Two pathways for thyroxine 5'-monodeiodination in brown adipose tissue in fetal sheep: ontogenesis and divergent responses to hypothyroidism and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine replacement.

Thermogenesis in rat brown adipose tissue (BAT) is thyroid hormone responsive. Rat BAT expresses a type II 5'-iodothyronine monodeiodinase (5'MDI) which mediates local T3 production from T4. Earlier studies show that BAT from fetal and newborn sheep contains a high Km type I, instead of type II, 5'MDI. To better characterize the 5'MDI of ovine fetal BAT, we studied the in vitro monodeiodination of [125I]T4 at a low substrate concentration (2 nM) and in the presence of 1 mM propylthiouracil in BAT homogenates of control and thyroidectomized fetuses at different gestational ages as well as in newborn lambs. Thyroidectomies were performed at three gestational ages: 99-107 days (group 1), 129-132 days (group 2), and 115-117 days (group 3A). Animals were studied 8-13 days after surgery. A significant increase in the activity of a low Km T4 5'MDI was noted in BAT from hypothyroid fetuses at all three gestational ages. This low Km activity was similar to the type II enzyme in rat BAT and brain in that the activity was also T3 resistant. A gradual rise in BAT type II 5'MDI activity was measured between 99 days gestation and term (150 days). These results indicate that ovine BAT contains two distinct iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinating activities, one with a high Km and another with a low Km. The latter, resembling the type II 5'MDI in rat brain and BAT, is increased in ovine hypothyroid BAT. The former predominates in euthyroid tissue and is similar to the type I 5'MDI characterized in rat liver, kidney, and thyroid. We speculate that BAT type II 5'MDI may be important for neonatal BAT thermogenesis, while the type I enzyme may play a significant role in the increase in serum T3 concentration that occurs at birth.

Inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by streptonigrin.

Streptonigrin, an antibiotic with antineoplastic activity, inhibited rat liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase with an I50 of 0.3 microM when excess FeCl2 was present. No inhibition occurred in the absence of added metal ion. Inhibition was partial and noncompetitive versus ITP and oxalacetic acid. The enzyme was more susceptible to inhibition by streptonigrin in the absence of substrates. Fe2+ supported inhibition by streptonigrin to a greater extent than did Fe3+, while Mn2+ activated the enzyme in the presence of streptonigrin. For maximum inhibition, at least a 3-fold molar excess of iron over streptonigrin was required. The methyl ester of streptonigrin was also an inhibitor (I50 = 4 microM) while the fragment containing the C and D rings was not, indicating that inhibition did not depend solely on the presence of the picolinic acid moiety. When oxalacetate synthesis was measured, streptonigrin plus iron had no more effect on enzymatic activity than iron alone, and Mn2+ was capable of stimulating the streptonigrin-Fe2+ inhibited enzyme.

Ca2+-mediated activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase occurs via release of Fe2+ from rat liver mitochondria.

The addition of calcium chloride to rat liver homogenates resulted in activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by as much as 50%. The enhanced activity was inhibited by quinolinic acid; it was not additive with activation by FeCl2, and stimulation was prevented by 1,10-phenanthroline. Activation by calcium was lost when the particulate fractions of liver were removed, but an activating system could be reconstituted with isolated mitochondria, purified P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase, and purified ferroactivator. Iron-loaded mitochondria were more responsive to calcium than controls. A release of Fe2+ from washed mitochondria could be detected spectrophotometrically when 25-75 nmol of Ca/mg of protein were added to the mitochondrial suspension. If Ca2+ was buffered with ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, the threshold of Ca2+ necessary for release of Fe2+ was approximately 10(-7) M, with peak response between 5 X 10(-7) and 10(-6) M. Total Fe2+ detected was normally 20-30 pmol of Fe2+/mg of protein. The synthetic activator of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase, 3-aminopicolinic acid, as well as other picolinic acid derivatives, is capable of withdrawing Fe2+ associated with the mitochondrial fraction; after incubation with mitochondria, 3-aminopicolinate will activate phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the absence of exogenous metal.

Purification and characterization of a rat liver ferroactivator with catalase activity.

A rat liver protein with both phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase ferroactivator activity and catalase activity has been purified to near-homogeneity. The protein has a native molecular weight of 240,000 and is composed of four identical subunits containing ferriprotoporphyrin IX prosthetic groups. The visible spectrum has absorbance maxima at 403, 500, 530, and 620 nm; it is not reduced by dithionite. The spectrum, physical properties, and specific activity are almost identical with those of catalases from other sources, and the protein has been tentatively identified as rat liver catalase. The protein exhibited partial reactivity in double immunodiffusion plates to antiserum prepared against rat liver ferroactivator isolated by a previous method (Bentle, L. A., and Lardy, H. A. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 1431-1440) raising the possibility that the original ferroactivator and rat liver catalase are structurally related. Inactivation of catalase by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole was accompanied by loss of ferroactivator activity as well. The apparent specific activity of ferroactivator, as well. The apparent specific activity of ferroactivator, whether heme-containing or not, can be increased between 2- and 100-fold by the inclusion of bovine serum albumin, HCO3-, or a combination of the two in the incubation.

Purification and properties of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase phosphatase from bovine kidney.

Branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) phosphatase was purified about 8000-fold from extracts of bovine kidney mitochondria. The highly purified phosphatase exhibited a molecular weight of approximately 460,000, as estimated by gel-permeation chromatography. Another form of the phosphatase, with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 230,000, was also detected under conditions of high dilution. In contrast to pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase, BCKDH phosphatase was active in the absence of divalent cations. BCKDH phosphatase was inactive toward 32P-labeled phosphorylase a, but exhibited approximately 10% maximal activity with 32P-labeled pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. BCKDH phosphatase activity was inhibited by GTP, GDP, ATP, ADP, UTP, UDP, CTP, and CDP. Half-maximal inhibition occurred at about 60, 200, 200, 400, 100, 250, 250, and 400 microM, respectively. These inhibitions were reversed completely by 2 mM Mg2+. GTP was replaceable by guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)triphosphate. GMP, AMP, UMP, CMP, NAD, and NADH showed little effect, if any, on BCKDH phosphatase activity at concentrations up to 1 mM. Heparin showed half-maximal inhibition at 2 micrograms/ml. This inhibition was only partially (30%) reversed by 2 mM Mg2+. CoA and various acyl-CoA compounds exhibited half-maximal inhibition at 150-300 microM. These inhibitions were not reversed by 2 mM Mg2+. BCKDH phosphatase activity was stimulated 1.5- to 3-fold by protamine, poly(L-lysine), and poly(L-arginine) at 3.6 micrograms/ml.