Multiple sulfatase deficiency is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the human C(alpha)-formylglycine generating enzyme.

C(alpha)-formylglycine (FGly) is the catalytic residue in the active site of eukaryotic sulfatases. It is posttranslationally generated from a cysteine in the endoplasmic reticulum. The genetic defect of FGly formation causes multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD), a lysosomal storage disorder. We purified the FGly generating enzyme (FGE) and identified its gene and nine mutations in seven MSD patients. In patient fibroblasts, the activity of sulfatases is partially restored by transduction of FGE encoding cDNA, but not by cDNA carrying an MSD mutation. The gene encoding FGE is highly conserved among pro- and eukaryotes and has a paralog of unknown function in vertebrates. FGE is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and is predicted to have a tripartite domain structure.

The simultaneous biosynthesis and uptake of amino acids by Lactococcus lactis studied by (13)C-labeling experiments.

Uniformly (13)C labeled glucose was fed to a lactic acid bacterium growing on a defined medium supplemented with all proteinogenic amino acids except glutamate. Aspartate stemming from the protein pool and from the extracellular medium was enriched with (13)C disclosing a substantial de novo biosynthesis of this amino acid simultaneous to its uptake from the growth medium and a rapid exchange flux of aspartate over the cellular membrane. Phenylalanine, alanine, and threonine were also synthesized de novo in spite of their presence in the growth medium.

Differences in neurotransmitter synthesis and intermediary metabolism between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons during 4 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat: the role of astrocytes in neuronal survival.

Astrocytes are intimately involved in both glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis, and ischemia-induced disruption of normal neuroastrocytic interactions may have important implications for neuronal survival. The effects of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) on neuronal and astrocytic intermediary metabolism were studied in rats 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes after MCAO using in vivo injection of [1-13C]glucose and [1,2- 13C]acetate combined with ex vivo 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the ischemic core (lateral caudoputamen and lower parietal cortex) and penumbra (upper frontoparietal cortex). In the ischemic core, both neuronal and astrocytic metabolism were impaired from 30 minutes MCAO. There was a continuous loss of glutamate from glutamatergic neurons that was not replaced as neuronal glucose metabolism and use of astrocytic precursors gradually declined. In GABAergic neurons astrocytic precursors were not used in GABA synthesis at any time after MCAO, and neuronal glucose metabolism and GABA-shunt activity declined with time. No flux through the tricarboxylic acid cycle was found in GABAergic neurons at 240 minutes MCAO, indicating neuronal death. In the penumbra, the neurotransmitter pool of glutamate coming from astrocytic glutamine was preserved while neuronal metabolism progressively declined, implying that glutamine contributed significantly to glutamate excitotoxicity. In GABAergic neurons, astrocytic precursors were used to a limited extent during the initial 120 minutes, and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity was continued for 240 minutes. The present study showed the paradoxical role that astrocytes play in neuronal survival in ischemia, and changes in the use of astrocytic precursors appeared to contribute significantly to neuronal death, albeit through different mechanisms in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons.

Inhibition of muscle glutamine formation in hypercatabolic patients.

Glutamine is synthesized primarily in skeletal muscle, and enables transfer of nitrogen to the liver, as well as serving other functions. There is increasing evidence for beneficial clinical effects of glutamine supplementation in critically ill patients. However, the response of endogenous glutamine formation to severe stress is poorly understood. The rates of net protein balance, leucine oxidative decarboxylation, and alanine and glutamine synthesis de novo were determined in leg skeletal muscle of 20 severely burned patients and 19 normal controls in the post-absorptive state. Patients were studied at 14+/-5 days post-burn, and their mean burn size was 66+/-18% of total body surface area. Methods were based on the leg arteriovenous balance technique in combination with biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle. In the post-absorptive state, patients with severe burns, as compared with healthy control subjects, exhibited accelerated muscle loss (+150%) (i.e. proteolysis minus synthesis) and leucine oxidative decarboxylation (+117%), and depletion of the intramuscular free glutamine pool (-63%). The average rate of glutamine synthesis de novo was decreased by 48%, whereas net alanine synthesis de novo was increased by 174%, in skeletal muscle of burned patients. In conclusion, in severely hypercatabolic burned patients, muscle glutamine formation was suppressed, whereas alanine was the major vehicle for inter-organ nitrogen transport. These changes account for a decreased glutamine availability during prolonged severe stress.

