Blockade of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase generates CD8+ effector T cells with enhanced anti-tumor function

Although T cell expansion depends on glycolysis, T effector cell differentiation requires signaling via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) regulates ROS by generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), we examined how PPP blockade affects T cell differentiation and function. Here, we show that genetic ablation or pharmacologic inhibition of the PPP enzyme 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) in the oxidative PPP results in the generation of superior CD8+ T effector cells. These cells have gene signatures and immunogenic markers of effector phenotype and show potent anti-tumor functions both in vitro and in vivo. In these cells, metabolic reprogramming occurs along with increased mitochondrial ROS and activated antioxidation machinery to balance ROS production against oxidative damage. Our findings reveal a role of 6PGD as a checkpoint for T cell effector differentiation/survival and evidence for 6PGD as an attractive metabolic target to improve tumor immunotherapy.

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase fuels multiple aspects of cancer cells: From cancer initiation to metastasis and chemoresistance

Reprogrammed metabolism is key biochemical characteristic of malignant cells, which represents one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer. Currently, there is rising contemplation on oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) enzymes as potential therapeutic hits due to their affiliation with tumor metabolism. 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), third oxidative decarboxylase of PPP, has received a great deal of attention during recent years due to its critical role in tumorigenesis and redox homeostasis. 6PGD has been reported to overexpress in number of cancer types and its hyperactivation is mediated through post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications by YTH domain family 2 (YTHDF2), Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and via direct structural interactions with ME1 (malic enzyme 1). Upregulated expression of 6PGD provides metabolic as well as defensive advantage to cancer cells, thus, promoting their proliferative and metastatic potential. Moreover, enhanced 6PGD expression also performs key role in development of chemoresistance as well as radiation resistance in cancer. This review aims to discuss the historical timeline and cancer-specific role of 6PGD, pharmacological and genetic inhibitors of 6PGD and 6PGD as prognostic biomarker in order to explore its potential for therapeutic interventions. We anticipate that targeting this imperative supplier of NADPH might serve as tempting avenue to combat the deadly disease like cancer.

Inhibition effects of some antidepressant drugs on pentose phosphate pathway enzymes

The glucose metabolism in the pentose cycle is essential to the source of NADPH. Deficiency of these enzymes have been linked to depression and psychotic disorders. Depression is an increasingly prevalent mental disorder which may cause loss of labor. Antidepressant drugs are commonly employed in treatments of mood disorders and anxiety treatment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of aripiprazole, mirtazapine, risperidone, escitalopram and haloperidol on the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzymes purified from human erythrocytes. It was found that aripiprazole, mirtazapine, risperidone, escitalopram and haloperidol show effective inhibitor properties on purified G6PD and 6PGD enzymes. The IC₅₀ values of these drugs were found in the range of 26.34 μM-5.78 mM for 6PGD and 16.26 μM-3.85 mM for G6PD. The K_i values of the drugs were found in the range of 30.21 ± 4.31 μM-4.51 ± 1.83 mM for 6PGD and 14.12 ± 3.48 μM-4.98 ± 1.14 mM for G6PD. Usage of drugs with significant biological effects may be a hazard in some conditions.

Inhibiting 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase selectively targets breast cancer through AMPK activation

PURPOSE

6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), a key enzyme of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, is involved in tumor growth and metabolism. Although high 6PGD activity has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis, its role and therapeutic value in breast cancer remain unknown.

METHODS

The levels and roles of 6PGD were analyzed in breast cancer cells and their normal counterparts. The underlying mechanisms of 6PGD's roles are also analyzed.

RESULTS

We found that 6PGD is aberrantly activated in breast cancer as shown by its increased transcriptional and translational levels as well as enzyme activity in breast cancer tissues and cell lines compared to normal counterparts. Although similar degree of enzyme activity inhibition was achieved in both breast cancer and normal breast cells, 6PGD inhibition by siRNA-mediated knockdown or pharmacological inhibitor physcion is more effective in inhibiting growth and survival in breast cancer than normal breast cells. Moreover, inhibiting 6PGD significantly sensitizes breast cancer response to chemotherapeutic agents in in vitro cell culture system and in vivo xenograft breast cancer model. We further show that 6PGD inhibition activates AMPK and its downstream substrate ACC1, leading to reduction of ACC1 activity and lipid biosynthesis. AMPK depletion significantly reverses the inhibitory effects of physcion in breast cancer cells, confirming that 6PGD inhibition targets breast cancer cell via AMPK activation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work provides experimental evidence on the association of 6PGD with poor prognosis in breast cancer and suggests that 6PGD inhibition may represent a potential therapeutic strategy to augment chemotherapy efficacy in breast cancer.

Defects in Peroxisomal 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase Isoform PGD2 Prevent Gametophytic Interaction in Arabidopsis thaliana

We studied the localization of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) isoforms of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Similar polypeptide lengths of PGD1, PGD2, and PGD3 obscured which isoform may represent the cytosolic and/or plastidic enzyme plus whether PGD2 with a peroxisomal targeting motif also might target plastids. Reporter-fusion analyses in protoplasts revealed that, with a free N terminus, PGD1 and PGD3 accumulate in the cytosol and chloroplasts, whereas PGD2 remains in the cytosol. Mutagenesis of a conserved second ATG enhanced the plastidic localization of PGD1 and PGD3 but not PGD2. Amino-terminal deletions of PGD2 fusions with a free C terminus resulted in peroxisomal import after dimerization, and PGD2 could be immunodetected in purified peroxisomes. Repeated selfing of pgd2 transfer (T-)DNA alleles yielded no homozygous mutants, although siliques and seeds of heterozygous plants developed normally. Detailed analyses of the C-terminally truncated PGD2-1 protein showed that peroxisomal import and catalytic activity are abolished. Reciprocal backcrosses of pgd2-1 suggested that missing PGD activity in peroxisomes primarily affects the male gametophyte. Tetrad analyses in the quartet1-2 background revealed that pgd2-1 pollen is vital and in vitro germination normal, but pollen tube growth inside stylar tissues appeared less directed. Mutual gametophytic sterility was overcome by complementation with a genomic construct but not with a version lacking the first ATG. These analyses showed that peroxisomal PGD2 activity is required for guided growth of the male gametophytes and pollen tube-ovule interaction. Our report finally demonstrates an essential role of oxidative pentose-phosphate pathway reactions in peroxisomes, likely needed to sustain critical levels of nitric oxide and/or jasmonic acid, whose biosynthesis both depend on NADPH provision.

