Self-acetylation at the active site of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) controls enzyme activity.

Acetylation is known to regulate the activity of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1), a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis, by promoting the reverse reaction of the enzyme (converting phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate). It is also known that the histone acetyltransferase p300 can induce PCK1 acetylation in cells, but whether that is a direct or indirect function was not known. Here we initially set out to determine whether p300 can acetylate directly PCK1 in vitro. We report that p300 weakly acetylates PCK1, but surprisingly, using several techniques including protein crystallization, mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, saturation-transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular docking, we found that PCK1 is also able to acetylate itself using acetyl-CoA independently of p300. This reaction yielded an acetylated recombinant PCK1 with a 3-fold decrease in kcat without changes in Km for all substrates. Acetylation stoichiometry was determined for 14 residues, including residues lining the active site. Structural and kinetic analyses determined that site-directed acetylation of K244, located inside the active site, altered this site and rendered the enzyme inactive. In addition, we found that acetyl-CoA binding to the active site is specific and metal dependent. Our findings provide direct evidence for acetyl-CoA binding and chemical reaction with the active site of PCK1 and suggest a newly discovered regulatory mechanism of PCK1 during metabolic stress.

Recognition of the gluconeogenic enzyme, Pck1, via the Gid4 E3 ligase: An in silico perspective.

Gluconeogenesis, the reverse process of glycolysis, is a favorable mechanism at conditions of glucose deprivation. Pck1 is a rate-limiting gluconeogenic enzyme, where its deficiency or mutation contributes to serious clinical situations as neonatal hypoglycemia and liver failure. A recent report confirms that Pck1 is a target for proteasomal degradation through its proline residue at the penultimate position, recognized by Gid4 E3 ligase, but with a lack of informative structural details. In this study, we delineate the localized sequence motif, degron, that specifically interact with Gid4 ligase and unravel the binding mode of Pck1 to the Gid4 ligase by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics. The peptide/protein docking HPEPDOCK web server along with molecular dynamic simulations are applied to demonstrate the binding mode and interactions of a Pck1 wild type (SPSK) and mutant (K4V) with the recently solved structure of Gid4 ligase. Results unveil a distinct binding mode of the mutated peptide compared with the wild type despite having comparable binding affinities to Gid4. Moreover, the four-residue peptide is found insufficient for Gid4 binding, while the seven-residue peptide suffices for binding to Gid4. The amino acids S134, K135, and N137 in the loop L1 (between ß1 and ß2) of the Gid4 are essential for the stabilization of the seven-residue peptide in the binding site of the ligase. The presence of Val4 instead of Lys4 smashes the H-bonds that are formed between Lys4 and Gid4 in the wild type peptide, making the peptide prone to bind with the other side of the binding pocket (L4 loop of Gid4). The dynamics of Gid4 L3 loop is affected dramatically once K4V mutant Pck1 peptide is introduced. This opens the door to explore the mutation effects on the binding mode and smooth the path to target protein degradation by design competitive and non-competitive inhibitors.

Characterization of 3-[(Carboxymethyl)thio]picolinic Acid: A Novel Inhibitor of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) has traditionally been characterized for its role in the first committed step of gluconeogenesis. The current understanding of PEPCK's metabolic role has recently expanded to include it serving as a general mediator of tricarboxylic acid cycle flux. Selective inhibition of PEPCK in vivo and in vitro has been achieved with 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (MPA) (Ki ∼ 8 µM), whose mechanism of inhibition has been elucidated only recently. On the basis of crystallographic and mechanistic data of various inhibitors of PEPCK, MPA was used as the initial chemical scaffold to create a potentially more selective inhibitor, 3-[(carboxymethyl)thio]picolinic acid (CMP), which has been characterized both structurally and kinetically here. These data demonstrate that CMP acts as a competitive inhibitor at the OAA/PEP binding site, with its picolinic acid moiety coordinating directly with the M1 metal in the active site (Ki ∼ 29-55 µM). The extended carboxy tail occupies a secondary binding cleft that was previously shown could be occupied by sulfoacetate (Ki ∼ 82 µM) and for the first time demonstrates the simultaneous occupation of both OAA/PEP subsites by a single molecular structure. By occupying both the OAA/PEP binding subsites simultaneously, CMP and similar molecules can potentially be used as a starting point for the creation of additional selective inhibitors of PEPCK.

