Properties of a multimeric protein complex from chloroplasts possessing potential activities of NADPH-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoribulokinase

Redox regulation of the Calvin-Benson cycle: something old, something new

Reversible redox post-translational modifications such as oxido-reduction of disulfide bonds, S-nitrosylation, and S-glutathionylation, play a prominent role in the regulation of cell metabolism and signaling in all organisms. These modifications are mainly controlled by members of the thioredoxin and glutaredoxin families. Early studies in photosynthetic organisms have identified the Calvin-Benson cycle, the photosynthetic pathway responsible for carbon assimilation, as a redox regulated process. Indeed, 4 out of 11 enzymes of the cycle were shown to have a low activity in the dark and to be activated in the light through thioredoxin-dependent reduction of regulatory disulfide bonds. The underlying molecular mechanisms were extensively studied at the biochemical and structural level. Unexpectedly, recent biochemical and proteomic studies have suggested that all enzymes of the cycle and several associated regulatory proteins may undergo redox regulation through multiple redox post-translational modifications including glutathionylation and nitrosylation. The aim of this review is to detail the well-established mechanisms of redox regulation of Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes as well as the most recent reports indicating that this pathway is tightly controlled by multiple interconnected redox post-translational modifications. This redox control is likely allowing fine tuning of the Calvin-Benson cycle required for adaptation to varying environmental conditions, especially during responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Identification of CP12 as a Novel Calcium-Binding Protein in Chloroplasts

Calcium plays an important role in the regulation of several chloroplast processes. However, very little is still understood about the calcium fluxes or calcium-binding proteins present in plastids. Indeed, classical EF-hand containing calcium-binding proteins appears to be mostly absent from plastids. In the present study we analyzed the stroma fraction of Arabidopsis chloroplasts for the presence of novel calcium-binding proteins using 2D-PAGE separation followed by calcium overlay assay. A small acidic protein was identified by mass spectrometry analyses as the chloroplast protein CP12 and the ability of CP12 to bind calcium was confirmed with recombinant proteins. CP12 plays an important role in the regulation of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham Cycle participating in the assembly of a supramolecular complex between phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, indicating that calcium signaling could play a role in regulating carbon fixation.

Exploration of CP12 conformational changes and of quaternary structural properties using electrospray ionization traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

CP12 is a small chloroplast protein involved in the Benson-Calvin cycle. Since it was demonstrated that the CP12 protein shared different conformational properties between reduced and oxidized states we took advantage of the segregational properties of the Traveling Wave Ion Mobility (TWIM) guide to study subtle conformational changes related to redox changes.

METHODS

Electrospray ionization mass (ESI-MS) spectra of the CP12 protein were recorded in the positive ion mode using an ESI source fitted on a quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF) hybrid mass spectrometer equipped with a TWIM cell (Synapt HDMS G1, Waters Corp., Manchester) under non-denaturing conditions. Non-covalent experiments were performed using the same instrument without the use of the TWIM device.

RESULTS

Whatever the CP12 form studied, our results showed that CP12 protein was represented by two conformers in equilibrium that displayed very slight differences. These observations led us to propose that CP12 protein structure is rather undergoing transient subtle structural changes than having two different conformational populations in solution. In addition, using non-denaturing experiments, NAD and CP12 stoichiometry were determined with respect to the GAPDH tetramer and the redox state of CP12.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study we showed that the use of the segregational property of the ion mobility (TWIM, Synapt G1 HDMS, Waters, Manchester, UK) allowed differentiation of subtle conformational changes between redox states of the CP12 protein. Standard non-denaturing experiments revealed different binding stoichiometry according to the redox state of the CP12 protein.

Thioredoxin-mediated reversible dissociation of a stromal multiprotein complex in response to changes in light availability

A Calvin cycle multiprotein complex including phosphoribulokinase (PRK), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and a small protein, CP12, has previously been identified. In this article, we have studied this complex in leaves and have shown that dissociation and reassociation of the PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex occurs in a time frame of minutes, allowing for rapid regulation of enzyme activity. Furthermore, we have shown that the extent of formation and dissociation of the PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex correlates with the quantity of light. These data provide evidence linking the status of this complex with the rapid and subtle regulation of GAPDH and PRK activities in response to fluctuations in light availability. We have also demonstrated that dissociation of this complex depends on electron transport chain activity and that the major factor involved in the dissociation of the pea complex was thioredoxin f. We show here that both PRK and GAPDH are present in the reduced form in leaves in the dark, but are inactive, demonstrating the role of the PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex in deactivating these enzymes in response to reductions in light intensity. Based on our data, we propose a model for thioredoxin f-mediated activation of PRK and GAPDH by two mechanisms: directly through reduction of disulfide bonds within these enzymes and indirectly by mediating the breakdown of the complex in response to changes in light intensity.