Effects of Some Antibiotics on Human Erythrocyte 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase: Anin vitroandin vivoStudy

The in vitro and in vivo effects of some antibiotics on human erythrocyte 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were investigated. Human erythrocyte 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was purified with ammonium sulphate precipitation, 2',5' ADP-Sepharose 4B affinity and gel filtration chromatography. Some antibiotics (netilmicin sulphate, cefepime, amikacin, isepamycin, chloramphenicol, ceftazidim, teicoplanin, ampicillin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, cefotaxime, penicillin G, gentamicin sulphate, ciprofloxacin) inhibited enzyme activity in vitro but others (cefozin, decefin, streptomycin, combisid, and meronem) were devoid of inhibitory effects. For the drugs having low IC50 values (netilmicin sulphate and cefepime), in vivo studies were performed in rats. Netilmicin sulphate at 15-mg/kg inhibited enzyme activity significantly (p < 0.001) 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h after dosing and cefepime at 200-mg/kg very significantly (p < 0.001) inhibited the enzyme 1 h and 2 h after dosing. Netilmicin sulphate and cefepime inhibited rat erythrocyte 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase both in vivo and in-vitro.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of phosphate prodrugs of 4-phospho-D-erythronohydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

We have previously reported the discovery of potent and selective inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, the third enzyme of the phosphate pentose pathway, from Trypanosoma brucei, the causative organism of human African trypanosomiasis. These inhibitors were charged phosphate derivatives with restricted capacity to enter cells. Herein, we report the synthesis of five different classes of prodrugs: phosphoramidate; bis-S-acyl thioethyl esters (bis-SATE); bis-pivaloxymethyl (bis-POM); CycloSaligenyl; and phenyl, S-acyl thioethyl mixed phosphate esters (mix-SATE). Prodrugs were studied for stability and activity against the intact parasites. Most prodrugs caused inhibition of the growth of the parasites. The activity of the prodrugs against the parasites appeared to be related to their stability in aqueous buffer.

Inhibitory Effects of Ofloxacin and Cefepime on Enzyme Activity of 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase from Chicken Liver

In this study, effects of some antibiotics, namely, ofloxacin, cefepime, cefazolin, and ampicillin on the in vitro enzyme activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase have been investigated. For this purpose, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was purified from chicken liver 535-fold with a yield of 18% by using ammonium sulphate precipitation, 2',5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography. In order to check the purity of the enzyme, SDS polyacylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed. This analysis revealed a highly pure enzyme band on the gel. Among the antibiotics, ofloxacin and cefepime exhibited inhibitory effects, but cefazolin and ampicillin showed neither important inhibitory nor activatory effects on the enzyme activity. The measured I(50) values by plotting activity percent vs. inhibitor concentration, [I(50)] were 0.1713 mM for ofloxacin and 6.0028 mM for cefepime. Inhibition constants, K(i), for ofloxacin and cefepime were also calculated as 0.2740 +/- 0.1080 mM and 12.869 +/- 16.6540 mM by means of Lineweaver-Burk graphs, and inhibition types of the antibiotics were found out to be non-competitive and competitive, respectively. It has been understood from the calculated inhibitory parameters that the purified chicken enzyme has been quite inhibited by these two antimicrobials.

Cyclic polylactate inhibited growth of cloned leukemic cells through reducing glycolytic enzyme activities

A novel supramolecular oligomer, cyclic polylactate (CPL) that was originally discovered in the culture medium of HeLa-S tumor cells, reportedly inhibits the growth of FM3A ascites tumor cells by inhibiting enzymes involved in the glycolytic pathway. We synthesized CPL containing 3- to 13-mers by prolonged heating and rapidly mixing a carbohydrate compound of the L-lactic acid monomer (C(3)H(6)O(3)) under decreased pressure, and studied its effects on the growth of the cloned leukemic cell, TF-1. CPL inhibited the growth of TF-1 cells and induced 7A6 antigen, which is expressed by cells undergoing apoptosis, on the surface of TF-1 cells. In addition, caspase 3, 8 and 9 activities of TF-1 cells were increased after exposure to CPL, indicating that CPL induces apoptotic changes in TF-1. Among the 6 glycolytic enzymes examined in this study, the activities of PFK and HK, induced by CPL, decreased. Interestingly, CPL was detected in conditioned medium of the stromal cell line, LS801, obtained from human bone marrow. This conditioned medium inhibited the growth of TF-1 cells, and induced the expression of 7A6 antigen. These findings suggest that CPL will be a useful chemotherapeutic agent against leukemia.

Role of methionine-13 in the catalytic mechanism of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from sheep liver

The crystal structure of sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) shows marked differences in the position of the nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) moiety of NADP(+) and NADPH (Adams, J. M., Grant, H. E., Gover, S., Naylor, C. E., and Phillips, C. (1994) Structure 2, 651-668). A methionine side chain (Met13) interacts with the si face of NADP(+) in the complex with the oxidized coenzyme, is likely to affect the binding mode of the nicotinamide ring of NADP(+), and may play a role in catalysis in the 6PGDH reaction. To check this possibility we performed site-directed mutagenesis, changing M13 to a number of residues including V, I, C, F, and Q. Mutant enzymes were characterized with respect to their kinetic parameters and primary deuterium isotope effects. All mutations resulted in a decrease in affinity of the enzyme for NADP(+), but not NADPH. In addition, the M13 to C (M13C), M13F, and M13Q mutant enzymes exhibited a decrease of at least an order of magnitude in V/E(t). The deuterium isotope effects on V and V/K(6PG) were decreased to about 1.2 for the M13F and M13C mutant enzymes, while they were increased to about 2.4 for the M13Q enzyme (a value of 1.8-1.9 is obtained for the wild-type enzyme). In at least three instances changes in the overall rate of the oxidative decarboxylation reaction relative to other steps along the reaction pathway were observed. Isotope effects indicate that the hydride transfer steps can become either more or less rate-determining dependent on the substitution. Data are consistent with a significant role of M13 in the orientation of the cofactor nicotinamide ring in the mechanism of 6PGDH, likely with respect to geometry and distance of the ring from C3 of 6PG.

