Ornithine-delta-aminotransferase exhibits different kinetic properties in astrocytes, cerebral cortex interneurons, and cerebellar granule cells in primary culture

Ornithine Aminotransferase, an Important Glutamate-Metabolizing Enzyme at the Crossroads of Multiple Metabolic Pathways

Ornithine δ-aminotransferase (OAT, E.C. 2.6.1.13) catalyzes the transfer of the δ-amino group from ornithine (Orn) to α-ketoglutarate (aKG), yielding glutamate-5-semialdehyde and glutamate (Glu), and vice versa. In mammals, OAT is a mitochondrial enzyme, mainly located in the liver, intestine, brain, and kidney. In general, OAT serves to form glutamate from ornithine, with the notable exception of the intestine, where citrulline (Cit) or arginine (Arg) are end products. Its main function is to control the production of signaling molecules and mediators, such as Glu itself, Cit, GABA, and aliphatic polyamines. It is also involved in proline (Pro) synthesis. Deficiency in OAT causes gyrate atrophy, a rare but serious inherited disease, a further measure of the importance of this enzyme.

Ontogenetic development of glutamate and GABA metabolizing enzymes in cultured cerebral cortex interneurons and in cerebral cortex in vivo

The development of the enzymes phosphate activated glutaminase (PAG), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), glutamic-oxaloacetic-transaminase (GOT), glutamine synthetase (GS), GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) and ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (Orn-T) was followed in mouse cerebral cortex in vivo and in cultured mouse cerebral cortex interneurons. It was found that GLDH, GOT and Orn-T exhibited an enhanced developmental pattern in the cultured neurons compared to cerebral cortex. The activities of PAG and GABA-T developed in parallel in vivo and in culture but the activity of GS remained low in the cultured neurons compared to the increasing activity of this enzyme found in vivo. Compared to cerebral cortex the cultured neurons exhibited higher activities of PAG, GLDH and Orn-T, whereas the activities of GABA-T and GOT were lower in the cultured cells. The activity of GS in the cultured neurons was only 5-10% of the activity in cerebral cortex in vivo. It is concluded that neurons from cerebral cortex represent a reliable model system by which the metabolism and function of GABAergic neurons can be conveniently studied in a physiologically meaningful way.

Postnatal development of glutamate metabolizing enzymes in hippocampus from mice

The specific activity profiles of the glutamate synthesizing enzymes, phosphate activated glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2), aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1), glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2) and ornithine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.13) have been followed postnatally for 28 days in mouse hippocampus and compared to corresponding profiles in cerebellum and cerebral cortex (cf. refs 10 and 18). Phosphate activated glutaminase and glutamate dehydrogenase showed activity patterns similar to those found for cerebellum and glutamatergic granula cells cultured from cerebellum, whereas the aspartate aminotransferase activity pattern was found to be more similar to that previously observed for cerebral cortex as well as cultured cerebral interneurons which are likely to be GABAergic. The specific activity of ornithine aminotransferase was essentially unaltered during postnatal development, which is similar to what has been found for cerebellum and cerebral cortex.

Molecular and functional analyses support a role of Ornithine-{delta}-aminotransferase in the provision of glutamate for glutamine biosynthesis during pine germination

We report the molecular characterization and functional analysis of a gene (PsdeltaOAT) from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) encoding Orn-delta-aminotransferase (delta-OAT; EC 2.6.1.13), an enzyme of arginine metabolism. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative N-terminal signal peptide for mitochondrial targeting. The polypeptide is similar to other delta-OATs from plants, yeast, and mammals and encoded by a single-copy gene in pine. PsdeltaOAT encodes a functional delta-OAT as determined by expression of the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli and analysis of the active enzyme. The expression of PsdeltaOAT was undetectable in the embryo, but highly induced at early stages of germination and seedling development in all different organs. Transcript levels decreased in later developmental stages, although an increase was observed in lignified stems of 90-d-old plants. An increase of delta-OAT activity was observed in germinating embryos and seedlings and appears to mirror the observed alterations in PsdeltaOAT transcript levels. Similar expression patterns were also observed for genes encoding arginase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. Transcripts of PsdeltaOAT and the arginase gene were found widely distributed in different cell types of pine organs. Consistent with these results a metabolic pathway is proposed for the nitrogen flow from the megagametophyte to the developing seedling, which is also supported by the relative abundance of free amino acids in embryos and seedlings. Taken together, our data support that delta-OAT plays an important role in this process providing glutamate for glutamine biosynthesis during early pine growth.

