Coleataenia prionitis, a C4-like species in the Poaceae.

C4-like plants represent the penultimate stage of evolution from C3 to C4 plants. Although Coleataenia prionitis (formerly Panicum prionitis) has been described as a C4 plant, its leaf anatomy and gas exchange traits suggest that it may be a C4-like plant. Here, we reexamined the leaf structure and biochemical and physiological traits of photosynthesis in this grass. The large vascular bundles were surrounded by two layers of bundle sheath (BS): a colorless outer BS and a chloroplast-rich inner BS. Small vascular bundles, which generally had a single BS layer with various vascular structures, also occurred throughout the mesophyll together with BS cells not associated with vascular tissue. The mesophyll cells did not show a radial arrangement typical of Kranz anatomy. These features suggest that the leaf anatomy of C. prionitis is on the evolutionary pathway to a complete C4 Kranz type. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate, Pi dikinase occurred in the mesophyll and outer BS. Glycine decarboxylase was confined to the inner BS. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) accumulated in the mesophyll and both BSs. C. prionitis had biochemical traits of NADP-malic enzyme type, whereas its gas exchange traits were close to those of C4-like intermediate plants rather than C4 plants. A gas exchange study with a PEPC inhibitor suggested that Rubisco in the mesophyll could fix atmospheric CO2. These data demonstrate that C. prionitis is not a true C4 plant but should be considered as a C4-like plant.

Evidence That Isoprene Emission Is Not Limited by Cytosolic Metabolites. Exogenous Malate Does Not Invert the Reverse Sensitivity of Isoprene Emission to High [CO2].

Isoprene is synthesized via the chloroplastic 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway (MEP/DOXP), and its synthesis is directly related to photosynthesis, except under high CO2 concentration, when the rate of photosynthesis increases but isoprene emission decreases. Suppression of MEP/DOXP pathway activity by high CO2 has been explained either by limited supply of the cytosolic substrate precursor, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), into chloroplast as the result of enhanced activity of cytosolic PEP carboxylase or by limited supply of energetic and reductive equivalents. We tested the PEP-limitation hypotheses by feeding leaves with the PEP carboxylase competitive inhibitors malate and diethyl oxalacetate (DOA) in the strong isoprene emitter hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides). Malate feeding resulted in the inhibition of net assimilation, photosynthetic electron transport, and isoprene emission rates, but DOA feeding did not affect any of these processes except at very high application concentrations. Both malate and DOA did not alter the sensitivity of isoprene emission to high CO2 concentration. Malate inhibition of isoprene emission was associated with enhanced chloroplastic reductive status that suppressed light reactions of photosynthesis, ultimately leading to reduced isoprene substrate dimethylallyl diphosphate pool size. Additional experiments with altered oxygen concentrations in conditions of feedback-limited and non-feedback-limited photosynthesis further indicated that changes in isoprene emission rate in control and malate-inhibited leaves were associated with changes in the share of ATP and reductive equivalent supply for isoprene synthesis. The results of this study collectively indicate that malate importantly controls the chloroplast reductive status and, thereby, affects isoprene emission, but they do not support the hypothesis that cytosolic metabolite availability alters the response of isoprene emission to changes in atmospheric composition.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase identified as a key enzyme in erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum carbon metabolism.

Phospoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is absent from humans but encoded in the Plasmodium falciparum genome, suggesting that PEPC has a parasite-specific function. To investigate its importance in P. falciparum, we generated a pepc null mutant (D10(Δpepc) ), which was only achievable when malate, a reduction product of oxaloacetate, was added to the growth medium. D10(Δpepc) had a severe growth defect in vitro, which was partially reversed by addition of malate or fumarate, suggesting that pepc may be essential in vivo. Targeted metabolomics using (13)C-U-D-glucose and (13)C-bicarbonate showed that the conversion of glycolytically-derived PEP into malate, fumarate, aspartate and citrate was abolished in D10(Δpepc) and that pentose phosphate pathway metabolites and glycerol 3-phosphate were present at increased levels. In contrast, metabolism of the carbon skeleton of (13)C,(15)N-U-glutamine was similar in both parasite lines, although the flux was lower in D10(Δpepc); it also confirmed the operation of a complete forward TCA cycle in the wild type parasite. Overall, these data confirm the CO2 fixing activity of PEPC and suggest that it provides metabolites essential for TCA cycle anaplerosis and the maintenance of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance. Moreover, these findings imply that PEPC may be an exploitable target for future drug discovery.

