Structural dissection of sequence recognition and catalytic mechanism of human LINE-1 endonuclease.

Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) is an autonomous non-LTR retrotransposon comprising ∼20% of the human genome. L1 self-propagation causes genomic instability and is strongly associated with aging, cancer and other diseases. The endonuclease domain of L1's ORFp2 protein (L1-EN) initiates de novo L1 integration by nicking the consensus sequence 5'-TTTTT/AA-3'. In contrast, related nucleases including structurally conserved apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) are non-sequence specific. To investigate mechanisms underlying sequence recognition and catalysis by L1-EN, we solved crystal structures of L1-EN complexed with DNA substrates. This showed that conformational properties of the preferred sequence drive L1-EN's sequence-specificity and catalysis. Unlike APE1, L1-EN does not bend the DNA helix, but rather causes 'compression' near the cleavage site. This provides multiple advantages for L1-EN's role in retrotransposition including facilitating use of the nicked poly-T DNA strand as a primer for reverse transcription. We also observed two alternative conformations of the scissile bond phosphate, which allowed us to model distinct conformations for a nucleophilic attack and a transition state that are likely applicable to the entire family of nucleases. This work adds to our mechanistic understanding of L1-EN and related nucleases and should facilitate development of L1-EN inhibitors as potential anticancer and antiaging therapeutics.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency is linked to regulatory loop disorder in the αV138M variant of human pyruvate dehydrogenase.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex (PDHc) connects glycolysis to the tricarboxylic acid cycle by producing acetyl-CoA via the decarboxylation of pyruvate. Because of its pivotal role in glucose metabolism, this complex is closely regulated in mammals by reversible phosphorylation, the modulation of which is of interest in treating cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Mutations such as that leading to the αV138M variant in pyruvate dehydrogenase, the pyruvate-decarboxylating PDHc E1 component, can result in PDHc deficiency, an inborn error of metabolism that results in an array of symptoms such as lactic acidosis, progressive cognitive and neuromuscular deficits, and even death in infancy or childhood. Here we present an analysis of two X-ray crystal structures at 2.7-Å resolution, the first of the disease-associated human αV138M E1 variant and the second of human wildtype (WT) E1 with a bound adduct of its coenzyme thiamin diphosphate and the substrate analogue acetylphosphinate. The structures provide support for the role of regulatory loop disorder in E1 inactivation, and the αV138M variant structure also reveals that altered coenzyme binding can result in such disorder even in the absence of phosphorylation. Specifically, both E1 phosphorylation at αSer-264 and the αV138M substitution result in disordered loops that are not optimally oriented or available to efficiently bind the lipoyl domain of PDHc E2. Combined with an analysis of αV138M activity, these results underscore the general connection between regulatory loop disorder and loss of E1 catalytic efficiency.

Paradoxical suppression of cellular senescence by p53.

The tumor suppressor p53 is a canonical inducer of cellular senescence (irreversible loss of proliferative potential and senescent morphology). p53 can also cause reversible arrest without senescent morphology, which has usually been interpreted as failure of p53 to induce senescence. Here we demonstrate that p53-induced quiescence actually results from suppression of senescence by p53. In previous studies, suppression of senescence by p53 was masked by p53-induced cell cycle arrest. Here, we separated these two activities by inducing senescence through overexpression of p21 and then testing the effect of p53 on senescence. We found that in p21-arrested cells, p53 converted senescence into quiescence. Suppression of senescence by p53 required its transactivation function. Like rapamycin, which is known to suppress senescence, p53 inhibited the mTOR pathway. We suggest that, while inducing cell cycle arrest, p53 may simultaneously suppress the senescence program, thus causing quiescence and that suppression of senescence and induction of cell cycle arrest are distinct functions of p53. Thus, in spite of its ability to induce cell cycle arrest, p53 can act as a suppressor of cellular senescence.

Phosphorylation status of pyruvate dehydrogenase distinguishes metabolic phenotypes of cultured rat brain astrocytes and neurons.