Selective Inhibition of Trypanosoma brucei 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase by High-Energy Intermediate and Transition-State Analogues

Two series of compounds were designed to mimic the transition state and high-energy intermediates (HEI) of the enzymatic reaction of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH). Sulfoxide analogues (7-11) were designed to mimic the transition state during the oxidation of the substrate to 3-keto-6-phosphogluconate, an enzyme-bound intermediate of the enzyme. Hydroxamate and amide derivatives of d-erythronic acid were designed to mimic the 1,2-cis-enediol HEI of the 6PGDH reaction. These two series of compounds were assayed as competitive inhibitors of the Trypanosoma brucei and sheep liver enzymes, and their selectivity value (ratio sheep/parasite) was calculated. The sulfoxide transition-state analogues showed weak and selective inhibition of the T. brucei enzyme. The hydroxamic derivatives showed potent and selective inhibition of the T. brucei 6PGDH with a Ki in the nanomolar range.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of substrate-based inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase as potential drugs against African trypanosomiasis

The synthesis and biological evaluation of three series of 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) analogues is described. (2R)-2-Methyl-4,5-dideoxy, (2R)-2-methyl-4-deoxy and 2,4-dideoxy analogues of 6PG were tested as inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) from sheep liver and also Trypanosoma brucei where the enzyme is a validated drug target. Among the three series of analogues, seven compounds were found to competitively inhibit 6PGDH from T. brucei and sheep liver enzymes at micromolar concentrations. Six inhibitors belong to the (2R)-2-methyl-4-deoxy series (6, 8, 10, 12, 21, 24) and one is a (2R)-2-methyl-4,5-dideoxy analogue (29b). The 2,4-dideoxy analogues of 6PG did not inhibit both enzymes. The trypanocidal effect of the compounds was also evaluated in vitro against T. brucei rhodesiense as well as other related trypanosomatid parasites (i.e., Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani).

Sugar derivatives as new 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase inhibitors selective for the parasite Trypanosoma brucei

Sugar derivatives mimicking compounds which take part in the catalysed reaction have been assayed as alternative substrates and/or competitive inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei and sheep liver. Phosphonate analogues have been synthesised and the new compound 5-deoxy-5-phosphono-D-arabinonate shows good selectivity towards the parasite enzyme. A number of 4-carbon and 5-carbon aldonates are strong inhibitors of the parasite enzyme with K(i) values below the substrate K(m) and some acyl derivatives are also potent inhibitors. At least five of the compounds showing a significant selectivity for the parasite enzyme represent leads for trypanocidal drugs against this recently validated target.

The treatment of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes with chloroquine leads to accumulation of ferriprotoporphyrin IX bound to particular parasite proteins and to the inhibition of the parasite's 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FPIX) is a potentially toxic product of hemoglobin digestion by intra-erythrocytic malaria parasites. It is detoxified by biomineralization or through degradation by glutathione. Both processes are inhibited by the antimalarial drug chloroquine, leading to the accumulation of FPIX in the membranes of the infected cell and their consequent permeabilization. It is shown here that treatment of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes with chloroquine also leads to the binding of FPIX to a subset of parasite proteins. Parasite enzymes such as aldolase, pyrimidine nucleaside monophosphate kinase and pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase were inhibited by FPIX in vitro, but only the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was reduced significantly in cells after drug treatment. Additional proteins were extracted from parasite cytosol by their ability to bind FPIX. Sequencing of these proteins identified heat shock proteins 90 and 70, enolase, elongation factor 1-alpha, phoshoglycerate kinase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, L-lactate dehydrogenase and gametocytogenesis onset-specific protein. The possible involvement of these proteins in the antimalarial mode of action of chloroquine is discussed. It is concluded that drug-induced binding of FPIX to parasite glycolytic enzymes could underlie the demonstrable inhibition of glycolysis by chloroquine. The inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase could explain the reduction of the activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt by the drug. Inhibition of both processes is deleterious to parasite survival. Binding of FPIX to other proteins is probably inconsequential to the rapid killing of the parasite by chloroquine.

Synthesis of (R)-2-methyl-4-deoxy and (R)-2-methyl-4,5-dideoxy analogues of 6-phosphogluconate as potential inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

The synthesis of (2R)-2-methyl-4,5-dideoxy and (2R)-2-methyl-4-deoxy analogues of 6-phosphogluconate is described. The synthetic strategy relies on the Evans aldol reaction for the installation of the chiral centres in the 2- and 3-positions. The selective phosphorylation at the primary alcohol function of (2R,3S)-3,6-dihydroxy-2-methylhexanoic acid benzyl ester (5) and (2R,3S,5S)-3,5,6-trihydroxy-2-methylhexanoic acid benzyl ester (20) was achieved with dibenzyl phosphochloridate and dibenzyl phosphoiodinate respectively, working at low temperature. (2R,3S)-3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-6-phosphonoxyhexanoic acid (9) was obtained in 25% overall yield from 4-benzyloxybutanol and (2R,3S,5S)-3,5-dihydroxy-2-methyl-6-phosphonoxyhexanoic acid (28) in 10% overall yield from L-malic acid.