Asymmetric Anchoring Is Required for Efficient Ω-Loop Opening and Closing in Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase.

Mobile Ω-loops play essential roles in the function of many enzymes. Here we investigated the importance of a residue lying outside of the mobile Ω-loop element in the catalytic function of an H477R variant of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase using crystallographic, kinetic, and computational analysis. The crystallographic data suggest that the efficient transition of the Ω-loop to the closed conformation requires stabilization of the N-terminus of the loop through contacts between R461 and E588. In contrast, the C-terminal end of the Ω-loop undergoes changing interactions with the enzyme body through contacts between H477 at the C-terminus of the loop and E591 located on the enzyme body. Potential of mean force calculations demonstrated that altering the anchoring of the C-terminus of the Ω-loop via the H477R substitution results in the destabilization of the closed state of the Ω-loop by 3.4 kcal mol-1. The kinetic parameters for the enzyme were altered in an asymmetric fashion with the predominant effect being observed in the direction of oxaloacetate synthesis. This is exemplified by a reduction in kcat for the H477R mutant by an order of magnitude in the direction of OAA synthesis, while in the direction of PEP synthesis, it decreased by a factor of only 2. The data are consistent with a mechanism for loop conformational exchange between open and closed states in which a balance between fixed anchoring of the N-terminus of the Ω-loop and a flexible, unattached C-terminus drives the transition between a disordered (open) state and an ordered (closed) state.

Utilization of Substrate Intrinsic Binding Energy for Conformational Change and Catalytic Function in Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is an essential metabolic enzyme operating in the gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis pathways. Previous work has demonstrated that the enzyme cycles between a catalytically inactive open state and a catalytically active closed state. The transition of the enzyme between these states requires the transition of several active site loops to shift from mobile, disordered structural elements to stable ordered states. The mechanism by which these disorder-order transitions are coupled to the ligation state of the active site however is not fully understood. To further investigate the mechanisms by which the mobility of the active site loops is coupled to enzymatic function and the transitioning of the enzyme between the two conformational states, we have conducted structural and functional studies of point mutants of E89. E89 is a proposed key member of the interaction network of mobile elements as it resides in the R-loop region of the enzyme active site. These new data demonstrate the importance of the R-loop in coordinating interactions between substrates at the OAA/PEP binding site and the mobile R- and Ω-loop domains. In turn, the studies more generally demonstrate the mechanisms by which the intrinsic ligand binding energy can be utilized in catalysis to drive unfavorable conformational changes, changes that are subsequently required for both optimal catalytic activity and fidelity.

Inhibition and Allosteric Regulation of Monomeric Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase by 3-Mercaptopicolinic Acid.

For almost 40 years, it has been known that tryptophan metabolites and picolinic acid analogues act as inhibitors of gluconeogenesis. Early studies observed that 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (MPA) was a potent hypoglycemic agent via inhibition of glucose synthesis through the specific inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in the gluconeogenesis pathway. Despite prior kinetic investigation, the mechanism of the inhibition by MPA is unclear. To clarify the mechanism of inhibition exerted by MPA on PEPCK, we have undertaken structural and kinetic studies. The kinetic data in concert with crystallographic structures of PEPCK in complex with MPA and the substrates for the reaction illustrate that PEPCK is inhibited by the binding of MPA at two discrete binding sites: one acting in a competitive fashion with PEP/OAA (∼10 µM) and the other acting at a previously unidentified allosteric site (Ki ∼ 150 µM). The structural studies suggest that binding of MPA to the allosteric pocket stabilizes an altered conformation of the nucleotide-binding site that in turn reduces the affinity of the enzyme for the nucleotide.