Redox regulation of chloroplast enzymes in Galdieria sulphuraria in view of eukaryotic evolution

Redox modulation is a general mechanism for enzyme regulation, particularly for the post-translational regulation of the Calvin cycle in chloroplasts of green plants. Although red algae and photosynthetic protists that harbor plastids of red algal origin contribute greatly to global carbon fixation, relatively little is known about post-translational regulation of chloroplast enzymes in this important group of photosynthetic eukaryotes. To address this question, we used biochemistry, phylogenetics and analysis of recently completed genome sequences. We studied the functionality of the chloroplast enzymes phosphoribulokinase (PRK, EC 2.7.1.19), NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP-GAPDH, GapA, EC 1.2.1.13), fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase, EC 3.1.3.11) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49), as well as NADP-malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH, EC 1.1.1.37) in the unicellular red alga Galdieria sulphuraria (Galdieri) Merola. Despite high sequence similarity of G. sulphuraria proteins to those of other photosynthetic organisms, we found a number of distinct differences. Both PRK and GAPDH co-eluted with CP12 in a high molecular weight complex in the presence of oxidized glutathione, although Galdieria CP12 lacks the two cysteines essential for the formation of the N-terminal peptide loop present in higher plants. However, PRK inactivation upon complex formation turned out to be incomplete. G6PDH was redox modulated, but remained in its tetrameric form; FBPase was poorly redox regulated, despite conservation of the two redox-active cysteines. No indication for the presence of plastidic NADP-MDH (and other components of the malate valve) was found.

Thioredoxin-dependent regulation of photosynthetic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: autonomous vs. CP12-dependent mechanisms

Regulation of the Calvin-Benson cycle under varying light/dark conditions is a common property of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and photosynthetic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is one of the targets of this complex regulatory system. In cyanobacteria and most algae, photosynthetic GAPDH is a homotetramer of GapA subunits which do not contain regulatory domains. In these organisms, dark-inhibition of the Calvin-Benson cycle involves the formation of a kinetically inhibited supramolecular complex between GAPDH, the regulatory peptide CP12 and phosphoribulokinase. Conditions prevailing in the dark, i.e. oxidation of thioredoxins and low NADP(H)/NAD(H) ratio promote aggregation. Although this regulatory system has been inherited in higher plants, these phototrophs contain in addition a second type of GAPDH subunits (GapB) resulting from the fusion of GapA with the C-terminal half of CP12. Heterotetrameric A(2)B(2)-GAPDH constitutes the major photosynthetic GAPDH isoform of higher plants chloroplasts and coexists with CP12 and A(4)-GAPDH. GapB subunits of A(2)B(2)-GAPDH have inherited from CP12 a regulatory domain (CTE for C-terminal extension) which makes the enzyme sensitive to thioredoxins and pyridine nucleotides, resembling the GAPDH/CP12/PRK system. The two systems are similar in other respects: oxidizing conditions and low NADP(H)/NAD(H) ratios promote aggregation of A(2)B(2)-GAPDH into strongly inactivated A(8)B(8)-GAPDH hexadecamers, and both CP12 and CTE specifically affect the NADPH-dependent activity of GAPDH. The alternative, lower activity with NADH is always unaffected. Based on the crystal structure of spinach A(4)-GAPDH and the analysis of site-specific mutants, a model of the autonomous (CP12-independent) regulatory mechanism of A(2)B(2)-GAPDH is proposed. Both CP12 and CTE seem to regulate different photosynthetic GAPDH isoforms according to a common and ancient molecular mechanism.