Perspectives for new drugs against trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis

Diseases caused by pathogenic trypanosomatids cause great suffering throughout the developing world. New drugs for these diseases are urgently needed. Recent technological advances have permitted the identification and validation of numerous drug targets in these organisms. However, efforts to develop inhibitors of these targets, that may then be taken forward for development into new drugs, have been comparatively scarce. In this review we discuss the design, synthesis and evaluation of inhibitors of two drug targets in trypanosomatids, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, the third enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway, and dihydrofolate reductase, a key enzyme involved in DNA synthesis. Enzyme inhibitors can only be useful as drugs if they can enter cells and bind to their targets. Therefore we also discuss approaches to designing molecules that can specifically cross the plasma membrane of African trypanosomes via unusual nutrient transporters.

Selective inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei

A number of triphenylmethane derivatives have been screened against 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei and sheep liver. Some of these compounds show good inhibition of the enzymes and also selectivity towards the parasite enzyme. Modelling was undertaken to dock the compounds into the active sites of both enzymes. Using a combination of DOCK 3.5 and FLEXIDOCK a correlation was obtained between docking score and both activity for the enzymes and selectivity. Visualisation of the docked structures of the inhibitors in the active sites of the enzymes yielded a possible explanation of the selectivity for the parasite enzyme.

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase: the mechanism of action investigated by a comparison of the enzyme from different species

The mechanism of action of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase with the alternative substrate 2-deoxy 6-phosphogluconate was investigated using enzymes from sheep liver, human erythrocytes and Trypanosoma brucei. The three enzymes oxidize 2-deoxy 6-phosphogluconate, but only the sheep liver enzyme releases the intermediate 2-deoxy,3-keto 6-phosphogluconate. Kinetic comparison showed that an increase in the rate of NADP+ reduction at high pH is due to increased release of the intermediate, rather than an increase in the overall reaction rate. 2-Deoxy,3-keto 6-phosphogluconate is decarboxylated by the erythrocyte and trypanosome enzymes but not the liver one in the absence of either NADPH or 6-phosphogluconate, which act as activators. The pH dependence of decarboxylation and the degree of activation suggest that 6-phosphogluconate is the activator which operates under normal assay conditions, while NADPH acts mainly by increasing the binding of the intermediate. The data suggest that the activity of 6PGDH is subjected to a two-way regulation: NADPH, which regulates the pentose phosphate pathway, inhibits the enzyme, while 6-phosphogluconate, levels of which rise when NADPH inhibition is removed, acts as an activator ensuring that 6-phosphogluconate is rapidly removed.

Methotrexate: pentose cycle and oxidative stress

The effect of methotrexate (MTX) and leucovorin (LCV) on pentose cycle enzymes and the activity of enzymes involved in enzyme defence mechanisms against ROS in HeLa cells, were studied. The effect of MTX was also investigated on the cellular levels of glutathione. MTX inhibited the activity of glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases. The activities of glutathione reductase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase were also inhibited by the drug. No effect was observed on the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase or transketolase. LCV had no effect on any of the enzymes studied. MTX decreased the cellular levels of glutathione (70 per cent), while the presence of LCV and glutamine did not interfere with the effect of MTX. The net results appear to show that the biological situation resulting from treatment with MTX leads to a reduction of effectiveness of the antioxidant enzyme defence system.

Meiotic induction in cumulus cell-enclosed mouse oocytes: involvement of the pentose phosphate pathway

In this study we tested the hypothesis that the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) participates in the meiotic induction of mouse oocytes. The electron acceptors methylene blue, phenazine ethosulfate (PES), and pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) oxidize NADPH to NADP and activate the NADP-dependent enzymes of the PPP. Each of these compounds triggered a dose-dependent increase in meiotic maturation in hypoxanthine-arrested cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes during 17- to 18-h cultures. More than 96% of the oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB) at the highest concentrations of P5C and PES tested (250 and 1 microM, respectively) as compared to only 45-52% of control oocytes. P5C was also stimulatory to denuded oocytes. Analysis of energy substrates in microdrop cultures revealed a 3.6-fold increase in glucose consumption by PES-treated oocyte-cumulus cell complexes that was associated with stimulation of GVB. On the other hand, 2-deoxyglucose, which interferes with glucose utilization, prevented the induction of maturation brought about by P5C. Apocynin and diphenyleneiodonium, inhibitors of NADPH oxidase, prevented meiotic maturation in the presence or absence of FSH. Gonadotropin-induced maturation was also prevented by 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), inhibitors of the two NADP-dependent enzymes of the PPP, and this was accompanied by suppression of glucose consumption. Phosphoribosyl-pyrophosphate (PRPP) is an important compound required in purine metabolism and can be formed from the end product of the oxidative arm of the PPP, ribose-5-phosphate. Ribose, which can be metabolized to PRPP, increased PRPP synthesis in complexes and induced meiotic maturation when added to hypoxanthine-arrested cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes in glucose-free medium in both the presence and absence of FSH. PRPP levels within complexes were also increased by glucose and FSH, but were reduced by hypoxanthine, 6-AN, and DHEA. In addition, exogenous PRPP stimulated maturation in hypoxanthine-arrested oocytes. These results support the proposition that glucose metabolism through the PPP is important in the meiotic induction mechanism and may involve the generation of PRPP that acts, at least in part, through the purine metabolizing pathways.

Rapid accumulation of intracellular 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate in an Entner-Doudoroff aldolase mutant results in bacteriostasis

The accumulation of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate, the key intermediate of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, has long been thought to inhibit growth of bacteria, but careful measurements of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate accumulation by growing cells and the correlation of intracellular 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate levels to growth inhibition had not been made. A system designed for this purpose was developed in Escherichia coli strains, allowing 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate accumulation to be experimentally induced and measured by extraction of the cell pool. Addition of gluconate to a strain which lacked 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase and overproduced 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase resulted in an increase in the intracellular concentration of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate from undetectable levels to 2.0 mM within 15 s, as measured by anion-exchange HPLC. The accumulation of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate was correlated with an immediate and significant decrease in growth; this inhibition was determined to be bacteriostatic and not bactericidal. It had been proposed that the mechanism of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate toxicity involves competitive inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and the consequent block of the pentose phosphate pathway. An experiment addressing this hypothesis failed to provide any supporting data.