The Ω-loop lid domain of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is essential for catalytic function.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is an essential metabolic enzyme operating in the gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis pathways. Recent studies have demonstrated that the enzyme contains a mobile active site lid domain that undergoes a transition between an open, disorded conformation and a closed, ordered conformation as the enzyme progresses through the catalytic cycle. The understanding of how this mobile domain functions in catalysis is incomplete. Previous studies showed that the closure of the lid domain stabilizes the reaction intermediate and protects the reactive intermediate from spurious protonation and thus contributes to the fidelity of the enzyme. To more fully investigate the roles of the lid domain in PEPCK function, we introduced three mutations that replaced the 11-residue lid domain with one, two, and three glycine residues. Kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes demonstrates that none of the enzyme constructs exhibit any measurable kinetic activity, resulting in a decrease in the catalytic parameters of at least 10(6). Structural characterization of the mutants in complexes representing the catalytic cycle suggests that the inactivity is due to a role for the lid domain in the formation of the fully closed state of the enzyme that is required for catalytic function. In the absence of the lid domain, the enzyme is unable to achieve the fully closed state and is rendered inactive despite possessing all of the residues and substrates required for catalytic function. This work demonstrates how enzyme catalytic function can be abolished through the alteration of conformational equilibria despite all the elements required for chemical conversion of substrates to products remaining intact.

Enzymes with lid-gated active sites must operate by an induced fit mechanism instead of conformational selection.

The induced fit and conformational selection/population shift models are two extreme cases of a continuum aimed at understanding the mechanism by which the final key-lock or active enzyme conformation is achieved upon formation of the correctly ligated enzyme. Structures of complexes representing the Michaelis and enolate intermediate complexes of the reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase provide direct structural evidence for the encounter complex that is intrinsic to the induced fit model and not required by the conformational selection model. In addition, the structural data demonstrate that the conformational selection model is not sufficient to explain the correlation between dynamics and catalysis in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and other enzymes in which the transition between the uninduced and the induced conformations occludes the active site from the solvent. The structural data are consistent with a model in that the energy input from substrate association results in changes in the free energy landscape for the protein, allowing for structural transitions along an induced fit pathway.

Activation of SIRT1 by resveratrol represses transcription of the gene for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) by deacetylating hepatic nuclear factor 4alpha.

The SIRT1 activators isonicotinamide (IsoNAM), resveratrol, fisetin, and butein repressed transcription of the gene for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (PEPCK-C). An evolutionarily conserved binding site for hepatic nuclear factor (HNF) 4alpha (-272/-252) was identified, which was required for transcriptional repression of the PEPCK-C gene promoter caused by these compounds. This site contains an overlapping AP-1 binding site and is adjacent to the C/EBP binding element (-248/-234); the latter is necessary for hepatic transcription of PEPCK-C. AP-1 competed with HNF4alpha for binding to this site and also decreased HNF4alpha stimulation of transcription from the PEPCK-C gene promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that HNF4alpha and AP-1, but not C/EBPbeta, reciprocally bound to this site prior to and after treating HepG2 cells with IsoNAM. IsoNAM treatment resulted in deacetylation of HNF4alpha, which decreased its binding affinity to the PEPCK-C gene promoter. In HNF4alpha-null Chinese hamster ovary cells, IsoNAM and resveratrol failed to repress transcription from the PEPCK-C gene promoter; overexpression of HNF4alpha in Chinese hamster ovary cells re-established transcriptional inhibition. Exogenous SIRT1 expression repressed transcription, whereas knockdown of SIRT1 by RNA interference reversed this effect. IsoNAM decreased the level of mRNA for PEPCK-C but had no effect on mRNA for glucose-6-phosphatase in AML12 mouse hepatocytes. We conclude that SIRT1 activation inhibited transcription of the gene for PEPCK-C in part by deacetylation of HNF4alpha. However, SIRT1 deacetylation of other key regulatory proteins that control PEPCK-C gene transcription also likely contributed to the inhibitory effect.

Purification and characterization of recombinant human soluble guanylate cyclase produced from baculovirus-infected insect cells.