Glucose metabolism in nervous tissue has been proposed to occur in a compartmentalized manner with astrocytes contributing largely to glycolysis and neurons being the primary site of glucose oxidation. However, mammalian astrocytes and neurons both contain mitochondria, and it remains unclear why in culture neurons oxidize glucose, lactate, and pyruvate to a much larger extent than astrocytes. The objective of this study was to determine whether pyruvate metabolism is differentially regulated in cultured neurons versus astrocytes. Expression of all components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), the rate-limiting step for pyruvate entry into the Krebs cycle, was determined in cultured astrocytes and neurons. In addition, regulation of PDC enzymatic activity in the two cell types via protein phosphorylation was examined. We show that all components of the PDC are expressed in both cell types in culture, but that PDC activity is kept strongly inhibited in astrocytes through phosphorylation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase alpha subunit (PDH alpha). In contrast, neuronal PDC operates close to maximal levels with much lower levels of phosphorylated PDH alpha. Dephosphorylation of astrocytic PDH alpha restores PDC activity and lowers lactate production. Our findings suggest that the glucose metabolism of astrocytes and neurons may be far more flexible than previously believed.

Persistent regional downregulation in mitochondrial enzymes and upregulation of stress proteins in swine with chronic hibernating myocardium.

Hibernating myocardium is accompanied by a downregulation in energy utilization that prevents the immediate development of ischemia during stress at the expense of an attenuated level of regional contractile function. We used a discovery based proteomic approach to identify novel regional molecular adaptations responsible for this phenomenon in subendocardial samples from swine instrumented with a chronic LAD stenosis. After 3 months (n=8), hibernating myocardium was present as reflected by reduced resting LAD flow (0.75+/-0.14 versus 1.19+/-0.14 mL x min(-1) x g(-1) in remote) and wall thickening (1.93+/-0.46 mm versus 5.46+/-0.41 mm in remote, P<0.05). Regionally altered proteins were quantified with 2D Differential-in-Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) using normal myocardium as a reference with identification of candidates using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Hibernating myocardium developed a significant downregulation of many mitochondrial proteins and an upregulation of stress proteins. Of particular note, the major entry points to oxidative metabolism (eg, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase) and enzymes involved in electron transport (eg, complexes I, III, and V) were reduced (P<0.05). Multiple subunits within an enzyme complex frequently showed a concordant downregulation in abundance leading to an amplification of their cumulative effects on activity (eg, "total" LAD PDC activity was 21.9+/-3.1 versus 42.8+/-1.9 mU, P<0.05). After 5-months (n=10), changes in mitochondrial and stress proteins persisted whereas cytoskeletal proteins (eg, desmin and vimentin) normalized. These data indicate that the proteomic phenotype of hibernating myocardium is dynamic and has similarities to global changes in energy substrate metabolism and function in the advanced failing heart. These proteomic changes may limit oxidative injury and apoptosis and impact functional recovery after revascularization.

OT-82, a novel anticancer drug candidate that targets the strong dependence of hematological malignancies on NAD biosynthesis.

Effective treatment of some types of cancer can be achieved by modulating cell lineage-specific rather than tumor-specific targets. We conducted a systematic search for novel agents selectively toxic to cells of hematopoietic origin. Chemical library screenings followed by hit-to-lead optimization identified OT-82, a small molecule with strong efficacy against hematopoietic malignancies including acute myeloblastic and lymphoblastic adult and pediatric leukemias, erythroleukemia, multiple myeloma, and Burkitt's lymphoma in vitro and in mouse xenograft models. OT-82 was also more toxic towards patients-derived leukemic cells versus healthy bone marrow-derived hematopoietic precursors. OT-82 was shown to induce cell death by inhibiting nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway of NAD synthesis. In mice, optimization of OT-82 dosing and dietary niacin further expanded the compound's therapeutic index. In toxicological studies conducted in mice and nonhuman primates, OT-82 showed no cardiac, neurological or retinal toxicities observed with other NAMPT inhibitors and had no effect on mouse aging or longevity. Hematopoietic and lymphoid organs were identified as the primary targets for dose limiting toxicity of OT-82 in both species. These results reveal strong dependence of neoplastic cells of hematopoietic origin on NAMPT and introduce OT-82 as a promising candidate for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