[Effect of univalent cations on synthesis of surfactants by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus IMV B-7241].

The effect of univalent cations on activity of key enzymes of C2-metabolism has been investigated in the producer of biosurfactants, Acinetibacter calcoaceticus IMV B-7241 grown on ethanol. It was established that potassium cations are inhibitors of pyroquinolinequinone-dependent alcohol- and acetaldehyde dehydrogenases, the enzymes of biosynthesis of surface-active aminolipids (NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase) and glycolipids (phosphoenopyruvate (PhEP)-carboxikinase), while ammonium cations are activators of these enzymes and PhEP-carboxylase. A decrease of potassium cations concentration in the cultivation medium to 1 mM and increase of the content of amine nitrogen to 10 mM as a result of potassium nitrate substitution by equimolar, as to nitrogen, urea concentration were accompanied by the increase of activity of enzymes of ethanol metabolism and SAS biosynthesis, as well as by the 2-fold increase of conditional concentration of the biosurfactants.

Phosphorylation of bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase at Ser425 provides a further tier of enzyme control in developing castor oil seeds.

PEPC [PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate) carboxylase] is a tightly controlled anaplerotic enzyme situated at a pivotal branch point of plant carbohydrate metabolism. Two distinct oligomeric PEPC classes were discovered in developing COS (castor oil seeds). Class-1 PEPC is a typical homotetramer of 107 kDa PTPC (plant-type PEPC) subunits, whereas the novel 910-kDa Class-2 PEPC hetero-octamer arises from a tight interaction between Class-1 PEPC and 118 kDa BTPC (bacterial-type PEPC) subunits. Mass spectrometric analysis of immunopurified COS BTPC indicated that it is subject to in vivo proline-directed phosphorylation at Ser425. We show that immunoblots probed with phosphorylation site-specific antibodies demonstrated that Ser425 phosphorylation is promoted during COS development, becoming maximal at stage IX (maturation phase) or in response to depodding. Kinetic analyses of a recombinant, chimaeric Class-2 PEPC containing phosphomimetic BTPC mutant subunits (S425D) indicated that Ser425 phosphorylation results in significant BTPC inhibition by: (i) increasing its Km(PEP) 3-fold, (ii) reducing its I50 (L-malate and L-aspartate) values by 4.5- and 2.5-fold respectively, while (iii) decreasing its activity within the physiological pH range. The developmental pattern and kinetic influence of Ser425 BTPC phosphorylation is very distinct from the in vivo phosphorylation/activation of COS Class-1 PEPC's PTPC subunits at Ser11. Collectively, the results establish that BTPC's phospho-Ser425 content depends upon COS developmental and physiological status and that Ser425 phosphorylation attenuates the catalytic activity of BTPC subunits within a Class-2 PEPC complex. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for protein phosphorylation as a mechanism for the in vivo control of vascular plant BTPC activity.

Developmental and molecular physiological evidence for the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in rapid cotton fibre elongation.

Cotton fibres are hair-like single-cells that elongate to several centimetres long after their initiation from the ovule epidermis at anthesis. The accumulation of malate, along with K+ and sugars, is thought to play an important role in fibre elongation through osmotic regulation and charge balance. However, there is a lack of evidence for or against such an hypothesis. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is a key enzyme responsible for the synthesis of malate. The potential role of PEPC in cotton fibre elongation is examined here. Developmentally, PEPC activity was higher at the rapid elongation phase than that at the slow elongation stage. Genotypically, PEPC activity correlated positively with the rate of fibre elongation and the final fibre length attained. Importantly, suppression of PEPC activity by LiCl that reduces its phosphorylation status decreased fibre length. To examine the molecular basis underlying PEPC activity, two cDNAs encoding PEPC, GhPEPC1 and 2, were cloned, which represents the major PEPC genes expressed in cotton fibre. RT-PCR analyses revealed that GhPEPC1 and 2 were highly expressed at the rapid elongation phase but weakly at the slow-to-terminal elongation period. In situ hybridization detected mRNA of GhPEPC1 and 2 in 1 d young fibres but not in the ovule epidermis prior to fibre initiation. Collectively, the data indicate that cotton fibre elongation requires high activity of PEPC, probably through the expression of the GhPEPC1 and 2 genes.