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) has been purified from 100 L cell culture infected by baculovirus using the newer and highly effective titerless infected-cells preservation and scale-up (TIPS) method. Successive passage of the enzyme through DEAE, Ni(2+)-NTA, and POROS Q columns obtained approximately 100mg of protein. The sGC obtained by this procedure was already about 90% pure and suitable for various studies which include high throughput screening (HTS) and hit follow-up. However, in order to obtain enzyme of greater homogeneity and purity for crystallographic and high precision spectroscopic and kinetic studies of sGC with select stimulators, the sGC solution after the POROS Q step was further purified by GTP-agarose affinity chromatography. This additional step led to the generation of 26 mg of enzyme that was about 99% pure. This highly pure and active enzyme exhibited a M(r)=144,933 by static light scattering supportive of a dimeric structure. It migrated as a two-band protein, each of equal intensity, on SDS-PAGE corresponding to the alpha (M(r) approximately 77,000) and beta (M(r) approximately 70,000) sGC subunits. It showed an A(430)/A(280)=1.01, indicating one heme per heterodimer, and a maximum of the Soret band at 430 nm indicative of a penta-coordinated ferrous heme with a histidine as the axial ligand. The Soret band shifted to 398 nm in the presence of an NO donor as expected for the formation of a penta-coordinated nitrosyl-heme complex. Non-stimulated sGC had k(cat)/K(m)=1.7 x 10(-3)s(-1)microM(-1) that increased to 5.8 x 10(-1)s(-1)microM(-1) upon stimulation with an NO donor which represents a 340-fold increase due to stimulation. The novel combination of using the TIPS method for co-expression of a heterodimeric heme-containing enzyme, along with the application of a reproducible ligand affinity purification method, has enabled us to obtain recombinant human sGC of both the quality and quantity needed to study structure-function relationships.

Structure of a GTP-dependent bacterial PEP-carboxykinase from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) is the key enzyme that controls the blood glucose level during fasting in higher animals. Here we report the first substrate-free structure of a GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase from a bacterium, Corynebacterium glutamicum (CgPCK). The protein crystallizes in space group P2(1) with four molecules per asymmetric unit. The 2.3A resolution structure was solved by molecular replacement using the human cytosolic PCK (hcPCK) structure (PDB ID: 1KHF) as the starting model. The four molecules in the asymmetric unit pack as two dimers, and is an artifact of crystal packing. However, the P-loop and the guanine binding loop of the substrate-free CgPCK structure have different conformations from the other published GTP-specific PCK structures, which all have bound substrates and/or metal ions. It appears that a change in the P-loop and guanine binding loop conformation is necessary for substrate binding in GTP-specific PCKs, as opposed to overall domain movement in ATP-specific PCKs.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase cytosolic and mitochondrial isoforms are expressed and active during hypoxia in the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

Hypoxic zones in marine environments are spreading around the world affecting the survival of many organisms. Marine animals have several strategies to respond to hypoxia, including the regulation of gluconeogenesis. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is a key regulatory enzyme of gluconeogenesis. The objective of this work was to study two isoforms of PEPCK, one mitochondrial (PEPKC-M) and one cytosolic (PEPCK-C), from the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and the response to hypoxia. Both PEPCK isoforms are 72 kDa proteins and have 92% identity at the amino acid level. The mitochondrial isoform has a N-terminal signal peptide for mitochondrial import. Gene expression and enzymatic activity in subcellular fractions were detected in gills, hepatopancreas and muscle in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Expression of PEPCK-C was higher than PEPCK-M in all the tissues and induced in response to hypoxia at 48 h in hepatopancreas, while the enzymatic activity of PEPCK-M was higher than PEPCK-C in gills and hepatopancreas, but not in muscle and also increased in response to hypoxia in hepatopancreas but decreased in gills and muscle. During limiting oxygen conditions, shrimp tissues obtain energy by inducing anaerobic glycolysis, and although gluconeogenesis implies energy investment, due to the need to maintain glucose homeostasis, these gluconeogenic enzymes are active with contrasting behaviors in the cytosol and mitochondrial cell compartments and appear to be up-regulated in hepatopancreas indicating this tissue pivotal role in gluconeogenesis during the response to hypoxia.

