcome during their structure determination, which involves extensive optimization of the protein samples and their crystals. The cryo electron microscopy resolution revolution has made it easier to study these large complexes at the atomic level.

Bidentate Substrate Binding Mode in Oxalate Decarboxylase

Oxalate decarboxylase is an Mn- and O2-dependent enzyme in the bicupin superfamily that catalyzes the redox-neutral disproportionation of the oxalate monoanion to form carbon dioxide and formate. Its best-studied isozyme is from Bacillus subtilis where it is stress-induced under low pH conditions. Current mechanistic schemes assume a monodentate binding mode of the substrate to the N-terminal active site Mn ion to make space for a presumed O2 molecule, despite the fact that oxalate generally prefers to bind bidentate to Mn. We report on X-band 13C-electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) experiments on 13C-labeled oxalate bound to the active-site Mn(II) in wild-type oxalate decarboxylase at high pH, the catalytically impaired W96F mutant enzyme at low pH, and Mn(II) in aqueous solution. The ENDOR spectra of these samples are practically identical, which shows that the substrate binds bidentate (κO, κO') to the active site Mn(II) ion. Domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster singles and doubles (DLPNO-CCSD) calculations of the expected 13C hyperfine coupling constants for bidentate bound oxalate predict ENDOR spectra in good agreement with the experiment, supporting bidentate bound substrate. Geometry optimization of a substrate-bound minimal active site model by density functional theory shows two possible substrate coordination geometries, bidentate and monodentate. The bidentate structure is energetically preferred by ~4.7 kcal/mol. Our results revise a long-standing hypothesis regarding substrate binding in the enzyme and suggest that dioxygen does not bind to the active site Mn ion after substrate binds. The results are in agreement with our recent mechanistic hypothesis of substrate activation via a long-range electron transfer process involving the C-terminal Mn ion.

Malic enzymes in cancer: Regulatory mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic implications

Malic enzymes (MEs) are metabolic enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of malate to pyruvate and NAD(P)H. While researchers have well established the physiological metabolic roles of MEs in organisms, recent research has revealed a link between MEs and carcinogenesis. This review collates evidence of the molecular mechanisms by which MEs promote cancer occurrence, including transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation, post-translational protein modifications, and protein-protein interactions. Additionally, we highlight the roles of MEs in reprogramming energy metabolism, suppressing senescence, and modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. We also discuss the involvement of these enzymes in mediating tumor resistance and how the development of novel small-molecule inhibitors targeting MEs might be a good therapeutic approach. Insights through this review are expected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between MEs and cancer, while facilitating future research on the potential therapeutic applications of targeting MEs in cancer management.

Changes in Plasma Pyruvate and TCA Cycle Metabolites upon Increased Hepatic Fatty Acid Oxidation and Ketogenesis in Male Wistar Rats

Altered hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation and associated tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity contributes to lifestyle-related diseases, and circulating biomarkers reflecting these changes could have disease prognostic value. This study aimed to determine hepatic and systemic changes in TCA-cycle-related metabolites upon the selective pharmacologic enhancement of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver, and to elucidate the mechanisms and potential markers of hepatic mitochondrial activity. Male Wistar rats were treated with 3-thia fatty acids (e.g., tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA)), which target mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation, and ketogenesis predominantly in the liver. Hepatic and plasma concentrations of TCA cycle intermediates and anaplerotic substrates (LC-MS/MS), plasma ketones (colorimetric assay), and acylcarnitines (HPLC-MS/MS), along with associated TCA-cycle-related gene expression (qPCR) and enzyme activities, were determined. TTA-induced hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation resulted in an increased ratio of plasma ketone bodies/nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), lower plasma malonyl-CoA levels, and a higher ratio of plasma acetylcarnitine/palmitoylcarnitine (C2/C16). These changes were associated with decreased hepatic and increased plasma pyruvate concentrations, and increased plasma concentrations of succinate, malate, and 2-hydroxyglutarate. Expression of several genes encoding TCA cycle enzymes and the malate-oxoglutarate carrier (Slc25a11), glutamate dehydrogenase (Gdh), and malic enzyme (Mdh1 and Mdh2) were significantly increased. In conclusion, the induction of hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation by 3-thia fatty acids lowered hepatic pyruvate while increasing plasma pyruvate, as well as succinate, malate, and 2-hydroxyglutarate.

Fumarase activity in NAD-dependent malic enzyme, MaeA, from Escherichia coli

NAD-dependent malic enzymes catalyze NAD reduction to NADH while converting malate to pyruvate and CO2. In this study, NAD was reduced to NADH by MaeA, NAD-dependent malic enzyme from Escherichia coli, when fumarate was used as substrate. This suggested that MaeA catalyzed the conversion of fumarate to malate and then malate to pyruvate. The K0.5 value for fumarate was determined as 13 mM, different from previously characterized fumarases in Escherichia coli. Fumarate inhibited the malic enzyme activity of MaeA where NAD reduction to NADH was examined in the presence of malate as substrate. Human ME2, an NAD-dependent malic enzyme, also converted NAD to NADH in the presence of fumarate, suggesting that the duplex activity as fumarase and malic enzyme might be conserved in various NAD-dependent malic enzymes. MaeB, NADP-dependent malic enzyme from Escherichia coli, did not reduce NADP to NADPH in the presence of fumarate, suggesting the fumarase activities of MaeA and ME2 were specific.

Suppression of the human malic enzyme 2 modifies energy metabolism and inhibits cellular respiration

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)⁺-dependent malic enzyme (ME2) is well-known for its role in cell metabolism, which may be involved in cancer or epilepsy. We present potent ME2 inhibitors based on cyro-EM structures that target ME2 enzyme activity. Two structures of ME2-inhibitor complexes demonstrate that 5,5'-Methylenedisalicylic acid (MDSA) and embonic acid (EA) bind allosterically to ME2's fumarate-binding site. Mutagenesis studies demonstrate that Asn35 and the Gln64-Tyr562 network are required for both inhibitors' binding. ME2 overexpression increases pyruvate and NADH production while decreasing the cell's NAD⁺/NADH ratio; however, ME2 knockdown has the opposite effect. MDSA and EA inhibit pyruvate synthesis and thus increase the NAD⁺/NADH ratio, implying that these two inhibitors interfere with metabolic changes by inhibiting cellular ME2 activity. ME2 silence or inhibiting ME2 activity with MDSA or EA decreases cellular respiration and ATP synthesis. Our findings suggest that ME2 is crucial for mitochondrial pyruvate and energy metabolism, as well as cellular respiration, and that ME2 inhibitors could be useful in the treatment of cancer or other diseases that involve these processes.

Liver Kinase B1 Mediates Its Anti-Tumor Function by Binding to the N-Terminus of Malic Enzyme 3

Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is a crucial tumor suppressor involved in various cellular processes, including embryonic development, tumor initiation and progression, cell adhesion, apoptosis, and metabolism. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its functions remain elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that LKB1 interacts directly with malic enzyme 3 (ME3) through the N-terminus of the enzyme and identified the binding regions necessary for this interaction. The binding activity was confirmed to promote the expression of ME3 in an LKB1-dependent manner and was also shown to induce apoptosis activity. Furthermore, LKB1 and ME3 overexpression upregulated the expression of tumour suppressor proteins (p53 and p21) and downregulated the expression of antiapoptotic proteins (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)). Additionally, LKB1 and ME3 enhanced the transcription of p21 and p53 and inhibited the transcription of NF-κB. Moreover, LKB1 and ME3 suppressed the phosphorylation of various components of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. Overall, these results suggest that LKB1 promotes pro-apoptotic activities by inducing ME3 expression.

Integrative structural and functional analysis of human malic enzyme 3: A potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer

Malic enzymes (ME1, ME2, and ME3) are involved in cellular energy regulation, redox homeostasis, and biosynthetic processes, through the production of pyruvate and reducing agent NAD(P)H. Recent studies have implicated the third and least well-characterized isoform, mitochondrial NADP⁺-dependent malic enzyme 3 (ME3), as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancers. Here, we utilized an integrated structure approach to determine the structures of ME3 in various ligand-binding states at near-atomic resolutions. ME3 is captured in the open form existing as a stable tetramer and its dynamic Domain C is critical for activity. Catalytic assay results reveal that ME3 is a non-allosteric enzyme and does not require modulators for activity while structural analysis suggests that the inner stability of ME3 Domain A relative to ME2 disables allostery in ME3. With structural information available for all three malic enzymes, the foundation has been laid to understand the structural and biochemical differences of these enzymes and could aid in the development of specific malic enzyme small molecule drugs.