Maize C4-form phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase engineered to be functional in C3 plants: mutations for diminished sensitivity to feedback inhibitors and for increased substrate affinity.

Introducing a C(4)-like pathway into C(3) plants is one of the proposed strategies for the enhancement of photosynthetic productivity. For this purpose it is necessary to provide each component enzyme that exerts strong activity in the targeted C(3) plants. Here, a maize C(4)-form phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31) was engineered for its regulatory and catalytic properties so as to be functional in the cells of C(3) plants. Firstly, amino acid residues Lys-835 and Arg-894 of maize PEPC, which correspond to Lys-773 and Arg-832 of Escherichia coli PEPC, respectively, were replaced by Gly, since they had been shown to be involved in the binding of allosteric inhibitors, malate or aspartate, by our X-ray crystallographic analysis of E. coli PEPC. The resulting mutant enzymes were active but their sensitivities to the inhibitors were greatly diminished. Secondly, a Ser residue (S780) characteristically conserved in all C(4)-form PEPC was replaced by Ala conserved in C(3)- and root-form PEPCs to decrease the half-maximal concentration (S(0.5)) of PEP. The double mutant enzyme (S780A/K835G) showed diminished sensitivity to malate and decreased S(0.5)(PEP) with equal maximal catalytic activity (V(m)) to the wild-type PEPC, which will be quite useful as a component of the C(4)-like pathway to be introduced into C(3) plants.

Allosteric Inhibition of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylases is Determined by a Single Amino Acid Residue in Cyanobacteria.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is an important enzyme for CO2 fixation and primary metabolism in photosynthetic organisms including cyanobacteria. The kinetics and allosteric regulation of PEPCs have been studied in many organisms, but the biochemical properties of PEPC in the unicellular, non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 have not been clarified. In this study, biochemical analysis revealed that the optimum pH and temperature of Synechocystis 6803 PEPC proteins were 7.3 and 30 °C, respectively. Synechocystis 6803 PEPC was found to be tolerant to allosteric inhibition by several metabolic effectors such as malate, aspartate, and fumarate compared with other cyanobacterial PEPCs. Comparative sequence and biochemical analysis showed that substitution of the glutamate residue at position 954 with lysine altered the enzyme so that it was inhibited by malate, aspartate, and fumarate. PEPC of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was purified, and its activity was inhibited in the presence of malate. Substitution of the lysine at position 946 (equivalent to position 954 in Synechocystis 6803) with glutamate made Anabaena 7120 PEPC tolerant to malate. These results demonstrate that the allosteric regulation of PEPC in cyanobacteria is determined by a single amino acid residue, a characteristic that is conserved in different orders.

Pyrazolidine-3,5-dione-based inhibitors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase as a new class of potential C4 plant herbicides.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is a key enzyme in the C4 photosynthetic pathway of many of the world's worst weeds and a valuable target to develop C4 plant-selective herbicides. By virtual screening, analog synthesis, and in vitro validation, we identified pyrazolidine-3,5-diones as a new class of small molecules with inhibitory potential down to the submicromolar range against C4 PEPC and a selectivity factor of up to 16 over C3 PEPC. No other biological activity has yet been reported for the best compound, (3-bromophenyl)-4-(3-hydroxybenzylidene)-pyrazolidine-3,5-dione. A systematic variation in the substituents allowed the derivation of a qualitative structure-activity relationship. These findings make this compound class highly interesting for further investigations toward generating potent, C4 plant-selective herbicides with a low potential for unwanted effects.

New insights on glyphosate mode of action in nodular metabolism: Role of shikimate accumulation.