Regulation of photosynthetic GAPDH dissected by mutants

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of higher plants catalyzes an NADPH-consuming reaction, which is part of the Calvin cycle. This reaction is regulated by light via thioredoxins and metabolites, while a minor NADH-dependent activity is constant and constitutive. The major native isozyme is formed by A- and B-subunits in stoichiometric ratio (A2B2, A8B8), but tetramers of recombinant B-subunits (GapB) display similar regulatory features to A2B2-GAPDH. The C-terminal extension (CTE) of B-subunits is essential for thioredoxin-mediated regulation and NAD-induced aggregation to partially inactive oligomers (A8B8, B8). Deletion mutant B(minCTE) is redox insensitive and invariably tetrameric, and chimeric mutant A(plusCTE) acquired redox sensitivity and capacity to aggregate to very large oligomers in presence of NAD. Redox regulation principally affects the turnover number, without significantly changing the affinity for either 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate or NADPH. Mutant R77A of GapB, B(R77A), is down-regulated and mimics the behavior of oxidized GapB under any redox condition, whereas mutant B(E362Q) is constantly up-regulated, resembling reduced GapB. Despite their redox insensitivity, both B(R77A) and B(E362Q) mutants are notably prone to aggregate in presence of NAD. Based on structural data and current functional analysis, a model of GAPDH redox regulation is presented. Formation of a disulfide in the CTE induces a conformational change of the GAPDH with repositioning of the terminal amino acid Glu-362 in the proximity of Arg-77. The latter residue is thus distracted from binding the 2'-phosphate of NADP, with the final effect that the enzyme relaxes to a conformation leading to a slower NADPH-dependent catalytic activity.

Mass spectrometric analysis of the interactions between CP12, a chloroplast protein, and metal ions: a possible regulatory role within a PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex

The small chloroplast protein CP12 plays the role of a protein linker in the assembly process of a PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex that is involved in CO2 assimilation in photosynthetic organisms. The redox state of CP12 regulates its role as a protein linker. Only the oxidized protein, with two disulfide bonds, is active in complex formation. Several observations indicating that CP12 might bind a metal ion led us to screen the binding of different metal ions on oxidized or reduced CP12 using non-covalent electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) experiments. The oxidized protein bound specifically Cu2+ and Ni2+ (Kd of 26+/-1 microM and 11+/-1 microM, respectively); other cations such as Fe2+ and Zn2+ did not bind, while cations such as Cd2+ formed non-specific adducts to CP12. Similar results were obtained for metal ions on screening with the reduced CP12. Interestingly, the present results suggest that Cu2+ catalyzes the re-formation of the disulfide bonds of the reduced CP12, leading to recovery of the fully oxidized CP12 that is then able to bind a Cu2+ ion. Finally the high similarity between CP12 and copper chaperones from Arabidopsis thaliana, as judged by hydrophobic cluster analysis, provides additional evidence for the relevance of metal binding for the in vivo situation. The findings that CP12 is able to bind a metal ion, and that Cu2+ catalyzes the oxidation of the thiol groups of CP12, are new characteristics of this protein that may prove to be important in the regulation of the assembly process of the PRK/GAPDH/CP12 complex.

Involvement of two positively charged residues of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the assembly process of a bi-enzyme complex involved in CO2 assimilation

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is part of a complex that also includes phosphoribulokinase (PRK) and CP12. We identified two residues of GAPDH involved in protein-protein interactions in this complex, by changing residues K128 and R197 into A or E. K128A/E mutants had a Km for NADH that was twice that of the wild type and a lower catalytic constant, whatever the cofactor. The kinetics of the mutant R197A were similar to those of the wild type, while the R197E mutant had a lower catalytic constant with NADPH. Only small structural changes near the mutation may have caused these differences, since circular dichroism and fluorescence spectra were similar to those of wild-type GAPDH. Molecular modelling of the mutants led to the same conclusion. All mutants, except R197E, reconstituted the GAPDH-CP12 subcomplex. Although the dissociation constants measured by surface plasmon resonance were 10-70-fold higher with the mutants than with wild-type GAPDH and CP12, they remained low. For the R197E mutation, we calculated a 4 kcal/mol destabilizing effect, which may correspond to the loss of the stabilizing effect of a salt bridge for the interaction between GAPDH and CP12. All the mutant GAPDH-CP12 subcomplexes failed to interact with PRK and to form the native complex. The absence of kinetic changes of all the mutant GAPDH-CP12 subcomplexes, compared to wild-type GAPDH-CP12, suggests that mutants do not undergo the conformation change essential for PRK binding.