Effective targeting of NAMPT in patient-derived xenograft models of high-risk pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The prognosis for children diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains suboptimal, and more potent and less toxic treatments are urgently needed. We investigated the efficacy of a novel nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitor, OT-82, against a panel of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) established from high-risk and poor outcome pediatric ALL cases. OT-82 was well-tolerated and demonstrated impressive single agent in vivo efficacy, achieving significant leukemia growth delay in 95% (20/21) and disease regression in 86% (18/21) of PDXs. In addition, OT-82 enhanced the efficacy of the established drugs cytarabine and dasatinib and, as a single agent, showed similar efficacy as an induction-type regimen combining three drugs used to treat pediatric ALL. OT-82 exerted its antileukemic action by depleting NAD+ and ATP, inhibiting the NAD+-requiring DNA damage repair enzyme PARP-1, increasing mitochondrial ROS levels and inducing DNA damage, culminating in apoptosis induction. OT-82 sensitivity was associated with the occurrence of mutations in major DNA damage response genes, while OT-82 resistance was characterized by high expression levels of CD38. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that OT-82, as a single agent, and in combination with established drugs, is a promising new therapeutic strategy for a broad spectrum of high-risk pediatric ALL for which improved therapies are urgently needed.

Interaction of E1 and E3 components with the core proteins of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

The human (h) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (hPDC) consists of multiple copies of several components: pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1), dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2), dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3), E3-binding protein (BP), and specific kinases and phosphatases. Mammalian PDC has a well organized structure with an icosahedral symmetry of the central E2/BP core to which the other component proteins bind non-covalently. Both hE2 and hBP consist of three well defined domains, namely the lipoyl domain, the subunit-binding domain and the inner domain, connected with flexible linkers. hE1 (alpha(2)beta(2)) binds to the subunit-binding domain of hE2; whereas hE3 binds to the E3-binding domain of hBP. Among several residues of the C-terminal surface of the hE1beta E1betaD289 was found to interact with hE2K276. The C-terminal residue I329 of the hE1beta did not participate in binding to hE2. This latter finding shows specificity in the interaction between E1beta and E2 in hPDC. The selective binding between hE3 and the E3-binding domain of hBP was investigated using specific mutants. E3R460G and E3340K showed significant reductions in affinity for hBP as determined by surface plasmon resonance. Both residues are involved in the structural organization of the binding site on hE3. Substitution of I157, N137 and R155 of hBP resulted in variable increases in the K(D) for binding with wild-type hE3, suggesting that the binding results from several weak electrostatic bonds and hydrophobic interactions among residues of hBP with residues at the interface of dimeric hE3. These results provide insight in the mono-specificity of binding of E1 to E2 and E3 to BP in hPDC and showed the differences in the binding of peripheral components (E1 and E3) in human and bacterial PDCs.

Binding of pyruvate dehydrogenase to the core of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

In human (h) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) is bound to the E1-binding domain of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2). The C-terminal surface of the E1beta subunit was scanned for the negatively charged residues involved in binding with E2. betaD289 of hE1 interacts with K276 of hE2 in a manner similar to the corresponding interaction in Bacillus stearothermophilus PDC. In contrast to bacterial E1beta, the C-terminal residue of the hE1beta does not participate in the binding with positively charged residues of hE2. This latter finding shows species specificity in the interaction between hE1beta and hE2 in PDC.

Characterization of a missense mutation at histidine-44 in a pyruvate dehydrogenase-deficient patient.

Genetic defects in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) cause lactic acidosis, neurological deficits, and often early death. Most mutations of PDC are localized in the alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. We have kinetically characterized a patient's missense mutation alphaH44R in E1alpha by creating and purifying three recombinant human E1s (alphaH44R, alphaH44Q, and alphaH44A). Substitutions at histidine-15 resulted in decreased V(max) values (6% alphaH44R; 30% alphaH44Q; 90% alphaH44A) while increasing K(m) values for thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) compared to wild-type (alphaH44R, 3-fold; alphaH44Q, 7-fold; alphaH44A, 10-fold). This suggests that the volume of the residue at site 15 is important for TPP binding and substitution by a residue with a longer side chain disrupts the active site more than the TPP binding site. The rates of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of alphaH44R E1 by E1-kinase and phospho-E1 phosphatase, respectively, were similar to that of the wild-type E1 protein. These results provide a biochemical basis for altered E1 function in the alphaH44R E1 patient.