The cross-linking by o-phthalaldehyde of two amino acid residues at the active site of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

o-phthalaldehyde inactivates homodimeric, NADP+ dependent, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from sheep liver, upon formation of a single isoindole derivative per enzyme subunit. This indicates that the thiol group of a cysteine residue or the epsilon-amino group of a lysine residue located within 3 A and crosslinked by the reagent is essential for catalysis. Fluorescence analyses of the modified enzyme suggest that the isoindole derivative forms at the binding site of the nicotinamide moiety of NADP+. The enzymes from Trypanosoma brucei and Lactococcus lactis are also inactivated suggesting a similar three-dimensional structure in this domain. The isoindole derivative does not form with two mutants of the T. brucei enzyme (Lys185His and Lys185Leu), this allowing to identify not only the lysine but also the cysteine involved in the cross-linking. The formation of the isoindole derivative inactivates not only the oxidative decarboxylation, but also two partial reactions catalysed by the enzyme.

Kinetic and chemical mechanisms of the sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

A complete kinetic characterization of sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase including product and dead-end inhibition patterns, primary deuterium isotope effects, and the pH dependence of kinetic parameters has been completed in order to determine the kinetic mechanism and obtain information on the chemical mechanism of the enzyme. A rapid equilibrium random kinetic mechanism has been proposed, with product and dead-end inhibition patterns both being symmetric. Ribulose 5-phosphate and 6-sulfogluconate are both competitive with 6-phosphogluconate (6-PG) and noncompetitive with NADP, and NADPH and ATP-ribose are both competitive with NADP and noncompetitive with 6-phosphogluconate. Equal primary deuterium isotope effects of 1.5-2 on DV, DV/KNADP, and DV/K6-PG with 3-deuterio-6-PG confirm a rapid equilibrium random mechanism and show that hydride transfer is at least partially rate limiting in the overall reaction. The maximum velocity is pH dependent, decreasing at low and high pH with slopes of 1 and -1, respectively, and pK values of 6.4 and 8.6. The V/KNADP and V/K6-PG also decrease at low and high pH with slopes of 1 and -1, giving pK values of 6.8 and 8.7 and of 6.9 and 7.8, respectively. The pH rate profiles are consistent with a general acid/general base mechanism where the catalytic residues are involved in binding. Reverse protonation states between the general acid and the general base are proposed where an unprotonated general base accepts a proton from the C-3 hydroxyl of 6-PG concomitant with hydride transfer followed by decarboxylation of the resulting 3-keto intermediate to give an enediol which is protonated by the general acid to form ribulose 5-phosphate. The pH dependence of the pKi profile of the inhibitory analog 5-phosphoribonate decreases at low and high pH with slopes of 1 and -1, respectively, and pKs of 6.2 and 7.4 and suggests that intrinsic pKs are observed in the V/K profiles. The pKs of both the general base and general acid in the E:6-PG complex appears to be perturbed such that the general base decreases from 7.4-7.8 to a value of 6.4-6.8, and the pK of the general acid increases from 6. 2-6.9 to a value of 8.6-8.7, as a result of direct interaction with 6PG. Data are interpreted with regard to the published crystal structures of the E:6-PG, E:NADP, and E:NADPH complexes.

6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma Brucei. Kinetic Analysis and Inhibition by Trypanocidal Drugs

The kinetics of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei was examined and compared to those of the same enzyme from lamb's liver. Variation of kinetic parameters as a function of pH suggests a chemical mechanism similar to other 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases. The comparison extended to a detailed analysis of the effect on enzyme activity by several inhibitors including the trypanocidal drugs suramin, melarsoprol and analogues of these compounds. The T. brucei enzyme differs significantly from its mammalian counterpart with respect to several inhibitors, particularly the substrate analogue 6-phospho-2-deoxygluconate and the coenzyme analogue adenosine 2',5'-bisphosphate which have respectively 170-fold and 40-fold higher affinity for the parasite enzyme.

Slow-binding inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by zinc ion

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.44) has been purified from Cryptococcus neoformans, an encapsulated yeast that is an opportunistic pathogen of AIDS patients. The dimeric enzyme had a subunit molecular weight of 50,000, a specific activity of 50 units mg-1, and Km values of 13 microM for 6-phosphogluconate and 0.89 microM for NADP. This enzyme, like many fungal dehydrogenases, was inhibited by Zn2+, with the inhibition pattern being competitive versus the nonnucleotide substrate. In the presence of micromolar Zn2+, the reaction was biphasic, with the reduction of NADP proceeding initially at the control rate, but, over the time course of 20-300 s, this initial nonlinear phase reached a final, linear steady state with a slower velocity. This pattern is indicative of a slow binding inhibition process, for which we have calculated the following kinetic constants: k6, the limiting rate constant for the transition from initial to final steady state was 0.0024 s-1, corresponding to a half-time of 300 s; Ki*, the overall equilibrium constant for the dissociation of E*Zn2+ to E + Zn2+ was 0.021 microM.

Inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by carbamylation and protection by alpha-crystallin, a chaperone-like protein

Carbamylation of lens proteins may contribute to cataract formation in populations with high levels of blood urea. Urea comes to equilibrium with cyanate. Changes induced by cyanate binding to lens crystallin have been described but little is known about the carbamylation of the enzymes. The present study investigated the in vitro carbamylation of 6-phospho-D-gluconate dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.44) and its effect on the enzymic activity, as well as a possible way to prevent the cyanate binding to the enzyme. The covalent cyanate binding to protein inactivated the enzyme in a concentration-dependent fashion. Aspirin and paracetamol did not protect the enzyme against inactivation by carbamylation, while alpha-crystallin was specifically protective as compared with other control proteins, consistent with its suggested role as a molecular chaperone.

[Negative cooperativity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in rat liver]

The effect of various NADPH concentrations on the activity of rat liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.44) has been studied. The influence of NADPH concentrations on the enzyme cooperativity was observed. NADPH used at concentration up to 200 microM appeared to be a competitive inhibitor with respect to NADP+ without any cooperative effect towards the coenzyme (NADP+) binding. At high concentrations of NADPH (above 300 microM) the negative cooperativity displayed by the enzyme was confirmed by a significant decrease of the Hill coefficient for NADP(+)-from 1.1 +/- 0.2 down to 0.6 +/- 0.1 (p < 0.05).