Emergence of new regulatory mechanisms in the Benson-Calvin pathway via protein-protein interactions: a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase/CP12/phosphoribulokinase complex

Protein-protein interactions are involved in many metabolic pathways. This review will focus on the role of such associations in CO2 assimilation (Benson-Calvin cycle) and especially on the involvement of a GAPDH/CP12/PRK complex which has been identified in many photosynthetic organisms and may have an important role in the regulation of CO2 assimilation. The emergence of new kinetic and regulatory properties as a consequence of protein-protein interactions will be addressed as well as some of the questions raised by the existence of these supramolecular complexes such as composition, function, and assembly pathways. The presence and role of small intrinsically unstructured proteins like the 8.5 kDa protein CP12, involved in the regulation and/or assembly of these complexes will be discussed.

Modulation, via protein-protein interactions, of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity through redox phosphoribulokinase regulation

The activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) embedded in the phosphoribulokinase (PRK).GAPDH.CP12 complex was increased 2-3-fold by reducing agents. This occurred by interaction with PRK as the cysteinyl sulfhydryls (4 SH/subunit) of GAPDH within the complex were unchanged whatever the redox state of the complex. But isolated GAPDH was not activated. Alkylation plus mass spectrometry also showed that PRK had one disulfide bridge and three SH groups per monomer in the active oxidized complex. Reduction disrupted this disulfide bridge to give 2 more SH groups and a much more active enzyme. We assessed the kinetics and dynamics of the interactions between PRK and GAPDH/CP12 using biosensors to measure complex formation in real time. The apparent equilibrium binding constant for GAPDH/CP12 and PRK was 14 +/- 1.6 nm for oxidized PRK and 62 +/- 10 nm for reduced PRK. These interactions were neither pH- nor temperature-dependent. Thus, the dynamics of PRK.GAPDH.CP12 complex formation and GAPDH activity are modulated by the redox state of PRK.

Thermodynamic analysis of the emergence of new regulatory properties in a phosphoribulokinase-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase complex

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoribulokinase exist as stable enzymes and as part of a complex in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We show here that phosphoribulokinase exerts an imprinting on glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, which affects its catalysis by decreasing the energy barrier of the reactions with NADH or NADPH by 3.8 +/- 0.5 and 1.3 +/- 0.3 kJ.mol(-1). Phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase within the complex are regulated by NADP(H) but not by NAD(H). The activities of the metastable phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase released from the complex preincubated with NADP(H) are different from those of the metastable enzymes released from the untreated complex. NADP(H) increases phosphoribulokinase and NADPH-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities with a (~)K(0.5 (NADP)) of 0.68 +/- 0.16 mm and a (~)K(0.5 (NADPH)) of 2.93 +/- 0.87 mm and decreases NADH-dependent activity. 1 mm NADP increases the energy barrier of the NADH-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase-dependent reaction by 1.8 +/- 0.2 kJ.mol(-1) and decreases that of the reactions catalyzed by phosphoribulokinase and NADPH-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase by 3 +/- 0.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.3 kJ.mol(-1), respectively. These cofactors have no effect on the independent stable enzymes. Therefore, protein-protein interactions may give rise to new regulatory properties.

Striking conformational change suspected within the phosphoribulokinase dimer induced by interaction with GAPDH

A multitechnique approach was used to study the [glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase](2 x 4)-[phosphoribulokinase](2 x 2) multienzymatic complex of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. On the one hand, each component of the complex was compared with known atomic structures of related enzymes or of similar enzymes originating from different organisms. On the other hand, the overall low resolution architecture of the whole complex was studied using cryoelectron microscopy and image processing techniques. The dimers of phosphoribulokinase are suspected to undergo a dramatic change in activity during a cycle of binding and detaching from tetramers of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. This is likely supported by strong structural differences between the modeled phosphoribulokinase dimers and the counterpart in the three-dimensional reconstruction volume of the whole complex obtained from cryoelectron microscope images.

Phosphoribulokinase: current perspectives on the structure/function basis for regulation and catalysis