R-lipoic acid inhibits mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase.

The four pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) and two pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (PDP) isoenzymes that are present in mammalian tissues regulate activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of its pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. The effect of lipoic acids on the activity of PDKs and PDPs was investigated in purified proteins system. R-lipoic acid, S-lipoic acid and R-dihydrolipoic acid did not significantly affect activities of PDPs and at the same time inhibited PDKs to different extents (PDK1>PDK4 approximately PDK2>PDK3 for R-LA). Since lipoic acids inhibited PDKs activity both when reconstituted in PDC and in the presence of E1 alone, dissociation of PDK from the lipoyl domains of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase in the presence of lipoic acids is not a likely explanation for inhibition. The activity of PDK1 towards phosphorylation sites 1, 2 and 3 of E1 was decreased to the same extent in the presence of R-lipoic acid, thus excluding protection of the E1 active site by lipoic acid from phosphorylation. R-lipoic acid inhibited autophosphorylation of PDK2 indicating that it exerted its effect on PDKs directly. Inhibition of PDK1 by R-lipoic acid was not altered by ADP but was decreased in the presence of pyruvate which itself inhibits PDKs. An inhibitory effect of lipoic acid on PDKs would result in less phosphorylation of E1 and hence increased PDC activity. This finding provides a possible mechanism for a glucose (and lactate) lowering effect of R-lipoic acid in diabetic subjects.

The choice between p53-induced senescence and quiescence is determined in part by the mTOR pathway.

Transient induction of p53 can cause reversible quiescence and irreversible senescence. Using nutlin-3a (a small molecule that activates p53 without causing DNA damage), we have previously identified cell lines in which nutlin-3a caused quiescence. Importantly, nutlin-3a caused quiescence by actively suppressing the senescence program (while still causing cell cycle arrest). Noteworthy, in these cells nutlin-3a inhibited the mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin) pathway, which is known to be involved in the senescence program. Here we showed that shRNA-mediated knockdown of TSC2, a negative regulator of mTOR, partially converted quiescence into senescence in these nutlin-arrested cells. In accord, in melanoma cell lines and mouse embryo fibroblasts, which easily undergo senescence in response to p53 activation, nutlin-3a failed to inhibit mTOR. In these senescence-prone cells, the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin converted nutlin-3a-induced senescence into quiescence. We conclude that status of the mTOR pathway can determine, at least in part, the choice between senescence and quiescence in p53-arrested cells.

Cellular quiescence caused by the Mdm2 inhibitor nutlin-3A.

Cellular senescence is characterized by irreversible loss of proliferative potential and a large, flat cell morphology. Ectopic p21 and doxorubicin induced cellular senescence in HT1080 and WI-38-tert cell lines. In the same cell lines, the Mdm2 inhibitor nutlin-3a induced p53 but, unexpectedly, caused quiescence (reversible arrest) with a small cell morphology. We discuss that Mdm antagonists could be used in combination with chemotherapy to reversibly arrest normal cells, thus protecting them during chemotherapy of cancer (cyclotherapy).

Tissue-specific pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency causes cardiac hypertrophy and sudden death of weaned male mice.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) plays an important role in energy homeostasis in the heart by catalyzing the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate derived primarily from glucose and lactate. Because various pathophysiological states can markedly alter cardiac glucose metabolism and PDC has been shown to be altered in response to chronic ischemia, cardiac physiology of a mouse model with knockout of the alpha-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase component of PDC in heart/skeletal muscle (H/SM-PDCKO) was investigated. H/SM-PDCKO mice did not show embryonic lethality and grew normally during the preweaning period. Heart and skeletal muscle of homozygous male mice had very low PDC activity (approximately 5% of wild-type), and PDC activity in these tissues from heterozygous females was approximately 50%. Male mice did not survive for >7 days after weaning on a rodent chow diet. However, they survived on a high-fat diet and developed left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced left ventricular systolic function compared with wild-type male mice. The changes in the heterozygote female mice were of lesser severity. The deficiency of PDC in H/SM-PDCKO male mice greatly compromises the ability of the heart to oxidize glucose for the generation of energy (and hence cardiac function) and results in cardiac pathological changes. This mouse model demonstrates the importance of glucose oxidation in cardiac energetics and function under basal conditions.