Polyethylene sulfonate: a tight-binding inhibitor of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase of Cryptococcus neoformans

Polyethylene sulfonate (PES) or polyvinyl sulfonate was found to be a potent inhibitor of a number of fungal enzymes, including 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Cryptococcus neoformans. The inhibition was apparently competitive versus either NADP or 6-phosphogluconate, with 50% inhibition at PES concentrations below 10 nM. Replots of slopes of double-reciprocal plots versus inhibitor concentration were sharply concave upward, whereas replots of slope versus [PES]3 were linear. The inhibition was freely reversible upon dilution of the enzyme-PES complex. A model is presented that involves initial binding of the long (M(r) 50,000) polyanionic PES at a remote site on the enzyme, followed by interaction of the end of the tethered polymer with the binding site for NADP or for 6-phosphogluconate.

Inhibition of two HMP shunt pathway enzymes by fatty acids and their CoA esters in developing human brain: role of fatty acid binding protein

Inhibitory effects of fatty acids and their CoA esters on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities of human fetal brain cytosol have been studied. Purified human fetal brain fatty acid binding protein reverses the inhibitory effects of palmitoyl-CoA and oleic acid on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities in human fetal brain cytosol. This protein, when added alone, activates the enzymes. Levels of fatty acid binding proteins as well as the activities of these two HMP shunt pathway enzymes, which provide cofactors like NADPH for reductive biosynthesis, increase with gestation. These results indicate that a relationship exists between the high demand for fatty acids and synthesis of cofactors for lipid biosynthesis in developing brain.

Glyoxylate for affinity labelling of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

In order to find a new reagent for the affinity labelling, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was treated with glyoxylate, a versatile metabolite with a carboxyl and a reactive aldehydic group. High concentrations of glyoxylate inhibit the enzyme, while in the presence of the reducing agent cyanoborohydride, the enzyme is irreversibly inactivated by only millimolar glyoxylate. This indicates the formation of a Schiff base between the aldehydic group of glyoxylate and one enzyme lysine residue. The kinetics and substrate competition suggest that inactivation is due to affinity labelling. In the first step the inhibitor carboxylic group binds to the substrate carboxyl binding site, and in the second slower step the aldehydic group binds a nearby lysine. We have also found that other enzymes are inactivated by the combined actions of glyoxylate and cyanoborohydride, with a saturation kinetics. Hence, glyoxylate can be helpful to identify specific lysines at the carboxyl binding sites in proteins.

A potent specific inhibitor of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase of Cryptococcus neoformans and of certain other fungal enzymes

A particular lot of the zwitterionic buffer, 2(N-morpholino) ethane sulfonic acid (MES), contained a contaminant that inhibited a number of fungal NADP-dependent dehydrogenases. Enzymes that were particularly sensitive include 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases from Cryptococcus neoformans and Schizophyllum commune and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Schizophyllum commune. A number of NADP-dependent dehydrogenases of animal origin were tested and all were completely insensitive to inhibition except for rat liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, which was 10-fold less sensitive than the Cryptococcal enzyme. The pattern of inhibition in all cases was linear competitive versus NADP. The inhibitor has been purified and identified as an ethylenesulfonic acid oligomer. This inhibitor holds promise as a model compound for the development of a specific antifungal agent.

Use of trinitrobenzensulfonate for affinity labeling of lysine residues at phosphate binding sites of some enzymes

Trinitrobenzensulfonate, a reagent for lysine residues, inactivates lamb liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase through affinity labeling. Complete inactivation is due to the binding of only one residue of reagent per enzyme subunit. Other enzymes with a phosphate binding site are also inactivated by affinity labeling. It appears that trinitrobenzensulfonate, when used at low concentrations, first binds to a phosphate binding site, then reacts with a nearby lysine residue. This reagent presents some advantages over pyridoxal phosphate, which has similar characteristics.

Chemical mechanism of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Candida utilis from pH studies

The pH dependence of kinetic parameters and dissociation constants for competitive inhibitors was determined in order to obtain information on the chemical mechanism for the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase reaction from Candida utilis. A mechanism is proposed in which an active site general base accepts the proton from the 3-hydroxyl concomitant with hydride transfer at C-3; the resulting 3-keto intermediate is decarboxylated to give the enol of ribulose 5-phosphate, followed by tautomerization of the enol to the keto product with the assist of a second enzyme residue acting as a general acid. There is also a requirement for an ionized phosphate of 6-phosphogluconate and ribulose 5-phosphate for optimum binding. The maximum velocity is pH dependent, decreasing at high and low pH giving pK values of 6 and 10, while the V/K for 6-phosphogluconate decreases at low pH with a slope of 2 yielding pK values of 6.4 and 7.6, respectively, and at high pH with a slope of -1 yielding a pK of 8.2. The 6-sulfogluconate pKi profile decreases at low and high pH giving pK values of 7.1 and 8.5, respectively. The 5-phosphoarabonate and 5-phosphoarabonate pKi profiles show similar behavior giving pK values of 6.5 and 8.8, respectively, for the former and 6.8 and 8.8, respectively, for the latter. The V/K for NADP also decreases at low and high pH giving pKs of 7.5 and 8.1, while the ATP-Ribose pKi profile decreases at low and high pH giving pKs of 7.2 and 8.0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of the lysine residue involved in the inactivation of lamb liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate

Fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate binds almost selectively at the active site of lamb liver NADP-dependent 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase causing the inactivation of the enzyme. The substrate and the coenzyme protect against the loss of catalytic activity. The enzyme derivative was digested with trypsin, the labelled peptide was isolated by h.p.l.c. and its amino acid analysis allowed to establish that the inactivator binds to lysine 166 at the active site of the protein.