Discovery and Characterization of a Novel Allosteric Small-Molecule Inhibitor of NADP+-Dependent Malic Enzyme 1

NADP⁺-dependent malic enzyme 1 (ME1) decarboxylates malate to form pyruvate and NADPH in the cytoplasm, where it mediates diverse biological functions related to the generation of lipids and other cellular building blocks. As such, ME1 has been implicated in the progression of cancers and has received attention as a promising drug target. Here we report the identification of a novel small-molecule inhibitor of ME1, designated AS1134900. AS1134900 is highly selective for ME1 compared with ME2 and uncompetitively inhibits ME1 activity in the presence of its substrates NADP⁺ and malate. In addition, X-ray crystal structure analysis of the enzyme–inhibitor complex revealed that AS1134900 binds outside the ME1 active site in a novel allosteric site. Structural comparison of the ME1 quaternary complex with AS1134900, NADPH, and Mn²⁺, alongside known crystal structures of malic enzymes, indicated the determined crystal ME1–inhibitor complex is in the open form conformation. These results provide insights and a starting point for further discovery of drugs that inhibit ME1 activity in cancer cells.

Transport, functions, and interaction of calcium and manganese in plant organellar compartments

Calcium (Ca2+) and manganese (Mn2+) are essential elements for plants and have similar ionic radii and binding coordination. They are assigned specific functions within organelles, but share many transport mechanisms to cross organellar membranes. Despite their points of interaction, those elements are usually investigated and reviewed separately. This review takes them out of this isolation. It highlights our current mechanistic understanding and points to open questions of their functions, their transport, and their interplay in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vesicular compartments (Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, pre-vacuolar compartment), vacuoles, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Complex processes demanding these cations, such as Mn2+-dependent glycosylation or systemic Ca2+ signaling, are covered in some detail if they have not been reviewed recently or if recent findings add to current models. The function of Ca2+ as signaling agent released from organelles into the cytosol and within the organelles themselves is a recurrent theme of this review, again keeping the interference by Mn2+ in mind. The involvement of organellar channels [e.g. glutamate receptor-likes (GLR), cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGC), mitochondrial conductivity units (MCU), and two-pore channel1 (TPC1)], transporters (e.g. natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMP), Ca2+ exchangers (CAX), metal tolerance proteins (MTP), and bivalent cation transporters (BICAT)], and pumps [autoinhibited Ca2+-ATPases (ACA) and ER Ca2+-ATPases (ECA)] in the import and export of organellar Ca2+ and Mn2+ is scrutinized, whereby current controversial issues are pointed out. Mechanisms in animals and yeast are taken into account where they may provide a blueprint for processes in plants, in particular, with respect to tunable molecular mechanisms of Ca2+ versus Mn2+ selectivity.

Structural insights into the allosteric site of Arabidopsis NADP-malic enzyme 2: role of the second sphere residues in the regulatory signal transmission

NADP-ME2 from Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits a distinctive and complex regulation by fumarate, acting as an activator or an inhibitor according to substrate and effector concentrations. In this work, we used molecular modeling approach and site-directed mutagenesis to characterized the NADP-ME2 structural determinants necessary for allosteric regulation providing new insights for enzyme optimization. Structure-function studies contribute to deciphering how small modifications in the primary structure could introduce desirable characteristics into enzymes without affecting its overall functioning. Malic enzymes (ME) are ubiquitous and responsible for a wide variety of functions. The availability of a high number of ME crystal structures from different species facilitates comparisons between sequence and structure. Specifically, the structural determinants necessary for fumarate allosteric regulation of ME has been of particular interest. NADP-ME2 from Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits a distinctive and complex regulation by fumarate, acting as an activator or an inhibitor according to substrate and effector concentrations. However, the 3D structure for this enzyme is not yet reported. In this work, we characterized the NADP-ME2 allosteric site by structural modeling, molecular docking, normal mode analysis and mutagenesis. The regulatory site model and its docking analysis suggested that other C4 acids including malate, NADP-ME2 substrate, could also fit into fumarate's pocket. Besides, a non-conserved cluster of hydrophobic residues in the second sphere of the allosteric site was identified. The substitution of one of those residues, L62, by a less flexible residue as tryptophan, resulted in a complete loss of fumarate activation and a reduction of substrate affinities for the active site. In addition, normal mode analysis indicated that conformational changes leading to the activation could originate in the region surrounding L62, extending through the allosteric site till the active site. Finally, the results in this work contribute to the understanding of structural determinants necessary for allosteric regulation providing new insights for enzyme optimization.

Trypanosoma cruzi Malic Enzyme Is the Target for Sulfonamide Hits from the GSK Chagas Box

Chagas disease, an infectious condition caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, lacks treatment with drugs with desired efficacy and safety profiles. To address this unmet medical need, a set of trypanocidal compounds were identified through a large multicenter phenotypic-screening initiative and assembled in the GSK Chagas Box. In the present work, we report the screening of the Chagas Box against T. cruzi malic enzymes (MEs) and the identification of three potent inhibitors of its cytosolic isoform (TcMEc). One of these compounds, TCMDC-143108 (1), came out as a nanomolar inhibitor of TcMEc, and 14 new derivatives were synthesized and tested for target inhibition and efficacy against the parasite. Moreover, we determined the crystallographic structures of TcMEc in complex with TCMDC-143108 (1) and six derivatives, revealing the allosteric inhibition site and the determinants of specificity. Our findings connect phenotypic hits from the Chagas Box to a relevant metabolic target in the parasite, providing data to foster new structure-activity guided hit optimization initiatives.

Single nucleotide variants lead to dysregulation of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)⁺-dependent malic enzyme (ME2) is well recognized to associate with cancer cell metabolism, and the single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of ME2 may play a role in enzyme regulation. Here we reported that the SNVs of ME2 occurring in the allosteric sites lead to inactivation or overactivation of ME2. Two ME2-SNVs, ME2_R67Q and ME2-R484W, that demonstrated inactivating or overactivating enzyme activities of ME2, respectively, have different impact toward the cells. The cells with overactivating SNV enzyme, ME2_R484W, grow more rapidly and are more resistant to cellular senescence than the cells with wild-type or inactivating SNV enzyme, ME2_R67Q. Crystal structures of these two ME2-SNVs reveal that ME2_R67Q was an inactivating "dead form," and ME2_R484W was an overactivating "closed form" of the enzyme. The resolved ME2-SNV structures provide a molecular basis to explain the abnormal kinetic properties of these SNV enzymes.

Tetrahydrobiopterin Plays a Functionally Significant Role in Lipogenesis in the Oleaginous Fungus Mortierella alpina

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH₄) is well-known as a cofactor of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), but its exact role in lipogenesis is unclear. In this study, the GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) gene was overexpressed to investigate the role of BH₄ in lipogenesis in oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina. Transcriptome data analysis reveal that GTPCH expression was upregulated when nitrogen was exhausted, resulting in lipid accumulation. Significant changes were also found in the fatty acid profile of M. alpina grown on medium that contained a GTPCH inhibitor relative to that of M. alpina grown on medium that lacked the inhibitor. GTPCH overexpression in M. alpina (the MA-GTPCH strain) led to a sevenfold increase in BH₄ levels and enhanced cell fatty acid synthesis and poly-unsaturation. Increased levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and upregulated expression of NADPH-producing genes in response to enhanced BH₄ levels were also observed, which indicate a novel aspect of the NADPH regulatory mechanism. Increased BH₄ levels also enhanced phenylalanine hydroxylation and nitric oxide synthesis, and the addition of an NOS or a PAH inhibitor in the MA-GTPCH and control strain cultures decreased fatty acid accumulation, NADPH production, and the transcript levels of NADPH-producing genes. Our research suggests an important role of BH₄ in lipogenesis and that the phenylalanine catabolism and arginine-nitric oxide pathways play an integrating role in translating the effects of BH₄ on lipogenesis by regulating the cellular NADPH pool. Thus, our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of efficient lipid biosynthesis regulation in oleaginous microorganisms and lay a foundation for the genetic engineering of these organisms to optimize their dietary fat yield.

Molecular adaptations of NADP-malic enzyme for its function in C4 photosynthesis in grasses

In C₄ grasses of agronomical interest, malate shuttled into the bundle sheath cells is decarboxylated mainly by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-malic enzyme (C₄-NADP-ME). The activity of C₄-NADP-ME was optimized by natural selection to efficiently deliver CO₂ to Rubisco. During its evolution from a plastidic non-photosynthetic NADP-ME, C₄-NADP-ME acquired increased catalytic efficiency, tetrameric structure and pH-dependent inhibition by its substrate malate. Here, we identified specific amino acids important for these C₄ adaptions based on strict differential conservation of amino acids, combined with solving the crystal structures of maize and sorghum C₄-NADP-ME. Site-directed mutagenesis and structural analyses show that Q503, L544 and E339 are involved in catalytic efficiency; E339 confers pH-dependent regulation by malate, F140 is critical for the stabilization of the oligomeric structure and the N-terminal region is involved in tetramerization. Together, the identified molecular adaptations form the basis for the efficient catalysis and regulation of one of the central biochemical steps in C₄ metabolism.