Suppression of ammonia-induced swelling by aspartate but not by ornithine in primary cultures of rat astrocytes

Cerebral edema with a rise in intracranial pressure is the hallmark of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and acute hyperammonemic (HA) states and is characterized by a poor survival rate. Astrocytes are the cells in brain which are swollen in these conditions. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanism of cerebral edema in FHF and treatment strategies have evolved based on these putative mechanisms. Treatment with a mixture of ornithine and aspartate has been proven to be clinically beneficial as it reduces edema and improves the neurological status. It has been suggested that these two amino acids generate the glutamate required for the synthesis of glutamine and that they also enhance urea synthesis in surviving hepatocytes in FHF and HA. Presently, we report that of these two amino acids, only aspartate is effective in suppressing ammonia-induced swelling in primary cultures of astrocytes, while ornithine is ineffective. These results are discussed in relation to the metabolism of aspartate and ornithine in astrocytes, with an emphasis on glutamine synthesis and the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS). We propose that the ability of aspartate to generate glutamate in the cytosol for glutamine synthesis and oxaloacetate in mitochondria to support the citric acid cycle play a role in its ability to reduce ammonia-induced swelling in astrocytes.

Evaluation of the importance of transamination versus deamination in astrocytic metabolism of [U-13C]glutamate

Glutamate metabolism was studied in primary cultures of cerebral cortical astrocytes to determine the significance of transamination for the oxidative metabolism of glutamate. Cultures were incubated with [U-13C]glutamate (0.5 mM) in the presence and absence of the transaminase inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) and in some cases with methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. Perchloric acid extracts of the cells as well as redissolved lyophilized incubation media were subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify 13C-labeled metabolites. Additionally, biochemical analyses were performed to quantify amino acids, lactate, citrate, and ammonia. Glutamine released into the medium and intracellular glutamate were labeled uniformly to a large extent, but the C-3 position showed not only the expected apparent triplet but also a doublet due to 12C incorporation into the C-4 and C-5 positions. Incorporation of 12C into the C-4 and C-5 positions of glutamate and glutamine as well as labeling of lactate, citrate, malate, and aspartate could only arise via metabolism of [U-13C]glutamate through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Entry of the carbon skeleton of glutamate into the TCA cycle must proceed via 2-oxoglutarate. This conversion can occur as a transamination or an oxidative deamination. After blocking transamination with AOAA, metabolism of glutamate through the TCA cycle was still taking place since lactate labeling was only slightly reduced. Glutamate and glutamine synthesis from 2-oxoglutarate could, however, not be detected under this condition. It therefore appears that while glutamate dehydrogenase is important for glutamate degradation, glutamate biosynthesis occurs mainly as a transamination.

Amino acid synthesis from ornithine: enzymes and quantitative comparison in brain slices and detached retinas from rats and chicks

The regional distribution of proline biosynthetic enzymes, ornithine-delta-aminotransferase and delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, in the rat brain, and basic conditions for proline synthesis from ornithine in rat and chicken brain slices and chicken retinas were investigated. The cerebral regions relating to memory formation and imprinting (cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus) exhibited a high activity of ornithine-delta-aminotransferase, while delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase activity was ubiquitously high. Amino acids were determined fluorometrically after separation and reaction with o-phthaldialdehyde by high-performance liquid chromatography. Proline formation was both ornithine- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent, and the proline level was suppressed by a high-potassium medium in the brain slices but not in the detached retinas. Its main precursor in vitro seemed to be ornithine but not arginine. The retinas from formoguanamine (2,4-diamino-S-triazine)-treated chicks showed a 10-fold higher level of proline and a marked decrease in gamma-aminobutyric acid, presumably due to an impairment of the blood-retina barrier. The different response in proline level to the high-potassium medium in the brain slices and detached neuroretinas suggests that cellular distribution of the enzymes relating to ornithine and proline metabolism is different in the brain and the neuroretina.

[15N]aspartate metabolism in cultured astrocytes. Studies with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The metabolism of 2.5 mM-[15N]aspartate in cultured astrocytes was studied with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Three primary metabolic pathways of aspartate nitrogen disposition were identified: transamination with 2-oxoglutarate to form [15N]glutamate, the nitrogen of which subsequently was transferred to glutamine, alanine, serine and ornithine; condensation with IMP in the first step of the purine nucleotide cycle, the aspartate nitrogen appearing as [6-amino-15N]adenine nucleotides; condensation with citrulline to form argininosuccinate, which is cleaved to yield [15N]arginine. Of these three pathways, the formation of arginine was quantitatively the most important, and net nitrogen flux to arginine was greater than flux to other amino acids, including glutamine. Notwithstanding the large amount of [15N]arginine produced, essentially no [15N]urea was measured. Addition of NaH13CO3 to the astrocyte culture medium was associated with the formation of [13C]citrulline, thus confirming that these cells are capable of citrulline synthesis de novo. When astrocytes were incubated with a lower (0.05 mM) concentration of [15N]aspartate, most 15N was recovered in alanine, glutamine and arginine. Formation of [6-amino-15N]adenine nucleotides was diminished markedly compared with results obtained in the presence of 2.5 mM-[15N]aspartate.