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK), an enzyme unique to the reductive pentose phosphate pathway of CO2 assimilation, exhibits distinctive contrasting properties when the proteins from eukaryotic and prokaryotic sources are compared. The eukaryotic PRKs are typically dimers of -39 kDa subunits while the prokaryotic PRKs are octamers of -32 kDa subunits. The enzymes from these two classes are regulated by different mechanisms. Thioredoxin of mediated thiol-disulfide exchange interconverts eukaryotic PRKs between reduced (active) and oxidized (inactive) forms. Allosteric effectors, including activator NADH and inhibitors AMP and phosphoenolpyruvate, regulate activity of prokaryotic PRK. The effector binding site has been identified in the high resolution structure recently elucidated for prokaryotic PRK and the7 apparatus for transmission of the allosteric stimulus has been identified. Additional contrasts between PRKs include marked differences in primary structure between eukaryotic and prokaryotic PRKs. Alignment of all available deduced PRK sequences indicates that less than 10% of the amino acid residues are invariant. In contrast to these differences, the mechanism for ribulose 1,5-biphosphate synthesis from ATP and ribulose 5-phosphate (Ru5P) appears to be the same for all PRKs. Consensus sequences associated with M++-ATP binding, identified in all PRK proteins, are closely juxtaposed to the residue proposed to function as general base catalyst. Sequence homology and mutagenesis approaches have suggested several residues that may potentially function in Ru5P binding. Not all of these proposed Ru5P binding residues are closely juxtaposed in the structure of unliganded PRK. Mechanistic approaches have been employed to investigate the amino acids which influence K(m Ru5P) and identify those amino acids most directly involved in Ru5P binding. PRK is one member of a family of phospho or sulfo transferase proteins which exhibit a nucleotide monophosphate kinase fold. Structure/function correlations elucidated for PRK suggest analogous assignments for other members of this family of proteins.

Kinetic and mutational analyses of the regulation of phosphoribulokinase by thioredoxins

Despite little supportive data, differential target protein susceptibility to redox regulation by thioredoxin (Trx) f and Trx m has been invoked to account for two distinct Trxs in chloroplasts. However, this postulate has not been rigorously tested with phosphoribulokinase (PRK), a fulcrum for redox regulation of the Calvin cycle. Prerequisite to Trx studies, the activation of spinach PRK by dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol, and glutathione was examined. Contrary to prior reports, each activated PRK, but only dithiothreitol supported Trx-dependent activation. Comparative kinetics of activation of PRK showed Trx m to be more efficient than Trx f because of its 40% higher V(max) but similar S(0.5). Activations were insensitive to ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase, which may complex with PRK in vivo. To probe the basis for superiority of Trx m, we characterized site-directed mutants of Trx f, in which unique residues in conserved regions were replaced with Trx m counterparts or deleted. These changes generally resulted in V(max) enhancements, the largest (6-fold) of which occurred with T105I, reflective of substitution in a hydrophobic region that opposes the active site. Inclusive of the present study, activation kinetics of several different Trx-regulated enzymes indicate redundancy in the functions of the chloroplastic Trxs.

Memory and imprinting in multienzyme complexes. Evidence for information transfer from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to phosphoribulokinase under reduced state in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The phosphoribulokinase, when it is in a reduced state in a bi-enzyme complex, is more active than when it is oxidized. This complex dissociates upon dilution to give a metastable reduced form of phosphoribulokinase, which differs from the stable form isolated beside the complex. The kinetic parameters of the reduced stable phosphoribulokinase and those of the complex are very similar, unlike those of the metastable form. Although the kinetic mechanism of the reduced stable form is ordered, with ribulose-5-phosphate binding first, ATP binds first to the phosphoribulokinase in the complex and to the metastable form. Therefore, phosphoribulokinase bears an imprint from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase after disruption of the complex. Dissociation of phosphoribulokinase from the complex also enhances its flexibility. The imprinting and greater flexibility result in the catalytic constant of dissociated phosphoribulokinase being 10-fold higher than that of the enzyme in the complex. Imprinting corresponds to stabilization-destabilization energies resulting from conformation changes generated by protein-protein interactions. The energy stored within the metastable phosphoribulokinase is mainly used to decrease the energy barrier to catalysis.

D-Ribulose-5-phosphate 3-epimerase: cloning and heterologous expression of the spinach gene, and purification and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

We have achieved, to our knowledge, the first high-level heterologous expression of the gene encoding D-ribulose-5-phosphate 3-epimerase from any source, thereby permitting isolation and characterization of the epimerase as found in photosynthetic organisms. The extremely labile recombinant spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) enzyme was stabilized by DL-alpha-glycerophosphate or ethanol and destabilized by D-ribulose-5-phosphate or 2-mercaptoethanol. Despite this lability, the unprecedentedly high specific activity of the purified material indicates that the structural integrity of the enzyme is maintained throughout isolation. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate and divalent metal cations did not affect epimerase activity, thereby excluding a requirement for the latter in catalysis. As deduced from the sequence of the cloned spinach gene and the electrophoretic mobility under denaturing conditions of the purified recombinant enzyme, its 25-kD subunit size was about the same as that of the corresponding epimerases of yeast and mammals. However, in contrast to these other species, the recombinant spinach enzyme was octameric rather than dimeric, as assessed by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. Western-blot analyses with antibodies to the purified recombinant enzyme confirmed that the epimerase extracted from spinach leaves is also octameric.

