ABSTRACT
Mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase are sequential enzymes in the Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle. We have shown [Lindbladh, C., Rault, M., Hagglund, C., Small, W. C., Mosbach, K., Bülow, L., Evans, C., and Srere, P.A (1994) Biochemistry 33, 11692-11698] that a fusion protein of yeast mitochondrial citrate synthase and yeast mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase channels oxaloacetate between the active sites. A Brownian dynamics simulation model of porcine mitochondrial enzymes of citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase was used [Elcock, A. H., and McCammon, A. M. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 12652-12658], showing that a positive electrostatic surface potential between the active sites of the fusion protein could account for the channeling of oxaloacetate we observed with the yeast fusion protein. Since the data were established with a yeast fusion protein and the model was with porcine fusion protein, we have now prepared and studied the porcine fusion protein. The channeling of the oxaloacetate intermediate was the same for the porcine fusion protein as it was for the yeast fusion protein. This channeling behavior is eliminated at high ionic strength. A fusion protein of porcine citrate synthase and porcine cytosolic malate dehydrogenase does not exhibit any channeling of oxaloacetate. A model of the fusion protein with the cytosolic malate dehydrogenase shows no clear positive electrostatic potential surface between the two active sites, thus distinguishing it from the fusion protein with the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase. These results establish the electrostatic nature of channeling in mitochondrial fusion proteins.
Subject(s)
Citrate (si)-Synthase/chemistry , Malate Dehydrogenase/chemistry , Mitochondria, Liver/enzymology , Oxaloacetic Acid/chemistry , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry , Animals , Catalysis , Citrate (si)-Synthase/genetics , Citrate (si)-Synthase/metabolism , Computer Simulation , Cytosol/enzymology , Kinetics , Malate Dehydrogenase/genetics , Malate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Models, Molecular , Osmolar Concentration , Oxaloacetic Acid/metabolism , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/isolation & purification , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism , Static Electricity , SwineABSTRACT
We have purified the citrate synthase from Azotobacter vinelandii and have determined that the size of the subunit is 48,000 Da and the structure of the holoenzyme is a hexamer. This contrasts with earlier estimates that indicate a 58,000 Da subunit and a tetrameric structure. In addition, the enzyme is allosteric with a Hill coefficient of 1.5 and is inhibited by NADH. The Hill coefficient is changed to about 1 by high ionic strength and AMP. The enzyme is thus similar to the citrate synthases of many other Gram-negative, facultative, anaerobic organisms. In addition, the amino acid sequence of about 100 residues has been determined and found to be highly similar to the sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa citrate synthase.