Elucidation of the chemistry of enzyme-bound thiamin diphosphate prior to substrate binding: defining internal equilibria among tautomeric and ionization states.

Both solution and crystallographic studies suggest that the 4'-aminopyrimidine ring of the thiamin diphosphate coenzyme participates in catalysis, likely as an intramolecular general acid-base catalyst via the unusual 1',4'-iminopyrimidine tautomer. It is indeed uncommon for a coenzyme to be identified in its rare tautomeric form on its reaction pathways, yet this has been possible with thiamin diphosphate, in some cases even in the absence of substrate [Nemeria, N., Chakraborty, S., Baykal, A., Korotchkina, L., Patel, M. S., and Jordan, F. (2007) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 78-82.]. The ability to detect both the aminopyrimidine and iminopyrimidine tautomeric forms of thiamin diphosphate on enzymes has enabled us to assign the predominant tautomeric form present in individual intermediates on the pathway. Herein, we report the pH dependence of these tautomeric forms providing the first data for the internal thermodynamic equilibria on thiamin diphosphate enzymes for the various ionization and tautomeric forms of this coenzyme on four enzymes: benzaldehyde lyase, benzoylformate decarboxylase, pyruvate oxidase, and the E1 component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex. Evidence is provided for an important function of the enzyme environment in altering both the ionization and tautomeric equilibria on the coenzyme even prior to addition of substrate. The pKa for the 4'-aminopyrimidinium moiety coincides with the pH for optimum activity thereby ensuring that all ionization states and tautomeric states are accessible during the catalytic cycle. The dramatic influence of the protein on the internal equilibria also points to conditions under which the long-elusive ylide intermediate could be stabilized.

The 1',4'-iminopyrimidine tautomer of thiamin diphosphate is poised for catalysis in asymmetric active centers on enzymes.

Thiamin diphosphate, a key coenzyme in sugar metabolism, is comprised of the thiazolium and 4'-aminopyrimidine aromatic rings, but only recently has participation of the 4'-aminopyrimidine moiety in catalysis gained wider acceptance. We report the use of electronic spectroscopy to identify the various tautomeric forms of the 4'-aminopyrimidine ring on four thiamin diphosphate enzymes, all of which decarboxylate pyruvate: the E1 component of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the E1 subunit of Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, yeast pyruvate decarboxylase, and pyruvate oxidase from Lactobacillus plantarum. It is shown that, according to circular dichroism spectroscopy, both the 1',4'-iminopyrimidine and the 4'-aminopyrimidine tautomers coexist on the E1 component of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate oxidase. Because both tautomers are seen simultaneously, these two enzymes provide excellent evidence for nonidentical active centers (asymmetry) in solution in these multimeric enzymes. Asymmetry of active centers can also be induced upon addition of acetylphosphinate, an excellent electrostatic pyruvate mimic, which participates in an enzyme-catalyzed addition to form a stable adduct, resembling the common predecarboxylation thiamin-bound intermediate, which exists in its 1',4'-iminopyrimidine form. The identification of the 1',4'-iminopyrimidine tautomer on four enzymes is almost certainly applicable to all thiamin diphosphate enzymes: this tautomer is the intramolecular trigger to generate the reactive ylide/carbene at the thiazolium C2 position in the first fundamental step of thiamin catalysis.

Phosphorylation of serine 264 impedes active site accessibility in the E1 component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex.