The short-term effects of the herbicide glyphosate (1.25-10 mM) on the growth, nitrogen fixation, carbohydrate metabolism, and shikimate pathway were investigated in leaves and nodules of nodulated lupine plants. All glyphosate treatments decreased nitrogenase activity rapidly (24 h) after application, even at the lowest and sublethal dose used (1.25 mM). This early effect on nitrogenase could not be related to either damage to nitrogenase components (I and II) or limitation of carbohydrates supplied by the host plant. In fact, further exposure to increasing glyphosate concentrations (5 mM) and greater time after exposure (5 days) decreased nodule starch content and sucrose synthase (SS; EC 2.4.1.13) activity but increased sucrose content within the nodule. These effects were accompanied by a great inhibition of the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC; EC 4.1.1.31). There were remarkable and rapid effects on the increase of shikimic and protocatechuic (PCA) acids in nodules and leaves after herbicide application. On the basis of the role of shikimic acid and PCA in the regulation of PEPC, as potent competitive inhibitors, this additional effect provoked by glyphosate on 5-enolpyruvylshikimic-3-phosphate synthase enzyme (EPSPS; EC 2.5.1.19) inhibition would divert most PEP into the shikimate pathway, depriving energy substrates to bacteroids to maintain nitrogen fixation. These findings provide a new explanation for the effectiveness of glyphosate as a herbicide in other plant tissues, for the observed differences in tolerance among species or cultivars, and for the transitory effects on glyphosate-resistant transgenic crops under several environmental conditions.

Chalcone-based Selective Inhibitors of a C4 Plant Key Enzyme as Novel Potential Herbicides.

Weeds are a challenge for global food production due to their rapidly evolving resistance against herbicides. We have identified chalcones as selective inhibitors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), a key enzyme for carbon fixation and biomass increase in the C4 photosynthetic pathway of many of the world's most damaging weeds. In contrast, many of the most important crop plants use C3 photosynthesis. Here, we show that 2',3',4',3,4-Pentahydroxychalcone (IC50 = 600 nM) and 2',3',4'-Trihydroxychalcone (IC50 = 4.2 µM) are potent inhibitors of C4 PEPC but do not affect C3 PEPC at a same concentration range (selectivity factor: 15-45). Binding and modeling studies indicate that the active compounds bind at the same site as malate/aspartate, the natural feedback inhibitors of the C4 pathway. At the whole plant level, both substances showed pronounced growth-inhibitory effects on the C4 weed Amaranthus retroflexus, while there were no measurable effects on oilseed rape, a C3 plant. Growth of selected soil bacteria was not affected by these substances. Our chalcone compounds are the most potent and selective C4 PEPC inhibitors known to date. They offer a novel approach to combat C4 weeds based on a hitherto unexplored mode of allosteric inhibition of a C4 plant key enzyme.

Regulatory characteristics of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from the extreme thermophile, Thermus aquaticus.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from the extremely thermophilic bacterium, Thermus aquaticus YT-1, exhibits a virtually absolute requirement for acetyl CoA and there is strong positive cooperativity in the interaction of this activator with the enzyme. Several tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates inhibit the enzyme. These findings suggest an anaplerotic role for the enzyme and an allosteric modulation of its activity by acetyl CoA and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates.

Isolation and sequence of an active-site peptide from maize leaf phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase inactivated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

An active-site peptide from maize (Zea mays L.) phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase has been isolated, sequenced and identified in the primary structure following chemical modification/inactivation of the enzyme by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and reduction with sodium borohydride. The amino acid sequence of the purified dodecapeptide is Val-Gly-Tyr-Ser-Asp-Ser-Gly-L*ys-Asp-Ala-Gly-Arg, which corresponds exactly to residues 599-610 in the deduced primary sequence of the maize-leaf enzyme. Comparative analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of the enzyme from Escherichia coli, Anacystis nidulans and C3, C4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism plants indicates that they all contain this specific lysyl group, as well as a high degree of sequence homology flanking this species-invariant residue. This observation suggests a critical role for Lys-606 during catalysis by maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. This represents the first identification of a specific, species-invariant active-site residue in the enzyme.