[Function of the pentosephosphate pathway in the rat brain during one-time administration of various doses of ethanol]

A rate of alterations in the enzymatic activity of pentosephosphate pathway and content of glucose in rat brain depended on a dose of administered ethanol. The alcohol inhibitory effect on the enzymatic activity was localized mainly in the brain steam. Impairment of the pentosephosphate pathway functions in alcohol intoxication demonstrated the pathway importance in realization of ethanol effects in nervous tissue.

Regulation and rate of the hexose monophosphate shunt in Rana ridibunda erythrocytes

1. Resting rates of Rana ridibunda erythrocyte glucose consumption and 14CO2 production from 1-14C-glucose were found to be significantly lower than the respective values in human erythrocytes. 2. In the presence of 1-14C-glucose Methylene Blue stimulated 14CO2 production 7-fold, while in the presence of 6-14C-glucose Methylene Blue stimulated 14CO2 production 1.2-fold. 3. The Km of G-6-PD for G-6-P and NADP were 29 and 12 microM, respectively while the Km of 6-PGD for 6-PG and NADP were 83 and 32 microM, respectively. The Ki of G-6-PD and 6-PGD for NADPH were 80 and 12 microM, respectively. 4. Excess amounts of NADP resulted in a significant decrease of 14CO2 production from 1-14C-glucose in total haemolysates. 5. ATP, ADP and fructose diphosphate inhibited both G-6-PD and 6-PGD, the latter being more sensitive than G-6-PD to their inhibitory effect, 2,3-DPG and reduced and oxidized glutathione showed a marked inhibitory effect on 6-PGD, while the phosphorylated trioses inhibited only G-6-PD. 6. Physiological concentrations of oxidized glutathione decreased the inhibition exercised by NADPH on G-6-PD. 7. The possible role of the two dehydrogenases in the regulation of the HMS is discussed.

Effect of 6-aminonicotinamide on pentose cycle activity in isolated hepatocytes

1. 6-aminonicotinamide (6AN), a purported inhibitor of 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) dehydrogenase, has been regarded as an inhibitor of the pentose cycle. 2. Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with 6AN caused a time- and concentration-dependent accumulation of 6PG. 3. At 5 mM, 6AN increased the 6PG level 1000-times to values comparable to those observed in the livers of rats injected with this niacin antagonist. 4. Despite the accumulation of 6PG, neither the total rate of lipogenesis, nor the incorporation of radioactivity from [3-3H]glucose, used to estimate the activity of the pentose cycle, were impaired to a large extent. 5. The evidence presented suggests that the accumulation of 6PG is not a sufficient criterion to establish blockade of the pentose cycle.

[Kinetic characteristics of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from bull adrenal cortex]

The hyperbolic dependence of the initial rate of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction on 6-phosphogluconate and NADP concentrations has been established. The Lineweaver-Burk plots of V0 against concentration of one substrate with constant unsaturating concentrations of another substrate cross left from the ordinate axis. The Km value for 6-phosphogluconate is equal ot 0.035 mM, for NADP--0.018 mM. It has been shown that NADPH inhibits 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by the competitive type with respect to NADP and by the noncompetitive one with respect to 6-phosphogluconate. Ribulose-5-phosphate inhibits the reaction by the mixed type with respect to NADP and by the noncompetitive type with respect to 6-phosphogluconate. Kinetic data are in agreement with the consecutive mechanism of the reaction: the first substrate is NADP, the last product--NADPH. The Arrhenius plot for the reaction shows a break at 27 degrees C.

Purification and characterization of a cofactor that controls the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate cycle in liver and other tissues of rat

We have recently reported the presence, in rat liver, of a cofactor characterized as a protein of Mr 10(5), which cooperates with GSSG to prevent the inhibition of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by NADPH. The inhibition that this coenzyme also exerts on 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is similarly prevented by a cofactor-GSSG system. The activity of the cofactor increases in the livers of rats fed on carbohydrate-rich diets. Purification of the components in rat liver homogenate by ion-exchange chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the deinhibitory effect on both dehydrogenases is exerted by the same cofactor. The purified cofactor appeared as a unique protein of Mr 37.10(3) in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Rat kidney and adipose tissue were the only nonhepatic tissues showing a cofactor-GSSG deinhibitory effect on both dehydrogenases of the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate cycle. The deinhibitory activity, also corresponding with a cellular component of Mr 10(5), was only diet-inducible in adipose tissue. The neutralization of the kidney and adipose tissue deinhibitory activity by rat liver cofactor antibodies suggested that there was a structural relationship between the cofactors prepared from these tissues.

Kinetic studies of Haemophilus influenzae 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Haemophilus influenzae 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-phospho-D-gluconate:NADP+ 2-oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.44) was purified 308-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity with a 16% recovery through a five-step procedure involving salt fractionation and hydrophobic and affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was demonstrated to be a dimer of Mr 70,000, and to catalyze a sequential reaction process. The enzyme was NADP-specific and kinetic parameters for the oxidation of 6-phosphogluconate were determined for NADP and four structural analogs of NADP. Coenzyme-competitive inhibition by adenosine derivatives was significantly enhanced by the presence of a 2'-phosphoryl group consistent with the observed coenzyme specificity of the enzyme. The purified enzyme was effectively inhibited by 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate, but at concentrations higher than that observed to inhibit growth of the organism. Rates of inactivation of the enzyme by N-ethylmaleimide were suggestive of sulfhydryl involvement in the reaction catalyzed.

Bass liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase: inhibition by nucleoside phosphates and by fructose 1,6 bisphosphate

Nucleoside 5'-triphosphates, 5'-diphosphates and 5'-monophosphates are inhibitors of the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase enzyme from bass liver. The 2'- and 3'-monophosphates of adenosine and guanosine are also inhibitory, the 2'-isomers being especially potent inhibitors. The catalytic activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase has been found to be markedly inhibited by fructose 1, 6 bisphosphate. As the Km for 6-phosphogluconate, the Ki for fructose 1,6 bisphosphate and the concentration of both compounds in bass liver are all comparable, it appears that the inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by fructose 1,6 bisphosphate may be of significance in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in bass liver.