CP12 provides a new mode of light regulation of Calvin cycle activity in higher plants

CP12 is a small nuclear encoded chloroplast protein of higher plants, which was recently shown to interact with NAD(P)H-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; EC 1.2.1. 13), one of the key enzymes of the reductive pentosephosphate cycle (Calvin cycle). Screening of a pea cDNA library in the yeast two-hybrid system for proteins that interact with CP12, led to the identification of a second member of the Calvin cycle, phosphoribulokinase (PRK; EC 2.7.1.19), as a further specific binding partner for CP12. The exchange of cysteines for serines in CP12 demonstrate that interaction with PRK occurs at the N-terminal peptide loop of CP12. Size exclusion chromatography and immunoprecipitation assays reveal the existence of a stable 600-kDa PRK/CP12/GAPDH complex in the stroma of higher plant chloroplasts. Its stoichiometry is proposed to be of two N-terminally dimerized CP12 molecules, each carrying one PRK dimer on its N terminus and one A2B2 complex of GAPDH subunits on the C-terminal peptide loop. Incubation of the complex with NADP or NADPH, in contrast to NAD or NADH, causes its dissociation. Assays with the stromal 600-kDa fractions in the presence of the four different nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotides indicate that PRK activity depends on complex dissociation and might be further regulated by the accessible ratio of NADP/NADPH. From these results, we conclude that light regulation of the Calvin cycle in higher plants is not only via reductive activation of different proteins by the well-established ferredoxin/thioredoxin system, but in addition, by reversible dissociation of the PRK/CP12/GAPDH complex, mediated by NADP(H).

Memory and imprinting effects in multienzyme complexes--I. Isolation, dissociation, and reassociation of a phosphoribulokinase-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase complex from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts

A bienzyme complex made up of phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been isolated and purified from chloroplasts of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The complex contains four phosphoribulokinase and eight glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase polypeptide chains. As phosphoribulokinase is dimeric and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase tetrameric, it is concluded that the complex comprises two phosphoribulokinase and two glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase molecules. Its overall molecular mass is 460 kDa, which is in excellent agreement with its stoichiometry. Moreover, owing to the nature of the two enzymes, this complex must catalyse two nonconsecutive reactions. The bienzyme complex tended to spontaneously dissociate into the free enzymes upon dilution. This dissociation process was considerably promoted by reducing agents such as dithiothreitol or reduced thioredoxin. The kinetics of the dissociation process induced by dithiothreitol or reduced thioredoxin were paralleled by an increase of activity of phosphoribulokinase. The dissociation of the complex was reversible. If oxidized phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were mixed, a certain amount of the complex was formed. The reconstituted complex displayed properties that were indistinguishable from those of the native complex extracted from chloroplasts of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. These results suggest that the concentration of the complex in vivo must vary depending on the light intensity.

Application of short column gel permeation in the study of protein-protein interactions

A simple and rapid procedure based on the gel filtration principle is described together with its applicability to the study of protein-protein interactions including subunit-subunit and enzyme-enzyme interactions. Using this procedure, it is shown that phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) interact with a stoichiometry of one PGK molecule combining with one monomeric subunit of GPDH. This interaction has been observed with both enzymes being from the same, as well as from different, species. The Kd values for rabbit muscle PGK and porcine muscle GPDH complex and that for the rabbit muscle PGK and yeast GPDH complex are found to be (4.5 +/- 2.0) x 10(-7) M and (6.5 +/- 1.7) x 10(-7) M, respectively. The specificity of bienzyme association is stronger when enzymes are from the same species than when they are from different species.