Nucleotide specificity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase Kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular simulation studies.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases, depending on the enzyme origin, preferentially use adenine or guanine nucleotides as substrates. In this work, analyses of the substrate specificity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATP-dependent enzyme have been carried out. Kinetics studies gave relative values of k(cat)/K(m) for the nucleoside triphosphate complexes in the order ATP>>GTP>ITP>UTP>CTP. For the nucleoside diphosphate complexes the order is ADP>>GDP>IDP congruent withUDP>CDP. This shows that the enzyme has a strong preference for ADP (or ATP) over other nucleotides, being this preference about an order of magnitude higher for the diphosphorylated than for the triphosphorylated nucleosides. The calculated binding free energies (kcalmol(-1)) at 25 degrees C are 7.39 and 6.51 for ATP and ADP, respectively. These values decrease with the nucleotide structure in the same order than the kinetic specificity. The binding energy for any triphosphorylated nucleoside is more favourable than for the corresponding diphosphorylated compound, showing the relevance of the P(gamma) for nucleotide binding. Homology models of the adenine and guanine nucleotides in complex with the enzyme show that the base adopts a similar conformation in the diphosphorylated nucleosides while in the triphosphorylated nucleosides the sugar-base torsion angle is 61 degrees for ATP and -53 degrees for GTP. Differences are also noted in the distance between P(beta) and Mn2+ at site 1. This distance is almost the same in the ATP, GTP, and UTP complexes, however in the ADP, GDP and UDP complexes it is 2.9, 5.1, and 7A, respectively. Experimental data obtained with a Thr463Ala mutant enzyme agree with molecular simulation predictions. The results here presented are discussed in terms of the proposed interactions of the nucleotides with the protein.

Seasonal freeze resistance of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is generated by differential expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and antifreeze protein genes.

In winter, rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) accumulate glycerol and produce an antifreeze protein (AFP), which both contribute to freeze resistance. The role of differential gene expression in the seasonal pattern of these adaptations was investigated. First, cDNAs encoding smelt and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and smelt glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were cloned so that all sequences required for expression analysis would be available. Using quantitative PCR, expression of beta actin in rainbow smelt liver was compared with that of GAPDH in order to determine its validity as a reference gene. Then, levels of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), PEPCK, and AFP relative to beta actin were measured in smelt liver over a fall-winter-spring interval. Levels of GPDH mRNA increased in the fall just before plasma glycerol accumulation, implying a driving role in glycerol synthesis. GPDH mRNA levels then declined during winter, well in advance of serum glycerol, suggesting the possibility of GPDH enzyme or glycerol conservation in smelt during the winter months. PEPCK mRNA levels rose in parallel with serum glycerol in the fall, consistent with an increasing requirement for amino acids as metabolic precursors, remained elevated for much of the winter, and then declined in advance of the decline in plasma glycerol. AFP mRNA was elevated at the onset of fall sampling in October and remained elevated until April, implying separate regulation from GPDH and PEPCK. Thus, winter freezing point depression in smelt appears to result from a seasonal cycle of GPDH gene expression, with an ensuing increase in the expression of PEPCK, and a similar but independent cycle of AFP gene expression.

c.A2456C-substitution in Pck1 changes the enzyme kinetic and functional properties modifying fat distribution in pigs.

Cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, PCK1, is one of the main regulatory enzymes of gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis. The substitution of a single amino acid (Met139Leu) in PCK1 as a consequence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), c.A2456C, is associated in the pig to a negative phenotype characterized by reduced intramuscular fat content, enhanced backfat thickness and lower meat quality. The p.139L enzyme shows reduced kcat values in the glyceroneogenic direction and enhanced ones in the anaplerotic direction. Accordingly, the expression of the p.139L isoform results in about 30% lower glucose and 9% lower lipid production in cell cultures. Moreover, the ability of this isoform to be acetylated is also compromised, what would increase its susceptibility to be degraded in vivo by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The high frequency of the c.2456C allele in modern pig breeds implies that the benefits of including c.A2456C SNP in selection programs could be considerable.

Inhibition of Pig Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Isoenzymes by 3-Mercaptopicolinic Acid and Novel Inhibitors.