Arginine in thioacetamide-induced hepatogenic encephalopathy in rats: activation of enzymes of arginine metabolism to glutamate

Two subsequent phases of hepatogenic encephalopathy (HE), the metabolic and precomatous phase, were produced in rats by thioacetamide treatment. Plasma and brain levels of arginine and its metabolites in the arginine-glutamate pathway, and activities of 2 brain enzymes of this pathway: arginase (L-arginine amidohydrolase, EC3521) and ornithine amino-transferase (OAT, ornithine-oxo-acid aminotransferase, EC26113) were measured in these rats. Plasma arginine sharply decreased in the metabolic phase and rose above control level in the precomatous phase, whereas ornithine and glutamate increased and urea decreased in both phases. Brain amino acids levels remained unchanged throughout, confirming earlier report of their insensitivity to external manipulation. Both brain enzymes showed a similar stepwise increase in their activities up to 150% the control level. The results are indicative of increased involvement of arginine as a precursor of amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA, with possible implication for the course of HE.

Regional distribution in rat brain of 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase and its localization to specific glial cells

A possible alternative route for production of a small glutamate pool in brain is from proline or ornithine to 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) and thence to glutamate. The conversion from ornithine to P5C is catalyzed by ornithine delta-aminotransferase (OrnT) whereas that from proline is catalyzed by proline oxidase (PrO). The conversion of P5C to glutamate is catalyzed by 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (PDH). Biochemical assays of PDH and PrO in various rat brain regions indicate no positive correlation between the two enzymes nor between either activity and high-affinity glutamate uptake or the regional distribution of OrnT. We have localized PDH and PrO histochemically by modifications of the Van Gelder [J. Neurochem. 12, 231-237, (1965)] method for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase. The enzymes were found only in certain types of glial cells; the best stained were the Bergmann glial cells of the cerebellum but, for PDH, there was also good staining of astrocytes in the dentate area of the hippocampus. Since both these areas are believed to have heavy glutamate innervation and numerous GABA interneurons, these findings may reflect an alternative route of glutamate production in glial cells near some glutamate and/or GABA tracts but they do not support this as a possible route for glutamate formation in most brain regions. The findings do, however, provide further evidence for chemical specialization of glial cells.

Developmental change of endogenous glutamate and gamma-glutamyl transferase in cultured cerebral cortical interneurons and cerebellar granule cells, and in mouse cerebral cortex and cerebellum in vivo

The developmental change of endogenous glutamate, as correlated to that of gamma-glutamyl transferase and other glutamate metabolizing enzymes such as phosphate activated glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase and aspartate, GABA and ornithine aminotransferases, has been investigated in cultured cerebral cortex interneurons and cerebellar granule cells. These cells are considered to be GABAergic and glutamatergic, respectively. Similar studies have also been performed in cerebral cortex and cerebellum in vivo. The developmental profiles of endogenous glutamate in cultured cerebral cortex interneurons and cerebellar granule cells corresponded rather closely with that of gamma-glutamyl transferase and not with other glutamate metabolizing enzymes. In cerebral cortex and cerebellum in vivo the developmental profiles of endogenous glutamate, gamma-glutamyl transferase and phosphate activated glutaminase corresponded with each other during the first 14 days in cerebellum, but this correspondence was less good in cerebral cortex. During the time period from 14 to 28 days post partum the endogenous glutamate concentration showed no close correspondence with any particular enzyme. It is suggested that gamma-glutamyltransferase regulates the endogenous glutamate concentration in cultured neurons. The enzyme may also be important for regulation of endogenous glutamate in brain in vivo and particularly in cerebellum during the first 14 days post partum. Gamma-glutamyl transferase in cultured neurons and brain tissue in vivo appears to be devoid of maleate activated glutaminase.

Ontogenetic development of glutamate metabolizing enzymes in cultured cerebellar granule cells and in cerebellum in vivo

The ontogenetic development of the enzymes phosphate activated glutaminase (PAG), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), glutamic-oxaloacetic-transaminase (GOT), glutamine synthetase (GS), and ornithine-delta-aminotransferase (Orn-T) was followed in cerebellum in vivo and in cultured cerebellar granule cells. It was found that PAG, GLDH, and GOT exhibited similar developmental patterns in the cultured neurons compared to cerebellum. PAG showed, however, a more pronounced phosphate activation in the cultured granule cells compared to in vivo. The activity of GS remained low in the cultured neurons compared to the increasing activity of this enzyme found in vivo. On the other hand Orn-T exhibited an increase in its specific activity in the cultured cells as a function of time in culture in contrast to the non-changing activity of this enzyme in vivo. Compared to cerebellum the cultured neurons exhibited higher activities of GLDH, GOT, and Orn-T whereas the activity of PAG was only slightly higher in the cultured cells. The activity of GS in the cultured neurons was only 5-10% of the activity in cerebellum in vivo. It is concluded that cultured cerebellar granule cells represent a reliable model system by which the metabolism and function of glutamatergic neurons can be conveniently studied in a physiologically meaningful way.