Decreased cysteine and proline synthesis in parenterally fed, premature infants.

Little is known about the amino acid (AA) biosynthetic capacity and requirements of premature infants. This study assessed the synthesis of seven biochemically nonessential AA from a universal precursor, glucose, in stable, parenterally fed, premature neonates. Seven infants (six boys, one girl) were studied at a mean age of 6.3 +/- 0.6 (SEM) days; mean gestational age was 29.7 +/- 1.3 (SEM) weeks, and mean birth weight was 1,222.8 +/- 176.5 (SEM) grams. All infants were parenterally fed a mixture of 7.5% to 12.5% dextrose and 2.2% Trophamine, with or without lipid. Mean caloric intake was 93 +/- 8.4 (SEM) kcal/kg/d, and total AA intake was standardized at 2.86 g/kg/d AA, plus supplemental cysteine (30 mg/g AA/d). Each infant received a 4-hour continuous, unprimed intravenous infusion of a stable isotope tracer of D(-)[U13C] glucose (200 mg/kg). Blood samples were obtained before and at the end of the infusion. Conversion of the glucose tracer into seven biochemically nonessential AA (cysteine [Cys], proline [Pro], aspartate [Asp], serine [Ser], glutamate [Glu], alanine [Ala], and glycine [Gly]) was assessed by measuring their isotopic enrichment in plasma, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and expressed as mole percent excess (MPE) (mean +/- SEM). The isotopic enrichment of plasma glucose was also measured using GC/MS. Free plasma AA concentrations (mean +/- SD) were measured using an automated amino acid analyzer. Mean MPE for M + 1, M + 2 and M + 3 Cys, and for M + 1 and M + 3 Pro were not significantly different from 0; M + 2 Pro barely achieved statistical significance (P = .048).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PGF2 alpha activation of Na/H antiporter and ammoniagenesis in parent/variant LLC-PK1 cells.

A novel variant of the LLC-PK1 cell line was used to examine directly the mechanism whereby PGF2 alpha and TPA inhibit renal ammoniagenesis. The variant cells, which exhibit a growth pattern and morphology similar to the parent cell line, were isolated by a self selection process utilizing long-term cultures of parent cells maintained under conditions of continuous gentle rocking of the media fluid. Incubation of both parent and variant LLC-PK1 cells for one hour in a glutamine supplemented Krebs-Hensleit media of low pH (pH 6.8) increased ammonia and alanine production in comparison to the basal rates at pH 7.4. The phorbol ester TPA and also PGF2 alpha inhibited the low pH-induced increases in ammonia and alanine formation in parent cells; however, neither TPA nor PGF2 alpha inhibited ammonia or alanine metabolism in variant cells. TPA and PGF2 alpha activated PKC similarly in the parent and variant cells as demonstrated by a significant increase in membrane bound enzyme activity. BCECF labeling of cells indicated that the parent and variant cells possess an amiloride sensitive Na+/H+ antiporter of comparable activity. Exposure of parent cells to PGF2 alpha or TPA resulted in the activation of Na+/H+ antiporter activity. By contrast, neither compound stimulated antiporter activity in variant cells. These studies strongly suggest that PKC mediated activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter accounts for the inhibition of ammonia production produced by both PGF2 alpha and TPA. In addition, this novel variant of LLC-PK1 cells should provide a valuable tool to investigate various normal and pathophysiological functions involving mediation by PKC and/or Na+/H+ antiporter activity.

Acid-base regulation of hepatic glutamine metabolism and ureagenesis: study with 15N.