There exist two isoforms of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) in pig populations that differ in a single amino acid (Met139Leu). The isoenzymes have different kinetic properties, affecting more strongly the Km and Vmax of nucleotides. They are associated to different phenotypes modifying traits of considerable economic interest. In this work we use inhibitors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity to search for further differences between these isoenzymes. On the one hand we have used the well-known inhibitor 3-mercaptopicolinic acid. Its inhibition patterns were the same for both isoenzymes: a three-fold decrease of the Ki values for GTP in 139Met and 139Leu (273 and 873 µM, respectively). On the other hand, through screening of a chemical library we have found two novel compounds with inhibitory effects of a similar magnitude to that of 3-mercaptopicolinic acid but with less solubility and specificity. One of these novel compounds, (N'1-({5-[1-methyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]-2-thienyl}methylidene)-2,4-dichlorobenzene-1-carbohydrazide), exhibited significantly different inhibitory effects on either isoenzyme: it enhanced threefold the apparent Km value for GTP in 139Met, whereas in 139Leu, it reduced it from 99 to 69 µM. The finding of those significant differences in the binding of GTP reinforces the hypothesis that the Met139Leu substitution affects strongly the nucleotide binding site of PEPCK-C.

Rosmarinic acid ameliorates hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity in diabetic rats, potentially by modulating the expression of PEPCK and GLUT4.

BACKGROUND: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural substance that may be useful for treating diabetes mellitus. The present study investigated the effects of RA on glucose homeostasis and insulin regulation in rats with streptozocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Glucose homeostasis was determined using oral glucose tolerance tests and postprandial glucose tests, and insulin activity was evaluated using insulin tolerance tests and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance. Additionally, the protein expression levels of PEPCK and GLUT4 were determined using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: RA administration exerted a marked hypoglycemic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats and enhanced glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed diabetic rats. These effects of RA were dose-dependent. Meanwhile, RA administration reversed the STZ- and HFD-induced increase in PEPCK expression in the liver and the STZ- and HFD-induced decrease in GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. CONCLUSION: RA reduces hyperglycemia and ameliorates insulin sensitivity by decreasing PEPCK expression and increasing GLUT4 expression.

Purification and characterization of phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase from Trypanosoma brucei.

ATP-dependent phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.49; PEPCK, ATP) was purified from glycosomes of cultured procyclic Trypanosoma brucei to electrophoretic homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited a mean specific activity of 83 units mg-1, as measured in the carboxylation direction at 30 degrees C. A similar activity was obtained for the decarboxylation reaction. The enzyme was shown to be a homodimer in solution with a subunit molecular mass of 59 kDa. Amino acid sequence analysis suggested that the PEPCK (ATP) is identical to the trypanosomal protein p60, the sequence of which was previously predicted from the corresponding nucleotide sequence by other investigators. The basic nature of the enzyme was indicated by a high isoelectric point (pH 8.9). The enzyme was found to be strictly dependent on adenosine nucleotides for activity, as well as on the presence of Mn2+. Mg2+ was found to be ineffective as activator of the trypanosomal enzyme, but a combination of subsaturating (< or = 300 microM) concentrations of Mn2+ and high concentrations of Mg2+ caused a synergistic effect on the carboxylation activity, indicating a dual cation requirement. Mn2+ is necessary to activate the enzyme and Mn2+ or Mg2+ most likely forms the cation-nucleotide complex as the active form of the substrate. Relatively high (5 mM) levels of ATP were required to produce a significant inhibition of the carboxylation reaction. Quinolinic acid, a structural analogue of oxaloacetate, completely inhibited the decarboxylation reaction at a 1 mM concentration. The apparent Michaelis constants of the enzyme were 490 microM for PEP, 37 microM for oxaloacetate, 40 microM for ADP, 10.3 microM for ATP, 970 microM for Mn2+ and 26 mM for HCO3-. Endogenous substrate concentrations were found to be 327 nmol PEP, 1486 nmol ADP, 4200 nmol ATP and 11.5 nmol Mn2+ (ml cell volume)-1. Our kinetic data suggest that under physiological conditions PEPCK (ATP) in T. brucei is bidirectional and that its activity is regulated primarily by mass action. The physiological relevance of the enzyme in procyclic T. brucei is discussed.