Isolation of multiple dimeric forms of phosphoribulokinase from an alga and a higher plant

Dimeric phosphoribulokinase from either spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaf or from the green alga, Scenedesmus obliquus can be separated into three distinct forms by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Variation of the redox conditions prior to and during chromatography resulted in specific forms of phosphoribulokinase being eluted. It is suggested that three dimeric forms of phosphoribulokinase differ in the extent of disulfide bond formation between Cys-16 and Cys-55 in each of the two subunits. Phosphoribulokinase-3, isolated under the most oxidising conditions and exhibiting unusual kinetics, has properties consistent with those expected of an oxidised form of the enzyme in which Cys-16 and Cys-55 are completely oxidised to form a disulfide bond in each subunit. Phosphoribulokinase-1 is the completely reduced form predominating following incubation of extracts with dithiothreitol. Phosphoribulokinase-2, the intermediate species in which only one subunit possesses the disulfide, predominates only when extracts, previously reduced by high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol, are allowed to stand overnight in the presence of air prior to chromatography.

Coordination of catalytic activities within enzyme complexes

If two enzymes are physically and permanently associated as a bi-enzyme complex and if these enzymes catalyze non-consecutive chemical reactions, either of these reactions may inhibit or activate the other. If these reactions belong to two different metabolic cycles, the functioning of one of these cycles will control the fine tuning of the other. Thus simple kinetic considerations lead to the conclusion that, owing to the spatial organization of enzymes as multimolecular complexes, a fine tuning and a coordination of different metabolic networks, or cycles, may be exerted. It thus appears that channelling of reaction intermediates within a multienzyme complex does not represent the only functional advantage brought about by this type of spatial molecular organization.

Temporal analysis of metabolic systems and its application to metabolite channelling

When a metabolic system undergoes a transition between steady states, the lag or transition time of the system is determined by the aggregated lifetimes of the metabolite pools. This allows the transition time, and hence the temporal responsiveness of the system, to be estimated from a knowledge of the starting and finishing steady states and obviates the need for dynamic measurements. The analysis of temporal response in metabolic systems may be integrated with the general field of metabolic control analysis by the definition of a temporal control coefficient (Cei tau) in terms of flux and concentration control coefficients. The temporal control coefficient exhibits summation and other properties analogous to the flux and concentration control coefficients. For systems in which static metabolite channels exist, the major kinetic advantage of channelling is a reduction in pool sizes and, as a result, a more rapid system response reflected in a reduced transition time. The extent of the channelling advantage may therefore be assessed from a knowledge of the system transition time. This reveals that no channelling advantage is achieved at high enzyme concentrations (i.e., comparable to Km) or, in the case of 'leaky' channels, where rapid equilibrium kinetic mechanisms obtain. In the case of a perfect channel with no leakage and direct transfer of metabolite between adjacent enzyme active sites, the transition time is minimized and equal to the lifetime of the enzyme-substrate complex.

NADP(+) glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]: genetics and developmental expression

Chloroplastic (NADP(+)) glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.2.1.9) catalyzes the second reaction in photosynthesis after the fixation of carbon by RuBisCO. Chloroplast-bound (NADP(+)) G3PDH was resolved in soybean by starch gel electrophoresis using L-histidine-citrate buffer (pH 5.7). Histochemical staining revealed zymogram patterns indicative of a tetramer. A survey of soybean genotypes revealed differences in zymogram patterns between the principal cytoplasmic sources of the northern and southern US germplasms. In the soybean pedigree, an allelic frequency shift toward a five-banded pattern was observed. G3PDH polymorphism was due to allele associated with gene expression at the slow locus. No linkage was found between the slow locus of (NADP(+)) G3PDH and AC02, AC03, AC04, ACP, DIA1, IDH1, IDH2, PGM1, and PGM3. Developmental expression in the above-ground tissues was identical, whereas roots as a rule did not express (NADP(+)) G3PDH activity. The importance of chloroplast-bound (NADP(+)) G3PDH in photo-synthesis and its interesting mode of inheritance warrants further exploration of this enzyme in soybean.

Properties of two high-molecular-mass forms of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from spinach leaf, one of which also possesses latent phosphoribulokinase activity