At the junction of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle in cellular metabolism, the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex (PDHc) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. In mammals, PDHc is tightly regulated by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of three serine residues in the thiamin-dependent pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. In vivo, inactivation of human PDHc correlates mostly with phosphorylation of serine 264, which is located at the entrance of the substrate channel leading to the active site of E1. Despite intense investigations, the molecular mechanism of this inactivation has remained enigmatic. Here, a detailed analysis of microscopic steps of catalysis in human wild-type PDHc-E1 and pseudophosphorylation variant Ser264Glu elucidates how phosphorylation of Ser264 affects catalysis. Whereas the intrinsic reactivity of the active site in catalysis of pyruvate decarboxylation remains nearly unaltered, the preceding binding of substrate to the enzyme's active site via the substrate channel and the subsequent reductive acetylation of the E2 component are severely slowed in the phosphorylation variant. The structure of pseudophosphorylation variant Ser264Glu determined by X-ray crystallography reveals no differences in the three-dimensional architecture of the phosphorylation loop or of the active site, when compared to those of the wild-type enzyme. However, the channel leading to the active site is partially obstructed by the side chain of residue 264 in the variant. By analogy, a similar obstruction of the substrate channel can be anticipated to result from a phosphorylation of Ser264. The kinetic and thermodynamic results in conjunction with the structure of Ser264Glu suggest that phosphorylation blocks access to the active site by imposing a steric and electrostatic barrier for substrate binding and active site coupling with the E2 component. As a Ser264Gln variant, which carries no charge at position 264, is also selectively deficient in pyruvate binding and reductive acetylation of E2, we conclude that mostly steric effects account for inhibition of PDHc by phosphorylation.

Characterization of testis-specific isoenzyme of human pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), the first component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, has two isoenzymes, somatic cell-specific PDH1 and testis-specific PDH2 with 87% sequence identity in the alpha subunit of alpha(2) beta(2) PDH. The presence of functional testis-specific PDH2 is important for sperm cells generating nearly all their energy from carbohydrates via pyruvate oxidation. Kinetic and regulatory properties of recombinant human PDH2 and PDH1 were compared in this study. Site-specific phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of the three phosphorylation sites by four PDH kinases (PDK1-4) and two PDH phosphatases (PDP1-2) were investigated by substituting serines with alanine or glutamate in PDHs. PDH2 was found to be very similar to PDH1 as follows: (i) in specific activities and kinetic parameters as determined by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex assay; (ii) in thermostability at 37 degrees C; (iii) in the mechanism of inactivation by phosphorylation of three sites; and (iv) in the phosphorylation of sites 1 and 2 by PDK3. In contrast, the differences for PDH2 were indicated as follows: (i) by a 2.4-fold increase in binding affinity for the PDH-binding domain of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase as measured by surface plasmon resonance; (ii) by possible involvement of Ser-264 (site 1) of PDH2 in catalysis as evident by its kinetic behavior; and (iii) by the lower activities of PDK1, PDK2, and PDK4 as well as PDP1 and PDP2 toward PDH2. These differences between PDH2 and PDH1 are less than expected from substitution of 47 amino acids in each PDH2 alpha subunit. The multiple substitutions may have compensated for any drastic alterations in PDH2 structure thereby preserving its kinetic and regulatory characteristics largely similar to that of PDH1.

Acetylphosphinate is the most potent mechanism-based substrate-like inhibitor of both the human and Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Two analogues of pyruvate, acetylphosphinate and acetylmethylphosphinate were tested as inhibitors of the E1 (pyruvate dehydrogenase) component of the human and Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes. This is the first instance of such studies on the human enzyme. The acetylphosphinate is a stronger inhibitor of both enzymes (Ki < 1 microM) than acetylmethylphosphinate. Both inhibitors are found to be reversible tight-binding inhibitors. With both inhibitors and with both enzymes, the inhibition apparently takes place by formation of a C2alpha-phosphinolactylthiamin diphosphate derivative, a covalent adduct of the inhibitor and the coenzyme, mimicking the behavior of substrate and forming a stable analogue of the C2alpha-lactylthiamin diphosphate. Formation of the intermediate analogue in each case is confirmed by the appearance of a positive circular dichroism band in the 305-306 nm range, attributed to the 1',4'-iminopyrimidine tautomeric form of the coenzyme. It is further shown that the alphaHis63 residue of the human E1 has a role in the formation of C2alpha-lactylthiamin diphosphate since the alphaHis63Ala variant is only modestly inhibited by either inhibitor, nor did either compound generate the circular dichroism bands assigned to different tautomeric forms of the 4'-aminopyrimidine ring of the coenzyme seen with the wild-type enzyme. Interestingly, opposite enantiomers of the carboligase side product acetoin are produced by the human and bacterial enzymes.