Functional Roles of Metabolic Intermediates in Regulating the Human Mitochondrial NAD(P)+-Dependent Malic Enzyme

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)⁺-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME) has a dimer of dimers quaternary structure with two independent allosteric sites in each monomer. Here, we reveal the different effects of nucleotide ligands on the quaternary structure regulation and functional role of the human m-NAD(P)-ME exosite. In this study, size distribution analysis was utilized to investigate the monomer-dimer-tetramer equilibrium of m-NAD(P)-ME in the presence of different ligands, and the monomer-dimer (K_d,12) and dimer-tetramer (K_d,24) dissociation constants were determined with these ligands. With NAD⁺, the enzyme formed more tetramers, and its K_d,24 (0.06 µM) was 6-fold lower than the apoenzyme K_d,24 (0.34 µM). When ATP was present, the enzyme displayed more dimers, and its K_d,24 (2.74 µM) was 8-fold higher than the apoenzyme. Similar to the apoenzyme, the ADP-bound enzyme was present as a tetramer with a small amount of dimers and monomers. These results indicate that NAD⁺ promotes association of the dimeric enzyme into tetramers, whereas ATP stimulates dissociation of the tetrameric enzyme into dimers, and ADP has little effect on the tetrameric stability of the enzyme. A series of exosite mutants were created using site-directed mutagenesis. Size distribution analysis and kinetic studies of these mutants with NAD⁺ or ATP indicated that Arg197, Asn482 and Arg556 are essential for the ATP binding and ATP-induced dissociation of human m-NAD(P)-ME. In summary, the present results demonstrate that nucleotides perform discrete functions regulating the quaternary structure and catalysis of m-NAD(P)-ME. Such regulation by the binding of different nucleotides may be critically associated with the physiological concentrations of these ligands.

The crystal structure of the malic enzyme from Candidatus Phytoplasma reveals the minimal structural determinants for a malic enzyme

Phytoplasmas are wall-less phytopathogenic bacteria that produce devastating effects in a wide variety of plants. Reductive evolution has shaped their genome, with the loss of many genes, limiting their metabolic capacities. Owing to the high concentration of C₄ compounds in plants, and the presence of malic enzyme (ME) in all phytoplasma genomes so far sequenced, the oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate might represent an adaptation to generate energy. Aster yellows witches'-broom (Candidatus Phytoplasma) ME (AYWB-ME) is one of the smallest of all characterized MEs, yet retains full enzymatic activity. Here, the crystal structure of AYWB-ME is reported, revealing a unique fold that differs from those of `canonical' MEs. AYWB-ME is organized as a dimeric species formed by intertwining of the N-terminal domains of the protomers. As a consequence of such structural differences, key catalytic residues such as Tyr36 are positioned in the active site of each protomer but are provided by the other protomer of the dimer. A Tyr36Ala mutation abolishes the catalytic activity, indicating the key importance of this residue in the catalytic process but not in the dimeric assembly. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that larger MEs (large-subunit or chimeric MEs) might have evolved from this type of smaller scaffold by gaining small sequence cassettes or an entire functional domain. The Candidatus Phytoplasma AYWB-ME structure showcases a novel minimal structure design comprising a fully functional active site, making this enzyme an attractive starting point for rational genetic design.

Chimeric Structure of Plant Malic Enzyme Family: Different Evolutionary Scenarios for NAD- and NADP-Dependent Isoforms

Malic enzyme (ME) comprises a family of proteins with multiple isoforms located in different compartments of eukaryotic cells. In plants, cytosolic and plastidic enzymes share several characteristics such as NADP specificity (NADP-ME), oxaloacetate decarboxylase (OAD) activity, and homo-oligomeric assembly. However, mitochondrial counterparts are NAD-dependent proteins (mNAD-ME) lacking OAD activity, which can be structured as homo- and hetero-oligomers of two different subunits. In this study, we examined the molecular basis of these differences using multiple sequence analysis, structural modeling, and phylogenetic approaches. Plant mNAD-MEs show the lowest identity values when compared with other eukaryotic MEs with major differences including short amino acid insertions distributed throughout the primary sequence. Some residues in these exclusive segments are co-evolutionarily connected, suggesting that they could be important for enzymatic functionality. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that eukaryotes from different kingdoms used different strategies for acquiring the current set of NAD(P)-ME isoforms. In this sense, while the full gene family of vertebrates derives from the same ancestral gene, plant NADP-ME and NAD-ME isoforms have a distinct evolutionary history. Plant NADP-ME genes may have arisen from the α-protobacterial-like mitochondrial ancestor, a characteristic shared with major eukaryotic taxa. On the other hand, plant mNAD-ME genes were probably gained through an independent process involving the Archaeplastida ancestor. Finally, several residue signatures unique to all plant mNAD-MEs could be identified, some of which might be functionally connected to their exclusive biochemical properties. In light of these results, molecular evolutionary scenarios for these widely distributed enzymes in plants are discussed.

MicroRNA-mRNA regulatory networking fine-tunes the porcine muscle fiber type, muscular mitochondrial respiratory and metabolic enzyme activities

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in diverse biological processes via regulation of gene expression including in skeletal muscles. In the current study, miRNA expression profile was investigated in longissimus muscle biopsies of malignant hyperthermia syndrome-negative Duroc and Pietrain pigs with distinct muscle metabolic properties in order to explore the regulatory role of miRNAs related to mitochondrial respiratory activity and metabolic enzyme activity in skeletal muscle.

Results

A comparative analysis of the miRNA expression profile between Duroc and Pietrain pigs was performed, followed by integration with mRNA profiles based on their pairwise correlation and computational target prediction. The identified target genes were enriched in protein ubiquitination pathway, stem cell pluripotency and geranylgeranyl diphosphate biosynthesis, as well as skeletal and muscular system development. Next, we analyzed the correlation between individual miRNAs and phenotypical traits including muscle fiber type, mitochondrial respiratory activity, metabolic enzyme activity and adenosine phosphate concentrations, and constructed the regulatory miRNA-mRNA networks associated with energy metabolism. It is noteworthy that miR-25 targeting BMPR2 and IRS1, miR-363 targeting USP24, miR-28 targeting HECW2 and miR-210 targeting ATP5I, ME3, MTCH1 and CPT2 were highly associated with slow-twitch oxidative fibers, fast-twitch oxidative fibers, ADP and ATP concentration suggesting an essential role of the miRNA-mRNA regulatory networking in modulating the mitochondrial energy expenditure in the porcine muscle. In the identified miRNA-mRNA network, a tight relationship between mitochondrial and ubiquitin proteasome system at the level of gene expression was observed. It revealed a link between these two systems contributing to energy metabolism of skeletal muscle under physiological conditions.

Conclusions

We assembled miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks based on divergent muscle properties between different pig breeds and further with the correlation analysis of expressed genes and phenotypic measurements. These complex networks relate to muscle fiber type, metabolic enzyme activity and ATP production and may contribute to divergent muscle phenotypes by fine-tuning the expression of genes. Altogether, the results provide an insight into a regulatory role of miRNAs in muscular energy metabolisms and may have an implication on meat quality and production.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2850-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A small-molecule inhibitor suppresses the tumor-associated mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (ME2) and induces cellular senescence

Here, we found a natural compound, embonic acid (EA), that can specifically inhibit the enzymatic activity of mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME, ME2) either in vitro or in vivo. The in vitro IC50 value of EA for m-NAD(P)-ME was 1.4 ± 0.4 μM. Mutagenesis and binding studies revealed that the putative binding site of EA on m-NAD(P)-ME is located at the fumarate binding site or at the dimer interface near the site. Inhibition studies reveal that EA displayed a non-competitive inhibition pattern, which demonstrated that the binding site of EA was distinct from the active site of the enzyme. Therefore, EA is thought to be an allosteric inhibitor of m-NAD(P)-ME. Both EA treatment and knockdown of m-NAD(P)-ME by shRNA inhibited the growth of H1299 cancer cells. The protein expression and mRNA synthesis of m-NAD(P)-ME in H1299 cells were not influenced by EA, suggesting that the EA-inhibited H1299 cell growth occurs through the suppression of in vivo m-NAD(P)-ME activity EA treatment further induced the cellular senescence of H1299 cells. However, down-regulation of the enzyme-induced cellular senescence was not through p53. Therefore, the EA-evoked senescence of H1299 cells may occur directly through the inhibition of ME2 or a p53-independent pathway.