Two high-Mr forms of chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from spinach leaf can be separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. One form, the high-Mr glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, resembles an enzyme previously described [Yonuschot, G.R., Ortwerth, B.J. & Koeppe, O.J. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 4193-4198]. The other, a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase/phosphoribulokinase complex, is characterised by possession of latent phosphoribulokinase activity, only expressed following incubation with dithiothreitol. This complex is composed not only of subunits A (39.5 kDa) and B (41.5 kDa) characteristic of the high-Mr glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, but also of a third subunit, R (40.5 kDa) comigrating with that from the active phosphoribulokinase of spinach. Incubation of the complex with dithiothreitol markedly stimulated both its phosphoribulokinase and NADPH-dependent dehydrogenase activities. This dithiothreitol-induced activation was accompanied by depolymerisation to give two predominantly NADPH-linked tetrameric glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (the homotetramer, A4, and the heterotetramer, A2B2) as well as the active dimeric phosphoribulokinase. Incubation of the high-Mr glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase with dithiothreitol promoted complete depolymerisation yielding only the heterotetramer (A2B2). Possible structures suggested for the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase/phosphoribulokinase complex are (A2B2)2A4R2 or (A2B2)(A4)2R2.

Modulation of spinach chloroplast NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by chaotropic anions

Neutral salts enhanced the specific activity of chloroplast NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.13) from spinach leaves. The ordering of the respective anions, according to the concentration for maximal stimulation, yielded the lyotropic (Hofmeister) series [SCN- (0.05 M), ClO-4 (0.08 M), Cl3CCO-2 (0.24 M), I- (0.35 M), Br- (0.6 M), Cl- (1.0 M)]; the more chaotropic the anion the less its concentration for maximal activation. Neither the NAD-linked activity of the chloroplast enzyme nor glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases originating from cyanobacteria and rabbit muscle were stimulated by neutral salts. Chaotropic anions also enhanced the catalytic capacity of the chloroplast enzyme at concentrations lower than those required for the activation process. In the presence of 0.12 M NaBr the rate of catalysis was maximum whereas the highest conversion from the inactive to an active form was observed at 0.6 M NaBr. On the other hand, nonstimulatory concentrations of chaotropic anions lowered the concentration of ATP, Pi, and NADPH required for maximum stimulation of the specific activity (concerted hysteresis). On the basis that the enhancement of NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (and other chloroplast enzymes) by chaotropic anions paralleled the effect of organic solvents and reduced thioredoxin, it appeared that the modification of hydrophobic (intramolecular) interactions participates in the mechanism of light-mediated regulation.

The analysis of metabolite channelling in multienzyme complexes and multifunctional proteins

Multienzyme complexes and multifunctional proteins may confer a kinetic advantage by channelling reaction intermediates between consecutive enzymes and reducing the transient time for the establishment of steady states. A general means for quantitatively assessing the contribution of channelling to the reduction of pool size and transient time is presented. Restrictions to the kinetic advantage are identified, and it is shown that no channelling advantage is obtained at high enzyme concentration or for enzymes which exhibit rapid-equilibrium kinetic behaviour.

Studies of protein-protein interaction using countercurrent distribution in aqueous two-phase systems. Partition behaviour of six Calvin-cycle enzymes from a crude spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplast extract

The partition behaviour of six enzymes of the Calvin cycle in extracts of chloroplasts from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) between two aqueous phases has been studied by countercurrent distribution. The enzymes showed distribution patterns which indicate heterogeneity and the presence of two or three fractions of most of the enzymes. When two of the enzymes, phosphoglycerate kinase and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, were partitioned in both purified and partially purified form, they behaved like homogeneous substances. These results indicate that countercurrent distribution of crude extracts in aqueous two-phase systems is a useful method to study protein-protein interaction.

Molecular and cellular regulation of autotrophic carbon dioxide fixation in microorganisms

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A functional five-enzyme complex of chloroplasts involved in the Calvin cycle

A complex of five different enzymes: ribose-phosphate isomerase, phosphoribulokinase, ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, phosphoglycerate kinase and glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase, has been purified from spinach chloroplasts. These enzymes catalyse five consecutive reactions of the Calvin cycle, of which the two reactions catalysed by phosphoribulokinase and ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase are unique to this cycle. The five-enzyme complex has been purified by successive chromatographies on DEAE-Trisacryl, Sephadex G-200 and hydroxyapatite. The homogeneity of the complex has been tested by analytical centrifugation and electrophoresis. Depending on the technique used to estimate its molecular mass, the value obtained varies between 520 kDa and 536 kDa. In addition to the five enzymes mentioned above, the complex contains a 65-kDa polypeptide. The quaternary structure of these enzymes in the complex appears to be different from what has been described for the individual enzymes in the 'noncomplexed state'. The five-enzyme complex is functional as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is formed from ribose 5-phosphate. Preliminary experiments suggest that channelling of reaction intermediates occurs within the complex.