Desensitization to glucose 6-phosphate of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from maize leaves by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

Incubation of the nonphosphorylated form of maize-leaf phospho enol pyruvate carboxylase (orthophosphate: oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (phosphorylating), PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31) with the reagent pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) resulted in time-dependent, reversible inactivation and desensitization to the activator glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) and other related phosphorylated compounds. Both processes are not connected, since (i) when the PLP-modification was carried out in the presence of saturating ligands of the active site, which prevents inactivation, the desensitization to Glc6P is still observed, and (ii) under some experimental conditions the desensitization reaction is 4-times faster than the inactivation. Desensitization to Glc6P is first order with respect to PLP and has a second-order forward rate constant of 4.7 +/- 0.3 s-1 M-1 and a first-order reverse rate constant of 0.0046 +/- 0.0002 s-1. Correlation studies between the remaining Glc6P sensitivity and mol of PLP residues incorporated per mol of enzyme subunit indicate that one lysyl group for enzyme monomer is involved in the sensitivity of the enzyme to Glc6P. The reactivity of this group is increased by polyethylene glycol and glycerol, while the reactivity of the lysyl group of the active site is not affected by these organic cosolutes. In the presence but not in the absence of the organic cosolutes, Glc6P by itself offers significant protection against desensitization, while increases the extent of inactivation. Free PEP or PEP-Mg have opposite effects, protecting the enzyme against inactivation and increasing the degree of desensitization. They also increases the protection against desensitization afforded by Glc6P. Finally, the PEPC inhibitor malate provides some protection against both inactivation and desensitization. Taken together, these results are consistent with PLP-modification of a highly reactive lysyl group at or near the allosteric Glc6P-site.

Kinetic analysis of effectors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi.

The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (orthophosphate:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (phosporylating) EC 4.1.1.31) purified from Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi has been measured in the presence of various concentrations of phosphoenolpyruvate, L-malate and glucose 6-phosphate. At high pH, the enzyme is competitively inhibited by L-malate and activated by glucose 6-phosphate. A reaction scheme describing the interaction of enzyme, substrate and effectors is proposed. Values for the appropriate equilibrium constants have been calculated for the enzyme acting at pH 7.8, which is one of its two pH optima. The kinetics are more complicated at low pH, partly because of non-linear reaction rates and partly because inhibition by L-malate is not competitive. Activation by glucose 6-phosphate is similar at high and low pH values. The behaviour of a wide range of other possible effectors is described briefly.

A rapid screening method to detect specific inhibitors of pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase as leads for C4 plant-selective herbicides.

Plants using the C(4) photosynthetic pathway are highly represented among the world's worst weeds, with only 4 C(4) species being agriculturally productive (maize, sorghum, millet, and sugar cane). With the C(4) acid cycle operating as a biochemical appendage of C(3) photosynthesis, the additional enzymes involved in C(4) photosynthesis represent an attractive target for the development of weed-specific herbicides. The rate-limiting enzyme of this metabolic pathway is pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK). PPDK, coupled with phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malate dehydrogenase, was used to develop a microplate-based assay to detect inhibitors of enzymes of the C(4) acid cycle. The resulting assay had a Z' factor of 0.61, making it a high-quality assay able to reliably identify active test samples. Organic extracts of 6679 marine macroscopic organisms were tested within the assay, and 343 were identified that inhibited the 3 enzyme-coupled reaction. A high confirmation rate was achieved, with 95% of these hit extracts proving active again upon retesting. Sequential addition of phosphoenolpyruvate and oxaloacetate to the assay facilitated identification of 83 extracts that specifically inhibited PPDK.

Malate content of picoliter samples of Raphanus sativus cytoplasm.

Malate, which plays many essential roles in plant metabolism, is a potent in vitro inhibitor of the cytosolic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). Because PEPC activity leads to malate biosynthesis, malate is assumed to attenuate its own synthesis in situ. To test this hypothesis, we measured directly the malate content of picoliter samples of Raphanus root-hair cytoplasm using quantitative histochemical techniques. We also obtained an estimate for malate accumulation in these cells. These values were compared with the PEPC activity of individual root hairs (less than 2 ng). The results indicate that high cytoplasmic malate concentration does not severely inhibit PEPC in situ. We suggest that the focus for studies on the regulation of organic anion accumulation be on the interactive effects of malate and other PEPC effectors.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase of Escherichia coli. Inhibition by various analogs and homologs of phosphoenolpyruvate.