Structure-Based Statistical Mechanical Model Accounts for the Causality and Energetics of Allosteric Communication

Allostery is one of the pervasive mechanisms through which proteins in living systems carry out enzymatic activity, cell signaling, and metabolism control. Effective modeling of the protein function regulation requires a synthesis of the thermodynamic and structural views of allostery. We present here a structure-based statistical mechanical model of allostery, allowing one to observe causality of communication between regulatory and functional sites, and to estimate per residue free energy changes. Based on the consideration of ligand free and ligand bound systems in the context of a harmonic model, corresponding sets of characteristic normal modes are obtained and used as inputs for an allosteric potential. This potential quantifies the mean work exerted on a residue due to the local motion of its neighbors. Subsequently, in a statistical mechanical framework the entropic contribution to allosteric free energy of a residue is directly calculated from the comparison of conformational ensembles in the ligand free and ligand bound systems. As a result, this method provides a systematic approach for analyzing the energetics of allosteric communication based on a single structure. The feasibility of the approach was tested on a variety of allosteric proteins, heterogeneous in terms of size, topology and degree of oligomerization. The allosteric free energy calculations show the diversity of ways and complexity of scenarios existing in the phenomenology of allosteric causality and communication. The presented model is a step forward in developing the computational techniques aimed at detecting allosteric sites and obtaining the discriminative power between agonistic and antagonistic effectors, which are among the major goals in allosteric drug design.

The 50th anniversary of Monod-Changeux-Jacob seminal paper “Allosteric proteins and cellular control systems” became the hallmark of a new wave in the allostery studies and the turning point in our vision of allostery and its implications in protein engineering and drug design. Recent experimental and theoretical works clearly show relevance of allosteric phenomenon to drug design, unraveling advantages of allosteric drugs in comparison to traditional orthosteric compounds. Remarkable simplicity of allosteric effectors and, at the same time, their potentially high specificity is one of the most important traits. The non conserved nature of allosteric ligands is a basis for avoiding drug resistance, and existence of latent regulatory sites make them attractive drug targets. The model presented in this work provides a theoretical framework for the quantification of the causality and energetics of allosteric regulation, which is a prerequisite for design of effector molecules with required characteristics. The synthesis between the thermodynamics of allostery and the intrinsic atomic nature of proteins and their interactions with the allosteric effectors accomplished in this work is a small initial step in the long endeavor towards future allosteric drugs.

Allosteric substrate inhibition of Arabidopsis NAD-dependent malic enzyme 1 is released by fumarate

Plant mitochondria can use L-malate and fumarate, which accumulate in large levels, as respiratory substrates. In part, this property is due to the presence of NAD-dependent malic enzymes (NAD-ME) with particular biochemical characteristics. Arabidopsis NAD-ME1 exhibits a non-hyperbolic behavior for the substrate L-malate, and its activity is strongly stimulated by fumarate. Here, the possible structural connection between these properties was explored through mutagenesis, kinetics, and fluorescence studies. The results indicated that NAD-ME1 has a regulatory site for L-malate that can also bind fumarate. L-Malate binding to this site elicits a sigmoidal and low substrate-affinity response, whereas fumarate binding turns NAD-ME1 into a hyperbolic and high substrate affinity enzyme. This effect was also observed when the allosteric site was either removed or altered. Hence, fumarate is not really an activator, but suppresses the inhibitory effect of l-malate. In addition, residues Arg50, Arg80 and Arg84 showed different roles in organic acid binding. These residues form a triad, which is the basis of the homo and heterotrophic effects that characterize NAD-ME1. The binding of L-malate and fumarate at the same allosteric site is herein reported for a malic enzyme and clearly indicates an important role of NAD-ME1 in processes that control flow of C4 organic acids in Arabidopsis mitochondrial metabolism.

Genetic improvement of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum for boosting neutral lipid accumulation

To obtain fast growing oil-rich microalgal strains has been urgently demanded for microalgal biofuel. Malic enzyme (ME), which is involved in pyruvate metabolism and carbon fixation, was first characterized in microalgae here. Overexpression of Phaeodactylum tricornutum ME (PtME) significantly enhanced the expression of PtME and its enzymatic activity in transgenic P. tricornutum. The total lipid content in transgenic cells markedly increased by 2.5-fold and reached a record 57.8% of dry cell weight with a similar growth rate to wild type, thus keeping a high biomass. The neutral lipid content was further increased by 31% under nitrogen-deprivation treatment, still 66% higher than that of wild type. Transgenic microalgae cells exhibited obvious morphological changes, as the cells were shorter and thicker and contained larger oil bodies. Immuno-electron microscopy targeted PtME to the mitochondrion. This study markedly increased the oil content in microalgae, suggesting a new route for developing ideal microalgal strains for industrial biodiesel production.

Metabolic regulation of phytoplasma malic enzyme and phosphotransacetylase supports the use of malate as an energy source in these plant pathogens

Phytoplasmas ('Candidatus Phytoplasma') are insect-vectored plant pathogens. The genomes of these bacteria are small with limited metabolic capacities making them dependent on their plant and insect hosts for survival. In contrast to mycoplasmas and other relatives in the class Mollicutes, phytoplasmas encode genes for malate transporters and malic enzyme (ME) for conversion of malate into pyruvate. It was hypothesized that malate is probably a major energy source for phytoplasmas as these bacteria are limited in the uptake and processing of carbohydrates. In this study, we investigated the metabolic capabilities of 'Candidatus (Ca.) phytoplasma' aster yellows witches'-broom (AYWB) malic enzyme (ME). We found that AYWB-ME has malate oxidative decarboxylation activity, being able to convert malate to pyruvate and CO2 with the reduction of either NAD or NADP, and displays distinctive kinetic mechanisms depending on the relative concentration of the substrates. AYWB-ME activity was strictly modulated by the ATP/ADP ratio, a feature which has not been found in other ME isoforms characterized to date. In addition, we found that the 'Ca. Phytoplasma' AYWB PduL-like enzyme (AYWB-PduL) harbours phosphotransacetylase activity, being able to convert acetyl-CoA to acetyl phosphate downstream of pyruvate. ATP also inhibited AYWB-PduL activity, as with AYWB-ME, and the product of the reaction catalysed by AYWB-PduL, acetyl phosphate, stimulated AYWB-ME activity. Overall, our data indicate that AYWB-ME and AYWB-PduL activities are finely coordinated by common metabolic signals, like ATP/ADP ratios and acetyl phosphate, which support their participation in energy (ATP) and reducing power [NAD(P)H] generation from malate in phytoplasmas.

Structural characteristics of the nonallosteric human cytosolic malic enzyme

Human cytosolic NADP(+)-dependent malic enzyme (c-NADP-ME) is neither a cooperative nor an allosteric enzyme, whereas mitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME) is allosterically activated by fumarate. This study examines the molecular basis for the different allosteric properties and quaternary structural stability of m-NAD(P)-ME and c-NADP-ME. Multiple residues corresponding to the fumarate-binding site were mutated in human c-NADP-ME to correspond to those found in human m-NAD(P)-ME. Additionally, the crystal structure of the apo (ligand-free) human c-NADP-ME conformation was determined. Kinetic studies indicated no significant difference between the wild-type and mutant enzymes in Km,NADP, Km,malate, and kcat. A chimeric enzyme, [51-105]_c-NADP-ME, was designed to include the putative fumarate-binding site of m-NAD(P)-ME at the dimer interface of c-NADP-ME; however, this chimera remained nonallosteric. In addition to fumarate activation, the quaternary structural stability of c-NADP-ME and m-NAD(P)-ME is quite different; c-NADP-ME is a stable tetramer, whereas m-NAD(P)-ME exists in equilibrium between a dimer and a tetramer. The quaternary structures for the S57K/N59E/E73K/S102D and S57K/N59E/E73K/S102D/H74K/D78P/D80E/D87G mutants of c-NADP-ME are tetrameric, whereas the K57S/E59N/K73E/D102S m-NAD(P)-ME quadruple mutant is primarily monomeric with some dimer formation. These results strongly suggest that the structural features near the fumarate-binding site and the dimer interface are highly related to the quaternary structural stability of c-NADP-ME and m-NAD(P)-ME. In this study, we attempt to delineate the structural features governing the fumarate-induced allosteric activation of malic enzyme.