The metabolism of (5-15N)glutamine and (2-15N) glutamine has been studied by isolated hepatocytes obtained from either control, chronically acidotic, or alkalotic rats. The main goal was to elucidate the mechanism(s) by which altered acid-base state affects hepatic ureagenesis from glutamine. Isolated hepatocytes were incubated in Krebs buffer (pH 7.4) supplemented with 0.1 mM ornithine plus either 1 mM (5-15N)glutamine or (2-15N)glutamine. To elucidate the role of glutamine cycling in net ammonia metabolism, a separate series of experiments were performed with 1 mM unlabeled glutamine plus 1 mM (15N)H4Cl. Net glutamine utilization was significantly lower in hepatocytes obtained from chronically acidotic rats compared with control or alkalotic rats. The sum of the rates of 15NH3 and (15N)urea production from (5-15N)glutamine was decreased in acidosis compared with alkalosis. After incubations of 50 min, approximately 75, 65, or 90% of the N in carbamoyl-phosphate was derived from the 5-N of glutamine in control, acidosis, or alkalosis respectively. In experiments with (2-15N)glutamine, the production of singly and doubly labeled (15N)urea as well as (15N)aspartate and (15N)H3 was significantly smaller in acidosis compared with alkalosis. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between production rates of (15N)aspartate and (15N)urea, suggesting that alterations in urea production may depend on aspartate formed from glutamine. However, the production of (15N)alanine was higher in acidosis compared with alkalosis with apparent correlation between the production of (15N)alanine and 2-oxoglutaramate, a product of the glutamine aminotransferase pathway. In addition, the rate of glutamine recycling was significantly higher in acidosis compared with control or alkalosis, indicating that both flux through glutamine aminotransferase and flux through glutamine synthetase were elevated in acidosis compared with alkalosis. These data suggest that decreased formation of aspartate from glutamine may limit ureagenesis in chronic metabolic acidosis. The formation of aspartate may depend on the availability of oxaloacetate rather than diminished flux through transaminase reaction. The enhancement of alanine production and glutamine synthesis may provide an alternate route of N disposal in cases of diminished urea formation.

Expression of an L-alanine dehydrogenase gene in Zymomonas mobilis and excretion of L-alanine.

An approach to broaden the product range of the ethanologenic, gram-negative bacterium Zymomonas mobilis by means of genetic engineering is presented. Gene alaD for L-alanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.1.) from Bacillus sphaericus was cloned and introduced into Z. mobilis. Under the control of the strong promoter of the pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc) gene, the enzyme was expressed up to a specific activity of nearly 1 mu mol . min -1 . mg of protein -1 in recombinant cells. As a results of this high L-alanine dehydrogenase activity, growing cells excreted up to 10 mmol of alanine per 280 mmol of glucose utilized into a mineral salts medium. By the addition of 85 mM NH4+ to the medium, growth of the recombinant cells stopped, and up to 41 mmol alanine was secreted. As alanine dehydrogenase competed with pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) (EC 4.1.1.1.) for the same substrate (pyruvate), PDC activity was reduced by starvation for the essential PDC cofactor thiamine PPi. A thiamine auxotrophy mutant of Z. mobilis which carried the alaD gene was starved for 40 h in glucose-supplemented mineral salts medium and then shifted to mineral salts medium with 85 mM NH4+ and 280 mmol of glucose. The recombinants excreted up to 84 mmol of alanine (7.5 g/liter) over 25 h. Alanine excretion proceeded at an initial velocity of 238 nmol . min-1 . mg [dry weight]-1. Despite this high activity, the excretion rate seemed to be a limiting factor, as the intracellular concentration of alanine was as high as 260 mM at the beginning of the excretion phase and decreased to 80 to 90 mM over 24 h.

Effect of alanine-producing bacteria on the growth of chicks.

The effects of alanine-producing bacteria administered orally on the growth of chicks was investigated. The chicks were given diets containing adequate amounts of only the essential amino acids as sources of nitrogen: a basal diet (BD); a BD plus 40 g of urea per kilogram of diet (UD); a UD with bacteria named AR-8-3; a UD with bacteria named AB-605; and a BD plus 59.4 g and plus 118.7 g of L-alanine per kg of diet, respectively, from Day 8 to Day 15. The growth of chicks fed diets containing urea or alanine was significantly faster than that of the BD controls; no significant difference in growth was detected among the groups given the UD and bacteria. Since viable bacteria could not be detected from the intestinal content or from excreta for both groups given the bacteria, the establishment and achievement of alanine-producing activity by the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract were considered doubtful. The supplement with 59.4 g of alanine per kg of diet improved the growth rate, but the higher inclusion (118.7 g of alanine per kg of diet) resulted in no further improvement.

Comparison of alanine production after L-leucine and AMP deamination in an enzymatic model and in muscle specimens.