The effects of oral and intraperitoneal administration of ethanol on the activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases in rats

The activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases decreased significantly only in male rats, when rats of both sexes were fed a 2% sucrose solution containing 25% ethanol for six weeks. Sucrose (2%) activation of these enzymes was significant only in female rats. The daily administration of ethanol (5 g/kg body wt.) by intraperitoneal injection for two weeks significantly decreased the activities of these enzymes and eliminated the sex differences in the response to ethanol ingestion.

Involvement of glucose catabolism in avermectin production by Streptomyces avermitilis

The addition of glucose in the early stage of fermentation suppressed not only avermectin production but also the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the pentose phosphate pathway. On the other hand, when glucose was added at the late stage of fermentation, suppression of avermectin formation and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activity was not observed but avermectin formation was increased and about a twofold-higher content of avermectins than that of the control fermentation was accumulated.

Chemical modification of sheep-liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by diethylpyrocarbonate. Evidence for an essential histidine residue

Sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is shown to be inactivated by diethylpyrocarbonate in a biphasic manner at pH 6.0, 25 degrees C. After allowing for the hydrolysis of the reagent, rate constants of 56 M-1 s-1 and 11.0 M-1 s-1 were estimated for the two processes. The complete reactivation of partially inactivated enzyme by neutral hydroxylamine, the elimination of the possibility that modification of cysteine or tyrosine residues are responsible for inactivation, and the magnitudes of the rate constants for inactivation relative to the experimentally determined value for the reaction of diethylpyrocarbonate with N alpha-acetylhistidine (2.2 M-1 s-1), all suggested that enzyme inactivation occurs solely by modification of histidine residues. Comparison of the experimental plot of residual fractional activity versus the number of modified histidine residues per subunit with simulated plots for three hypothetical models, each predicting biphasic kinetics, indicated that inactivation results from the modification of at most one essential histidine residue per subunit, although it appears that other (non-essential) histidines react independently. This histidine is thought to be His-242 and is present in the active site. Evidence in support of its role in catalysis is briefly discussed. Both 6-phosphogluconate and organic phosphate protect against inactivation, and a kinetic analysis of the protection indicated a dissociation constant of 2.1 X 10(-6) M for the enzyme--6-phosphogluconate complex. NADP+ also protected, but this might be due, at least in part, to a reduction in the effective concentration of diethylpyrocarbonate.

Half-site reactivity in 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from human erythrocytes

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from human erythrocytes was purified by an improved procedure. Binding studies showed that the dimeric enzyme binds 2 mol of NADP+/mol but only 1 mol of NADPH/mol, and that the bindings of oxidized and reduced coenzyme are mutually exclusive. From initial-rate kinetics and inhibition studies, a sequential random-order mechanism is proposed. Double-reciprocal plots with NADP+ as varied substrate show a downward curvature, indicating a negative co-operativity. We suggest that the negative co-operativity observed kinetically is a result of the half-site reactivity for the NADPH. The different binding stoichiometries for NADP+ and NADPH generate a non-linear relationship between the apparent dissociation constant for the NADPH and the concentrations of the NADP+, resulting in a regulatory mechanism highly sensitive to the changes in the NADP+/NADPH ratio.

Human brain 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase: purification and kinetic properties

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase has been purified from human brain to a specific activity of 22.8 U/mg protein. The molecular weight was 90,000. At low ionic strengths enzyme activity increased, due to an increase in Vmax and a decrease in Km for 6-phosphogluconate, and activity subsequently decreased as the ionic strength was increased (above 0.12). Both 6-phosphogluconate and NADP+ provided good protection against thermal inactivation, with 6-phosphogluconate also providing considerable protection against loss of activity caused by p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetamide. Initial velocity studies indicated the enzyme mechanism was sequential. NADPH was a competitive inhibitor with respect to NADP+, and the Ki values for this inhibition were dependent on the concentration of 6-phosphogluconate. Product inhibition by NADPH was noncompetitive when 6-phosphogluconate was the variable substrate, whereas inhibition by the products CO2 and ribulose 5-phosphogluconate and NADP+ were varied. In totality these data suggest that binding of substrates to the enzyme is random. CO2 and ribulose 5-phosphate are released from the enzyme in random order with NADPH as the last product released.

Interaction with protein SH groups could be involved in adriamycin cardiotoxicity

The use of the antineoplastic agent adriamycin is limited by its cardiotoxicity. The mechanism of cardiotoxicity has been investigated through the study of adriamycin effects on a number of heart enzymes. Adriamycin inhibited the activity of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, three enzymes that have in common the presence of reactive SH groups involved in activity. Adriamycin action was prevented by the presence of proteins or dithioerythrol and mimicked by dithiobis dinitrobenzoate. It is suggested that adriamycin effects are due to interaction with enzyme SH groups by a product of adriamycin metabolism.

Glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: an easy and sensitive quantitative assay for the detection of female heterozygotes in red blood cells

Different methods for the quantitative determination of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) were compared and one of them found to be highly precise. Maleimide inactivation of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) was investigated. It was shown that this inactivation is time-dependent and causes loss of assay precision. The most precise method was adapted to lysates of red blood cells from females, known to be heterozygote for G-6-PD deficiency and from non-deficient males and females. Heterozygote gene carriers were detected at a rate of 97.0%.

The inhibitory effect of actinomycin D and cycloheximide on the increase in activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in experimentally induced diseased skeletal muscles

The myotoxic effect of the subcutaneous administration of N,N1-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD) in rats was enhanced by the simultaneous administration of hyaluronidase. The resulting myopathy was associated with an early and dramatic increase in activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Administration of actinomycin D or cycloheximide prior to the combined DPPD and hyaluronidase treatment prevented the increase in activity of both pentose phosphate pathway enzymes, indicating that the increase in activity requires RNA synthesis and protein synthesis. The possibility that the increase in activity of both NADPH-regenerating enzymes results from the modification by effectors of existing less active forms of these enzymes leading to more highly active forms was refuted.