Purification of a novel pyruvate kinase from a green alga

AbstractA chloroplast pyruvate kinase has been purified to homogeneity from the green alga Selenastrum minutum. The subunit composition of the enzyme differs markedly from pyruvate kinases from other sources. Subunit and native Mrs were 210 kDa and 235 kDa, respectively, indicating a monomeric structure. Immunological and peptide mapping analyses suggested structural homology to a bacterial, but not higher plant or mammalian pyruvate kinase

In vivo regulatory phosphorylation of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase AtPPC1 in phosphate-starved Arabidopsis thaliana

PEPC [PEP(phosphoenolpyruvate) carboxylase] is a tightly controlled cytosolic enzyme situated at a major branchpoint in plant metabolism. Accumulating evidence indicates important functions for PEPC and PPCK (PEPC kinase) in plant acclimation to nutritional Pi deprivation. However, little is known about the genetic origin or phosphorylation status of native PEPCs from −Pi (Pi-deficient) plants. The transfer of Arabidopsis suspension cells or seedlings to −Pi growth media resulted in: (i) the marked transcriptional upregulation of genes encoding the PEPC isoenzyme AtPPC1 (Arabidopsis thaliana PEPC1), and PPCK isoenzymes AtPPCK1 and AtPPCK2; (ii) >2-fold increases in PEPC specific activity and in the amount of an immunoreactive 107-kDa PEPC polypeptide (p107); and (iii) In vivo p107 phosphorylation as revealed by immunoblotting of clarified extracts with phosphosite-specific antibodies to Ser-11 (which could be reversed following Pi resupply). Approx. 1.3 mg of PEPC was purified 660-fold from −Pi suspension cells to apparent homogeneity with a specific activity of 22.3 units · mg−1 of protein. Gel filtration, SDS/PAGE and immunoblotting demonstrated that purified PEPC exists as a 440-kDa homotetramer composed of identical p107 subunits. Sequencing of p107 tryptic and Asp-N peptides by tandem MS established that this PEPC is encoded by AtPPC1. Pi-affinity PAGE coupled with immunoblotting indicated stoichiometric phosphorylation of the p107 subunits of AtPPC1 at its conserved Ser-11 phosphorylation site. Phosphorylation activated AtPPC1 at pH 7.3 by lowering its Km(PEP) and its sensitivity to inhibition by L-malate and L-aspartate, while enhancing activation by glucose 6-phosphate. Our results indicate that the simultaneous induction and In vivo phosphorylation activation of AtPPC1 contribute to the metabolic adaptations of −Pi Arabidopsis

Tissue-specific expression and post-translational modifications of plant- and bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase isozymes of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis L.

This study employs transcript profiling together with immunoblotting and co-immunopurification to assess the tissue-specific expression, protein:protein interactions, and post-translational modifications (PTMs) of plant- and bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) isozymes (PTPC and BTPC, respectively) in the castor plant, Ricinus communis. Previous studies established that the Class-1 PEPC (PTPC homotetramer) of castor oil seeds (COS) is activated by phosphorylation at Ser-11 and inhibited by monoubiquitination at Lys-628 during endosperm development and germination, respectively. Elimination of photosynthate supply to developing COS by depodding caused the PTPC of the endosperm and cotyledon to be dephosphorylated, and then subsequently monoubiquitinated in vivo. PTPC monoubiquitination rather than phosphorylation is widespread throughout the castor plant and appears to be the predominant PTM of Class-1 PEPC that occurs in planta. The distinctive developmental patterns of PTPC phosphorylation versus monoubiquitination indicates that these two PTMs are mutually exclusive. By contrast, the BTPC: (i) is abundant in the inner integument, cotyledon, and endosperm of developing COS, but occurs at low levels in roots and cotyledons of germinated COS, (ii) shows a unique developmental pattern in leaves such that it is present in leaf buds and young expanding leaves, but undetectable in fully expanded leaves, and (iii) tightly interacts with co-expressed PTPC to form the novel and allosterically-desensitized Class-2 PEPC heteromeric complex. BTPC and thus Class-2 PEPC up-regulation appears to be a distinctive feature of rapidly growing and/or biosynthetically active tissues that require a large anaplerotic flux from phosphoenolpyruvate to replenish tricarboxylic acid cycle C-skeletons being withdrawn for anabolism

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