Fumarate analogs act as allosteric inhibitors of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)⁺-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME) is allosterically activated by the four-carbon trans dicarboxylic acid, fumarate. Previous studies have suggested that the dicarboxylic acid in a trans conformation around the carbon-carbon double bond is required for the allosteric activation of the enzyme. In this paper, the allosteric effects of fumarate analogs on m-NAD(P)-ME are investigated. Two fumarate-insensitive mutants, m-NAD(P)-ME_R67A/R91A and m-NAD(P)-ME_K57S/E59N/K73E/D102S, as well as c-NADP-ME, were used as the negative controls. Among these analogs, mesaconate, trans-aconitate, monomethyl fumarate and monoethyl fumarate were allosteric activators of the enzyme, while oxaloacetate, diethyl oxalacetate, and dimethyl fumarate were found to be allosteric inhibitors of human m-NAD(P)-ME. The IC₅₀ value for diethyl oxalacetate was approximately 2.5 mM. This paper suggests that the allosteric inhibitors may impede the conformational change from open form to closed form and therefore inhibit m-NAD(P)-ME enzyme activity.

Discovery of a novel inhibitor of NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme (ME2) by high-throughput screening

AIM

Malic enzymes are oxidative decarboxylases with NAD(+) or NAD(P)(+) as cofactor that catalyze the conversion of L-malate to pyruvate and CO2. The aim of this study was to discover and characterize a potent inhibitor of human NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme 2 (ME2).

METHODS

Recombinant human ME2-His-Tag fusion protein was overexpressed in E coli and purified with Ni-NTA resin. A high-throughput screening (HTS) assay was developed to find ME2 inhibitors. Detergent Brij-35 was used to exclude false positives. The characteristics of the inhibitor were analyzed with enzyme kinetics analysis. A thermal shift assay for ME2 was carried out to verify the binding of the inhibitor with the enzyme.

RESULTS

An HTS system for discovering ME2 inhibitors was established with a Z' factor value of 0.775 and a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 9.80. A library containing 12 683 natural products was screened. From 47 hits, NPD387 was identified as an inhibitor of ME2. The primary structure-activity relationship study on NPD387 derivatives showed that one derivative NPD389 was more potent than the parent compound NPD387 (the IC50 of NPD389 was 4.63 ± 0.36 μmol/L or 5.59 ± 0.38 μmol/L, respectively, in the absence or presence of 0.01% Brij-35 in the assay system). The enzyme kinetics analysis showed that NPD389 was a fast-binding uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to the substrate NAD(+) and a mixed-type inhibitor with respect to the substrate L-malate.

CONCLUSION

NPD389 is a potent ME2 inhibitor that binds to the enzyme in a fast-binding mode, acting as an uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to the substrate NAD(+) and a mixed-type inhibitor with respect to the substrate L-malate.

Interactions among mitochondrial proteins altered in glioblastoma

Mitochondrial dysfunction is putatively central to glioblastoma (GBM) pathophysiology but there has been no systematic analysis in GBM of the proteins which are integral to mitochondrial function. Alterations in proteins in mitochondrial enriched fractions from patients with GBM were defined with label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. 256 mitochondrially-associated proteins were identified in mitochondrial enriched fractions and 117 of these mitochondrial proteins were markedly (fold-change ≥2) and significantly altered in GBM (p ≤ 0.05). Proteins associated with oxidative damage (including catalase, superoxide dismutase 2, peroxiredoxin 1 and peroxiredoxin 4) were increased in GBM. Protein–protein interaction analysis highlighted a reduction in multiple proteins coupled to energy metabolism (in particular respiratory chain proteins, including 23 complex-I proteins). Qualitative ultrastructural analysis in GBM with electron microscopy showed a notably higher prevalence of mitochondria with cristolysis in GBM. This study highlights the complex mitochondrial proteomic adjustments which occur in GBM pathophysiology.

Biochemical approaches to C4 photosynthesis evolution studies: the case of malic enzymes decarboxylases

C4 photosynthesis enables the capture of atmospheric CO2 and its concentration at the site of RuBisCO, thus counteracting the negative effects of low atmospheric levels of CO2 and high atmospheric levels of O2 (21 %) on photosynthesis. The evolution of this complex syndrome was a multistep process. It did not occur by simply recruiting pre-exiting components of the pathway from C3 ancestors which were already optimized for C4 function. Rather it involved modifications in the kinetics and regulatory properties of pre-existing isoforms of non-photosynthetic enzymes in C3 plants. Thus, biochemical studies aimed at elucidating the functional adaptations of these enzymes are central to the development of an integrative view of the C4 mechanism. In the present review, the most important biochemical approaches that we currently use to understand the evolution of the C4 isoforms of malic enzyme are summarized. It is expected that this information will help in the rational design of the best decarboxylation processes to provide CO2 for RuBisCO in engineering C3 species to perform C4 photosynthesis.

Fumarate and cytosolic pH as modulators of the synthesis or consumption of C(4) organic acids through NADP-malic enzyme in Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana is a plant species that accumulates high levels of organic acids and uses them as carbon, energy and reducing power sources. Among the enzymes that metabolize these compounds, one of the most important ones is malic enzyme (ME). A. thaliana contains four malic enzymes (NADP-ME 1-4) to catalyze the reversible oxidative decarboxylation of malate in the presence of NADP. NADP-ME2 is the only one located in the cell cytosol of all Arabidopsis organs providing most of the total NADP-ME activity. In the present work, the regulation of this key enzyme by fumarate was investigated by kinetic assays, structural analysis and a site-directed mutagenesis approach. The final effect of this metabolite on NADP-ME2 forward activity not only depends on fumarate and substrate concentrations but also on the pH of the reaction medium. Fumarate produced an increase in NADP-ME2 activity by binding to an allosteric site. However at higher concentrations, fumarate caused a competitive inhibition, excluding the substrate malate from binding to the active site. The characterization of ME2-R115A mutant, which is not activated by fumarate, confirms this hypothesis. In addition, the reverse reaction (reductive carboxylation of pyruvate) is also modulated by fumarate, but in a different way. The results indicate pH-dependence of the fumarate modulation with opposite behavior on the two activities analyzed. Thereby, the coordinated action of fumarate over the direct and reverse reactions would allow a precise and specific modulation of the metabolic flux through this enzyme, leading to the synthesis or degradation of C(4) compounds under certain conditions. Thus, the physiological context might be exerting an accurate control of ME activity in planta, through changes in metabolite and substrate concentrations and cytosolic pH.

Biophysical characterization of the dimer and tetramer interface interactions of the human cytosolic malic enzyme

The cytosolic NADP⁺-dependent malic enzyme (c-NADP-ME) has a dimer-dimer quaternary structure in which the dimer interface associates more tightly than the tetramer interface. In this study, the urea-induced unfolding process of the c-NADP-ME interface mutants was monitored using fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation and enzyme activities. Here, we demonstrate the differential protein stability between dimer and tetramer interface interactions of human c-NADP-ME. Our data clearly demonstrate that the protein stability of c-NADP-ME is affected predominantly by disruptions at the dimer interface rather than at the tetramer interface. First, during thermal stability experiments, the melting temperatures of the wild-type and tetramer interface mutants are 8–10°C higher than those of the dimer interface mutants. Second, during urea denaturation experiments, the thermodynamic parameters of the wild-type and tetramer interface mutants are almost identical. However, for the dimer interface mutants, the first transition of the urea unfolding curves shift towards a lower urea concentration, and the unfolding intermediate exist at a lower urea concentration. Third, for tetrameric WT c-NADP-ME, the enzyme is first dissociated from a tetramer to dimers before the 2 M urea treatment, and the dimers then dissociated into monomers before the 2.5 M urea treatment. With a dimeric tetramer interface mutant (H142A/D568A), the dimer completely dissociated into monomers after a 2.5 M urea treatment, while for a dimeric dimer interface mutant (H51A/D90A), the dimer completely dissociated into monomers after a 1.5 M urea treatment, indicating that the interactions of c-NADP-ME at the dimer interface are truly stronger than at the tetramer interface. Thus, this study provides a reasonable explanation for why malic enzymes need to assemble as a dimer of dimers.

Differential fumarate binding to Arabidopsis NAD+-malic enzymes 1 and -2 produces an opposite activity modulation

Arabidopsis mitochondria contain two NAD(+)-malic enzymes, NAD-ME1 and NAD-ME2. These proteins have similar affinity for their substrates but display opposite regulation by fumarate, which strongly stimulates NAD-ME1 but inhibits NAD-ME2 activity. Here, the interaction of NAD-ME1 and -2 with fumarate was investigated by kinetic approaches, urea denaturation assays and intrinsic fluorescence quenching, in the absence and presence of NAD(+). Fumarate inhibited NAD-ME2 at saturating, but not at low, levels of NAD(+), and it behaved as competitive inhibitor with respect to L-malate. In contrast, NAD-ME1 fumarate activation was higher at suboptimal NAD(+) concentrations. In the absence of cofactor, the fluorescence of both NAD-ME1 and -2 is quenched by fumarate. However, for NAD-ME2 the quenching arises from a collisional phenomenon, while in NAD-ME1 the fluorescence decay can be explained by a static process that involves fumarate binding to the protein. Furthermore, the residue Arg84 of NAD-ME1 is essential for fumarate binding, as the mutant protein R84A exhibits a collisional quenching by this metabolite. Together, the results indicate that the differential fumarate regulation of Arabidopsis NAD-MEs, which is further modulated by NAD(+) availability, is related to the gaining of an allosteric site for fumarate in NAD-ME1 and an active site-associated inhibition by this C(4)-organic acid in NAD-ME2.