The amination of 2-oxoglutarate to glutamate by the deamination of leucine followed by the transamination of pyruvate to alanine in skeletal muscle is generally accepted. However, alanine formation following AMP deamination by AMP deaminase is still questionable even though it is theoretically possible. For this reason, we investigated in an enzymatic model the dependence of alanine yield both on the increasing concentration of AMP and leucine as amino group donors as well as on AMP deaminase and leucine dehydrogenase augmentation. Up to a concentration of 375 microM neither of the amino group donors produced a difference in the glutamate nor alanine yield. At a concentration of 500 microM ammonia formation was less, but alanine production was higher when leucine was present as a starting material. However, in muscle samples obtained from trained or untrained rats we did not find an increase in alanine yield when AMP was added to the muscle sample, even though NH3 production was significantly higher in samples with than in those without AMP. This discrepancy might be further elucidated by hindquarter perfusion experiments, in which alanine release would be determined after AMP deamination enhanced by electrostimulation of these muscle groups.

Mechanism of reactions catalyzed by selenocysteine beta-lyase.

The reaction mechanism of selenocystine beta-lyase has been studied and it was found that elemental selenium is released enzymatically from selenocysteine, and reduced to H2Se nonenzymatically with dithiothreitol or some other reductants that are added to prepare selenocysteine from selenocystine in the anaerobic reaction system. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of L-alanine formed in 2H2O have shown that an equimolar amount of [beta-2H1]- and [beta-2H2]alanines are produced. The deuterium isotope effect at the alpha position was observed; kH/kD = 2.4. These results indicated that the alpha hydrogen of selenocysteine was removed by a base at the active site, and was incorporated into the alpha position of alanine, a product, without exchange of a solvent deuterium. When the enzyme was incubated with L-selenocysteine in the absence of added pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, the activity decreased with prolonged incubation time. However, the activity was recovered by addition of 5'-phosphate. The spectrophotometric study showed that the inactivated enzyme was the apo form. The apoenzyme was activated by a combination of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate and various alpha-keto acids such as alpha-ketoglutarate and pyruvate. Thus, the enzyme is inactivated through transamination between selenocysteine and the bound pyridoxal 5'-phosphate to produce pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate and a keto acid derived from selenocysteine. The pyridoxal enzyme, an active form, is regenerated by addition of alpha-keto acids. This regulatory mechanism is analogous to those of aspartate beta-decarboxylase [EC 4.1.1.12], arginine racemase [EC 5.1.1.9], and kynureninase [EC 3.7.1.3] [K. Soda and K. Tanizawa (1979) Adv. Enzymol. 49, 1].

Effects of intrabrachial arterial infusion of pyruvate on forearm tissue metabolism. Interrelationships between pyruvate, lactate, and alanine.

Postabsorptive release of alanine from forearm skeletal muscle is large relative to other amino acids, suggesting new synthesis by transamination of pyruvate. This hypothesis was tested and the pathway quantified in six subjects, each given two 30 min intrabrachial arterial pyruvate infusions. The first (12 mumoles/min) supplied approximately that amount of pyruvate produced endogenously by glycolysis in resting muscle. The second (36 mumoles/min) approximated endogenous pyruvate production by glycolysis during moderate exercise. Changes in balance across forearm tissues of pyruvate, glucose, lactate, and amino acids were measured. The time-course of pyruvate equilibration across fore-arm muscles was detailed in three additional subjects. The two infusions increased arterial pyruvate from 64 to 674 and 1776 mumoles/liter respectively. Muscle consumed 72% of the exogenous pyruvate during both infusions. Outputs of lactate and alanine increased, accounting respectively for 30.3 and 6.7% of the pyruvate at the low infusion rate, and 17.1 and 3.8% at the high rate. The remaining pyruvate probably was oxidized. Muscle release of valine, isoleucine, and leucine decreased during the high dose infusion. Additionally, adipose tissue plus skin released more alanine and lactate during the high dose infusion. Other metabolies were unchanged.Thus, both muscle and adipose tissue plus skin synthesize alanine from pyruvate. Lactate production considerably exceeds that of alanine. In muscle, increased availability of intracellular pyruvate serving as a nitrogen acceptor may facilitate branched chain amino acid oxidation. Muscle consumption of infused pyruvate is rapid, and detailed studies of its equilibration suggest that passage across the muscle cell membrane is rate limiting.