In an attempt to investigate the topography of the catalytic site of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase [EC 4.1.1.31] of Escherichia coli, the inhibitor constants (Ki) for more than 20 compounds were determined with the reaction system containing dioxane, a non-physiological activator of the enzyme. The Ki values for the compounds lacking methylene-, carboxylate-, or phosphate groups were all more than 10-fold larger than the Km value for PEP, indicating the significant contribution of these groups to the binding of PEP with the enzyme. The Ki value for L-phospholactate (0.30 mM) was almost equal to the Km value for PEP (0.25 mM), whereas that for D-phospholactate (0.89 mM) was about 3-fold larger than the Km value. It was presumed that PEP binds with the enzyme on its si-side. Among 6 PEP homologs, the Ki values for phosphoenol alpha-ketobutyrate (0.024 mM) and phosphoenol alpha-ketovalerate (0.034 mM) were about one-tenth the Km value, indicating the presence of a hydrophobic pocket around the binding site of the methylene group of PEP, where the carboxylation reaction is supposed to occur. DL-Phosphomalate, a presumptive carboxylated substrate, was a weak inhibitor with a Ki value of 2.20 mM.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase of Escherichia coli. Hydrophobic chromatography using specific elution with allosteric inhibitor.

The adsorption of Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase [EC 4.1.1.31] to butyl-, hexyl-, and octyl-Sepharose gels was investigated. The enzyme was nearly completely adsorbed to the latter two gels both in the absence and presence of high concentrations of ammonium sulfate. At intermediate concentrations--0.1 M in the case of hexyl-Sepharose--virtually no adsorption was observed. Upon application of an increasing or decreasing concentration gradient of the salt, the enzyme was eluted at various concentrations of the salt depending on chain length of the immobilized alkyl groups. The adsorption to hexyl-Sepharose at 0.7 M ammonium sulfate was markedly decreased by L-aspartate, the allosteric inhibitor, whereas it was increased by acetyl-CoA, one of the allosteric activators. Evidence was obtained suggesting that these changes in adsorption were due to conformational alterations of the enzyme elicited by these effectors. The enzyme seemed to have been adsorbed at its hydrophobic regions which were distinct from the allosteric site for long-chain fatty acids. The specific elution with L-aspartate in the presence of 0.82 M ammonium sulfate could successfully be applied to purification of the enzyme. By this hydrophobic interaction chromatography, the enzyme was purified about 55-fold over its partially purified preparation with a recovery of 73%. The obtained enzyme preparation was almost homogeneous as judged from sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Site-directed mutagenesis of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from E. coli: the role of His579 in the catalytic and regulatory functions.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPC) [EC 4.1.1.31] from a wide variety of organisms contain a unique and highly conserved sequence, 578FHGRGGSIGRGGAP591 (coordinates for the Escherichia coli enzyme), which has been presumed to participate in the binding of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Since previous chemical modification studies had suggested the importance of His for the catalytic activity, the role of His579 was investigated by constructing variants of E. coli PEPC, in which this residue was substituted to Asn (H579N) or Pro (H579P). Kinetic studies with partially purified enzymes revealed the following: (1) The apparent maximal velocities in the presence of acetyl-CoA (CoASAc, one of the allosteric activators) were 29% and 5.4% of the wild-type enzyme, for H579N and H579P, respectively. (2) The half-saturation concentration for PEP was increased about 40-fold by the substitutions, while those for another substrate (HCO3-) and the metal cofactor (Mg2+) were increased only 2- to 4-fold. (3) The half-saturation concentrations of four kinds of allosteric activators and of dioxane, an artificial activator, were also changed to various extents. Among them the most remarkable increase was observed for CoASAc (28-fold). (4) The concentration of an allosteric inhibitor, aspartate, required for 50% inhibition remained substantially unchanged. It was concluded that the imidazole group of His579 is not obligatory for the enzyme catalysis, but plays important roles in catalytic and regulatory functions.