Dynamic dissociating homo-oligomers and the control of protein function

Homo-oligomeric protein assemblies are known to participate in dynamic association/disassociation equilibria under native conditions, thus creating an equilibrium of assembly states. Such quaternary structure equilibria may be influenced in a physiologically significant manner either by covalent modification or by the non-covalent binding of ligands. This review follows the evolution of ideas about homo-oligomeric equilibria through the 20th and into the 21st centuries and the relationship of these equilibria to allosteric regulation by the non-covalent binding of ligands. A dynamic quaternary structure equilibria is described where the dissociated state can have alternate conformations that cannot reassociate to the original multimer; the alternate conformations dictate assembly to functionally distinct alternate multimers of finite stoichiometry. The functional distinction between different assemblies provides a mechanism for allostery. The requirement for dissociation distinguishes this morpheein model of allosteric regulation from the classical MWC concerted and KNF sequential models. These models are described alongside earlier dissociating allosteric models. The identification of proteins that exist as an equilibrium of diverse native quaternary structure assemblies has the potential to define new targets for allosteric modulation with significant consequences for further understanding and/or controlling protein structure and function. Thus, a rationale for identifying proteins that may use the morpheein model of allostery is presented and a selection of proteins for which published data suggests this mechanism may be operative are listed.

Mitochondrial NAD+-dependent malic enzyme from Anopheles stephensi: a possible novel target for malaria mosquito control

Background

Anopheles stephensi mitochondrial malic enzyme (ME) emerged as having a relevant role in the provision of pyruvate for the Krebs' cycle because inhibition of this enzyme results in the complete abrogation of oxygen uptake by mitochondria. Therefore, the identification of ME in mitochondria from immortalized A. stephensi (ASE) cells and the investigation of the stereoselectivity of malate analogues are relevant in understanding the physiological role of ME in cells of this important malaria parasite vector and its potential as a possible novel target for insecticide development.

Methods

To characterize the mitochondrial ME from immortalized ASE cells (Mos. 43; ASE), mass spectrometry analyses of trypsin fragments of ME, genomic sequence analysis and biochemical assays were performed to identify the enzyme and evaluate its activity in terms of cofactor dependency and inhibitor preference.

Results

The encoding gene sequence and primary sequences of several peptides from mitochondrial ME were found to be highly homologous to the mitochondrial ME from Anopheles gambiae (98%) and 59% homologous to the mitochondrial NADP⁺-dependent ME isoform from Homo sapiens. Measurements of ME activity in mosquito mitochondria isolated from ASE cells showed that (i) V_max with NAD⁺ was 3-fold higher than that with NADP⁺, (ii) addition of Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺ increased the V_max by 9- to 21-fold, with Mn²⁺ 2.3-fold more effective than Mg²⁺, (iii) succinate and fumarate increased the activity by 2- and 5-fold, respectively, at sub-saturating concentrations of malate, (iv) among the analogs of L-malate tested as inhibitors of the NAD⁺-dependent ME catalyzed reaction, small (2- to 3-carbons) organic diacids carrying a 2-hydroxyl/keto group behaved as the most potent inhibitors of ME activity (e.g., oxaloacetate, tartronic acid and oxalate).

Conclusions

The biochemical characterization of Anopheles stephensi ME is of critical relevance given its important role in bioenergetics, suggesting that it is a suitable target for insecticide development.

Separation and identification of HSP-associated protein complexes from pancreatic cancer cell lines using 2D CN/SDS-PAGE coupled with mass spectrometry

Protein complexes are a cornerstone of many biological processes and together they form various types of molecular machinery. A broad understanding of these protein complexes is crucial for revealing and building models of protein function and regulation. Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease which is difficult to diagnose at early stage and even more difficult to cure. In this study, we applied a gradient clear native gel system combined with subsequent second-dimensional SDS-PAGE to separate protein complexes from cell lysates of SW1990 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cell lines with different degrees of differentiation. Ten heat-shock-protein- (HSP-) associated protein complexes were separated and identified, and the differentially expressed proteins related to cancers were also found, such as HSP60, protein disulfide-isomerase A4 (ERp72), and transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (TER ATPase).

Determinants of nucleotide-binding selectivity of malic enzyme

Malic enzymes have high cofactor selectivity. An isoform-specific distribution of residues 314, 346, 347 and 362 implies that they may play key roles in determining the cofactor specificity. Currently, Glu314, Ser346, Lys347 and Lys362 in human c-NADP-ME were changed to the corresponding residues of human m-NAD(P)-ME (Glu, Lys, Tyr and Gln, respectively) or Ascaris suum m-NAD-ME (Ala, Ile, Asp and His, respectively). Kinetic data demonstrated that the S346K/K347Y/K362Q c-NADP-ME was transformed into a debilitated NAD⁺-utilizing enzyme, as shown by a severe decrease in catalytic efficiency using NADP⁺ as the cofactor without a significant increase in catalysis using NAD⁺ as the cofactor. However, the S346K/K347Y/K362H enzyme displayed an enhanced value for k(cat,NAD), suggesting that His at residue 362 may be more beneficial than Gln for NAD⁺ binding. Furthermore, the S346I/K347D/K362H mutant had a very large K(m,NADP) value compared to other mutants, suggesting that this mutant exclusively utilizes NAD⁺ as its cofactor. Since the S346K/K347Y/K362Q, S346K/K347Y/K362H and S346I/K347D/K362H c-NADP-ME mutants did not show significant reductions in their K(m,NAD) values, the E314A mutation was then introduced into these triple mutants. Comparison of the kinetic parameters of each triple-quadruple mutant pair (for example, S346K/K347Y/K362Q versus E314A/S346K/K347Y/K362Q) revealed that all of the K(m) values for NAD⁺ and NADP(+) of the quadruple mutants were significantly decreased, while either k(cat,NAD) or k(cat,NADP) was substantially increased. By adding the E314A mutation to these triple mutant enzymes, the E314A/S346K/K347Y/K362Q, E314A/S346K/K347Y/K362H and E314A/S346I/K347D/K362H c-NADP-ME variants are no longer debilitated but become mainly NAD⁺-utilizing enzymes by a considerable increase in catalysis using NAD⁺ as the cofactor. These results suggest that abolishing the repulsive effect of Glu314 in these quadruple mutants increases the binding affinity of NAD⁺. Here, we demonstrate that a series of E314A-containing c-NADP-ME quadruple mutants have been changed to NAD⁺-utilizing enzymes by abrogating NADP⁺ binding and increasing NAD⁺ binding.

Three different and tissue-specific NAD-malic enzymes generated by alternative subunit association in Arabidopsis thaliana

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains two genes encoding the mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME), NAD-ME1 (At2g13560) and NAD-ME2 (At4g00570). The characterization of recombinant NAD-ME1 and -2 indicated that both enzymes assemble as active homodimers; however, a heterodimeric enzyme (NAD-MEH) can also be detected by electrophoretic studies. To analyze the metabolic contribution of each enzymatic entity, NAD-MEH was obtained by a co-expression-based recombinant approach, and its kinetic and regulatory properties were analyzed. The three NAD-MEs show similar kinetic properties, although they differ in the regulation by several metabolic effectors. In this regard, whereas fumarate activates NAD-ME1 and CoA activates NAD-ME2, both compounds act synergistically on NAD-MEH activity. The characterization of two chimeric enzymes between NAD-ME1 and -2 allowed specific domains of the primary structure, which are involved in the differential allosteric regulation, to be identified. NAD-ME1 and -2 subunits showed a distinct pattern of accumulation in the separate components of the floral organ. In sepals, the NAD-ME1 subunit is present at a slightly higher proportion than the NAD-ME2 subunit, and thus, NAD-MEH and NAD-ME1 act in concert in this tissue. On the other hand, NAD-ME2 is the only isoform present in anthers. In view of the different properties of NAD-ME1, -2, and -H, we suggest that mitochondrial NAD-ME activity may be regulated by varying native association in vivo, rendering enzymatic entities with distinct allosteric regulation to fulfill specific roles. The presence of three different NAD-ME entities, which originate by alternative associations of two subunits, is suggested to be a novel phenomenon unique to plant mitochondria.

Identification of domains involved in the allosteric regulation of cytosolic Arabidopsis thaliana NADP-malic enzymes

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains four genes encoding NADP-malic enzymes (NADP-ME1-4). Two isoenzymes, NADP-ME2 and NADP-ME3, which are shown to be located in the cytosol, share a remarkably high degree of identity (90%). However, they display different expression patterns and show distinct kinetic properties, especially with regard to their regulation by effectors, in both the forward (malate oxidative decarboxylation) and reverse (pyruvate reductive carboxylation) reactions. In order to identify the domains in the primary structure that could be responsible for the regulatory differences, four chimeras between these isoenzymes were constructed and analysed. All chimeric versions exhibited the same native structures as the parental proteins. Analysis of the chimeras constructed indicated that the region from amino acid residue 303 to the C-terminal end of NADP-ME2 is critical for fumarate activation. However, the region flanked by amino acid residues 303 and 500 of NADP-ME3 is involved in the pH-dependent inhibition by high malate concentration. Furthermore, the N-terminal region of NADP-ME2 is necessary for the activation by succinate of the reverse reaction. Overall, the results show that NADP-ME2 and NADP-ME3 are able to distinguish and interact differently with similar C(4) acids as a result of minimal structural differences. Therefore, although the active sites of NADP-ME2 and NADP-ME3 are highly conserved, both isoenzymes acquire different allosteric sites, leading to the creation of proteins with unique regulatory mechanisms, probably best suited to the specific organ and developmental pattern of expression of each isoenzyme.

Effects of structural analogues of the substrate and allosteric regulator of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Fumarate, a four-carbon trans dicarboxylic acid, is the allosteric activator of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME). In this paper, we discuss the effects of the structural analogues of fumarate on human m-NAD(P)-ME. Succinate, a dicarboxylic acid with a carbon-carbon single bond, can also activate the enzyme, but the activating effect of succinate is less than that of fumarate. Succinamide, a diamide of succinate, cannot activate the enzyme and is a poor active-site inhibitor. The cis isomer of fumarate, maleic acid, significantly inhibits the ME activity, suggesting that the trans configuration of fumarate is crucial for operating the allosteric regulation of the enzyme. Other dicarboxylic acids, including glutaconic acid, malonic acid and alpha-ketoglutarate, cannot activate the enzyme and inversely inhibit enzyme activity. Our data suggest that these structural analogues are mainly active-site inhibitors, although they may enter the allosteric site to inhibit the enzyme. Furthermore, these data also suggest that the dicarboxylic acid must be in a trans conformation for allosteric activation of the enzyme.

Long-range interaction between the enzyme active site and a distant allosteric site in the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Our previous study has suggested that mutation of the amino acid residue Asp102 has a significant effect on the fumarate-mediated activation of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME). In this paper, we examine the cationic amino acid residue Arg98, which is adjacent to Asp102 and is highly conserved in most m-NAD(P)-MEs. A series of R98/D102 mutants were created to examine the possible interactions between Arg98 and Asp102 using the double-mutant cycle analysis. Kinetic analysis revealed that the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme was severely affected by mutating both Arg98 and Asp102 residues. However, the binding energy of these mutant enzymes to fumarate as determined by analysis of the K(A,Fum) values, show insignificant differences, indicating that the mutation of Arg98 and Asp102 did not cause a significant decrease in the binding affinity of fumarate. The overall coupling energies for R98K/D102N as determined by analysis of the k(cat)/K(m) and K(A,Fum) values were -2.95 and -0.32kcal/mol, respectively. According to these results, we conclude that substitution of both Arg98 and Asp102 residues has a synergistic effect on the catalytic ability of the enzyme.

Dual roles of Lys(57) at the dimer interface of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Human m-NAD(P)-ME [mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent ME (malic enzyme)] is a homotetramer, which is allosterically activated by the binding of fumarate. The fumarate-binding site is located at the dimer interface of the NAD(P)-ME. In the present study, we decipher the functional role of the residue Lys57, which resides at the fumarate-binding site and dimer interface, and thus may be involved in the allosteric regulation and subunit-subunit interaction of the enzyme. In the present study, Lys57 is replaced with alanine, cysteine, serine and arginine residues. Site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis strongly suggest that Lys57 is important for the fumarate-induced activation and quaternary structural organization of the enzyme. Lys57 mutant enzymes demonstrate a reduction of Km and an elevation of kcat following induction by fumarate binding, and also display a much higher maximal activation threshold than WT (wild-type), indicating that these Lys57 mutant enzymes have lower affinity for the effector fumarate. Furthermore, mutation of Lys57 in m-NAD(P)-ME causes the enzyme to become less active and lose co-operativity. It also increased K0.5,malate and decreased kcat values, indicating that the catalytic power of these mutant enzymes was significantly impaired following mutation of Lys57. Analytical ultracentrifugation analysis demonstrates that the K57A, K57S and K57C mutant enzymes dissociate predominantly into dimers, with some monomers present, whereas the K57R mutant forms a mixture of dimers and tetramers, with a small amount of the enzyme in monomeric form. The dimeric form of these Lys57 mutants, however, cannot be reconstituted into tetramers with the addition of fumarate. Modelling structures of the Lys57 mutant enzymes show that the hydrogen bond network in the dimer interface where Lys57 resides may be reduced compared with WT. Although the fumarate-induced activation effects are partially maintained in these Lys57 mutant enzymes, the mutant enzymes cannot be reconstituted into tetramers through fumarate binding and cannot recover their full enzymatic activity. In the present study, we demonstrate that the Lys57 residue plays dual functional roles in the structural integrity of the allosteric site and in the subunit-subunit interaction at the dimer interface of human m-NAD(P)-ME.

Functional roles of the tetramer organization of malic enzyme

Malic enzyme has a dimer of dimers quaternary structure in which the dimer interface associates more tightly than the tetramer interface. In addition, the enzyme has distinct active sites within each subunit. The mitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD(P)-ME) isoform behaves cooperatively and allosterically and exhibits a quaternary structure in dimer-tetramer equilibrium. The cytosolic NADP(+)-dependent malic enzyme (c-NADP-ME) isoform is noncooperative and nonallosteric and exists as a stable tetramer. In this study, we analyze the essential factors governing the quaternary structure stability for human c-NADP-ME and m-NAD(P)-ME. Site-directed mutagenesis at the dimer and tetramer interfaces was employed to generate a series of dimers of c-NADP-ME and m-NAD(P)-ME. Size distribution analysis demonstrated that human c-NADP-ME exists mainly as a tetramer, whereas human m-NAD(P)-ME exists as a mixture of dimers and tetramers. Kinetic data indicated that the enzyme activity of c-NADP-ME is not affected by disruption of the interface. There are no significant differences in the kinetic properties between AB and AD dimers, and the dimeric form of c-NADP-ME is as active as tetramers. In contrast, disrupting the interface of m-NAD(P)-ME causes the enzyme to be less active than wild type and to become less cooperative for malate binding; the k(cat) values of mutants decreased with increasing K(d,24) values, indicating that the dissociation of subunits at the dimer or tetramer interfaces significantly affects the enzyme activity. The above results suggest that the tetramer is required for a fully functional m-NAD(P)-ME. Taken together, the analytical ultracentrifugation data and the kinetic analysis of these interface mutants demonstrate the differential role of tetramer organization for the c-NADP-ME and m-NAD(P)-ME isoforms. The regulatory mechanism of m-NAD(P)-ME is closely related to the tetramer formation of this isoform.

Functional role of fumarate site Glu59 involved in allosteric regulation and subunit-subunit interaction of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme

Here we report on the role of Glu59 in the fumarate-mediated allosteric regulation of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD-ME). In the present study, Glu59 was substituted by Asp, Gln or Leu. Our kinetic data strongly indicated that the charge properties of this residue significantly affect the allosteric activation of the enzyme. The E59L enzyme shows nonallosteric kinetics and the E59Q enzyme displays a much higher threshold in enzyme activation with elevated activation constants, K(A,Fum) and alphaK(A,Fum). The E59D enzyme, although retaining the allosteric property, is quite different from the wild-type in enzyme activation. The K(A,Fum) and alphaK(A,Fum) of E59D are also much greater than those of the wild-type, indicating that not only the negative charge of this residue but also the group specificity and side chain interactions are important for fumarate binding. Analytical ultracentrifugation analysis shows that both the wild-type and E59Q enzymes exist as a dimer-tetramer equilibrium. In contrast to the E59Q mutant, the E59D mutant displays predominantly a dimer form, indicating that the quaternary stability in the dimer interface is changed by shortening one carbon side chain of Glu59 to Asp59. The E59L enzyme also shows a dimer-tetramer model similar to that of the wild-type, but it displays more dimers as well as monomers and polymers. Malate cooperativity is not significantly notable in the E59 mutant enzymes, suggesting that the cooperativity might be related to the molecular geometry of the fumarate-binding site. Glu59 can precisely maintain the geometric specificity for the substrate cooperativity. According to the sequence alignment analysis and our experimental data, we suggest that charge effect and geometric specificity are both critical factors in enzyme regulation. Glu59 discriminates human m-NAD-ME from mitochondrial NADP+-dependent malic enzyme and cytosolic NADP+-dependent malic enzyme in fumarate activation and malate cooperativity.

Engineering of the cofactor specificities and isoform-specific inhibition of malic enzyme

Malic enzyme (ME) is a family of enzymes that catalyze a reversible oxidative decarboxylation of l-malate to pyruvate with simultaneous reduction of NAD(P)(+) to NAD(P)H. According to the cofactor specificity, the mammalian enzyme can be categorized into three isoforms. The cytosolic (c) and mitochondrial (m) NADP(+)-dependent MEs utilize NADP(+) as the cofactor. The mitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-dependent ME can use either NAD(+) or NADP(+) as the cofactor. In addition, the m-NAD(P)-ME isoform can be inhibited by ATP and allosterically activated by fumarate. In this study, we delineated the determinants for cofactor specificity and isoform-specific inhibition among the ME isoforms. Our data strongly suggest that residue 362 is the decisive factor determining cofactor preference. All the mutants containing Q362K (Q362K, K346S/Q362K, Y347K/Q362K, and K346S/Y347K/Q362K) have a larger k(cat,NADP) value compared with the k(cat,NAD) value, indicating that the enzyme has changed to use NADP(+) as the preferred cofactor. Furthermore, we suggest that Lys-346 in m-NAD(P)-ME is crucial for the isoform-specific ATP inhibition. The enzymes containing the K346S mutation (K346S, K346S/Y347K, K346S/Q362K, and K346S/Y347K/Q362K) are much less inhibited by ATP and have a larger K(i,ATP) value. Kinetic analysis also suggests that residue 347 functions in cofactor specificity. Here we demonstrate that the human K346S/Y347K/Q362K m-NAD(P)-ME has completely shifted its cofactor preference to become an NADP(+)-specific ME. In the triple mutant, Lys-362, Lys-347, and Ser-346 work together and function synergistically to increase the binding affinity for NADP(+).

Influential factor contributing to the isoform-specific inhibition by ATP of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme: functional roles of the nucleotide binding site Lys346

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD-ME) is a malic enzyme isoform with dual cofactor specificity, ATP inhibition and substrate cooperativity. The determinant of ATP inhibition in malic enzyme isoforms has not yet been identified. Sequence alignment of nucleotide-binding sites of ME isoforms revealed that Lys346 is conserved uniquely in m-NAD-ME. In other ME isoforms, this residue is serine. As the inhibitory effect of ATP is more pronounced on m-NAD-ME than on other ME isoforms, we have examined the possible role of Lys346 by replacing it to alanine, serine or arginine. Our kinetic data indicate that the K346S mutant enzyme displays a shift in its cofactor preference from NAD(+) to NADP(+) upon increasing k(cat,NADP) and decreasing K(m,NADP). Furthermore, the cooperative binding of malate becomes less significant in human m-NAD-ME after mutation of Lys346. The h value for the wild-type is close to 2, but those of the K346 mutants are approximately 1.5. The K346 mutants can also be activated by fumarate and the cooperative effect can be abolished by fumarate, suggesting that the allosteric property is retained in these mutants. Our data strongly suggest that Lys346 in human m-NAD-ME is required for ATP inhibition. Mutation of Lys346 to Ser or Ala causes the enzyme to be much less sensitive to ATP, similar to cytosolic NADP-dependent malic enzyme. Substitution of Lys to Arg did not change the isoform-specific inhibition of the enzyme by ATP. The inhibition constants of ATP are increased for K346S and K346A, but are similar to those of the wild-type for K346R, suggesting that the positive charge rather than group specificity is required for binding affinity of ATP. Thus, ATP inhibition is proposed to be determined by the electrostatic potential involving the positive charge on the side chain of Lys346.

A shared binding site for NAD+ and coenzyme A in an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase involved in bacterial degradation of aromatic compounds

The meta-cleavage pathway for catechol is a central pathway for the bacterial dissimilation of a wide variety of aromatic compounds, including phenols, methylphenols, naphthalenes, and biphenyls. The last enzyme of the pathway is a bifunctional aldolase/dehydrogenase that converts 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate to pyruvate and acetyl-CoA via acetaldehyde. The structure of the NAD (+)/CoASH-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase subunit is similar to that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, with a Rossmann fold-based NAD (+) binding site observed in the NAD (+)-enzyme complex [Manjasetty, B. A., et al. (2003) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 6992-6997]. However, the location of the CoASH binding site was not determined. In this study, hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments, coupled with peptic digest and mass spectrometry, were used to examine cofactor binding. The pattern of hydrogen-deuterium exchange in the presence of CoASH was almost identical to that observed with NAD (+), consistent with the two cofactors sharing a binding site. This is further supported by the observations that either CoASH or NAD (+) is able to elute the enzyme from an NAD (+) affinity column and that preincubation of the enzyme with NAD (+) protects against inactivation by CoASH. Consistent with these data, models of the CoASH complex generated using AUTODOCK showed that the docked conformation of CoASH can fully occupy the cavity containing the enzyme active site, superimposing with the NAD (+) cofactor observed in the X-ray crystal structure. Although CoASH binding Rossmann folds have been described previously, this is the first reported example of a Rossmann fold that can alternately bind CoASH or NAD (+) cofactors required for enzymatic catalysis.

Arabidopsis thaliana NADP-malic enzyme isoforms: high degree of identity but clearly distinct properties

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains four NADP-malic enzymes genes (NADP-ME1-4). NADP-ME4 is localized to plastids whereas the other isoforms are cytosolic. NADP-ME2 and 4 are constitutively expressed, while NADP-ME1 is restricted to secondary roots and NADP-ME3 to trichomes and pollen. Although the four isoforms share remarkably high degree of identity (75-90%), recombinant NADP-ME1 through 4 show distinct kinetic properties, both in the forward (malate oxidative decarboxylation) and reverse (pyruvate reductive carboxylation) reactions. The four isoforms behave differently in terms of reversibility, with NADP-ME2 presenting the highest reverse catalytic efficiency. When analyzing the activity of each isoform in the presence of metabolic effectors, NADP-ME2 was the most highly regulated isoform, especially in its activation by certain effectors. Several metabolites modulate both the forward and reverse reactions, exhibiting dual effects in some cases. Therefore, pyruvate reductive carboxylation may be relevant in vivo, especially in some cellular compartments and conditions. In order to identify residues or segments of the NADP-ME primary structure that could be involved in the differences among the isoforms, NADP-ME2 mutants and deletions were analysed. The results obtained show that Arg115 is involved in fumarate activation, while the amino-terminal part is critical for aspartate and CoA activation, as well as for the reverse reaction. As a whole, these studies show that minimal changes in the primary structure are responsible for the different kinetic behaviour of each AtNADP-ME isoform. In this way, the co-expression of some isoforms in the same cellular compartment would not imply redundancy but represents specificity of function.

Metal ions stabilize a dimeric molten globule state between the open and closed forms of malic enzyme

Malic enzyme is a tetrameric protein with double dimer quaternary structure. In 3-5 M urea, the pigeon cytosolic NADP(+)-dependent malic enzyme unfolded and aggregated into various forms with dimers as the basic unit. Under the same denaturing conditions but in the presence of 4 mM Mn(2+), the enzyme existed exclusively as a molten globule dimer in solution. Similar to pigeon enzyme (Chang, G. G., T. M. Huang, and T. C. Chang. 1988. Biochem. J. 254:123-130), the human mitochondrial NAD(+)-dependent malic enzyme also underwent a reversible tetramer-dimer-monomer quaternary structural change in an acidic pH environment, which resulted in a molten globule state that is also prone to aggregate. The aggregation of pigeon enzyme was attributable to Trp-572 side chain. Mutation of Trp-572 to Phe, His, Ile, Ser, or Ala abolished the protective effect of the metal ions. The cytosolic malic enzyme was completely digested within 2 h by trypsin. In the presence of Mn(2+), a specific cutting site in the Lys-352-Gly-Arg-354 region was able to generate a unique polypeptide with M(r) of 37 kDa, and this polypeptide was resistant to further digestion. These results indicate that, during the catalytic process of malic enzyme, binding metal ion induces a conformational change within the enzyme from the open form to an intermediate form, which upon binding of L-malate, transforms further into a catalytically competent closed form.