IMP degradative capacity in rat skeletal muscle fiber types.

During contractions, when the rate of ATP hydrolysis exceeds that of ADP phosphorylation, inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) accumulates in skeletal muscle. If the cellular energy balance is not promptly restored, subsequent purine degradation to inosine via 5'-nucleotidase can occur, a process that is most robust in the slow-twitch red, as compared to fast-twitch, skeletal muscle. We measured the distribution of 5'-nucleotidase activity among membrane-bound and soluble fractions of fiber specific skeletal muscle sections and found most (80-90%) of the total 5'-nucleotidase activity to be membrane-bound. The 5' IMP nucleotidase activity present in the soluble fraction of muscle extracts differs among fiber types with slow-twitch red > fast-twitch red > mixed fibered > fast-twitch white. Experiments testing the substrate dependence of IMP and AMP dephosphorylation by the soluble fraction of muscle extracts revealed a lower Km toward IMP (approximately 0.7-1.5 mM) than AMP (1.9-2.8 mM). Among skeletal muscle fiber sections, the soluble 5'-nucleotidase activity present in slow-twitch red muscle extracts had the highest substrate affinity, the highest activity with IMP as substrate, and an estimated catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) that was > 3-fold higher than calculated for fast-twitch muscle extracts. This is likely due to the Mg2+ dependent cytosolic 5' IMP nucleotidase isoform, since immunoprecipitation experiments revealed 3-4 times more activity in slow-twitch red than in fast-twitch red or fast-twitch white fibers, respectively. These finding are consistent with the previously recognized in vivo pattern of nucleoside formation by muscle where the soleus demonstrated extensive inosine formation at a much lower IMP content than fast-twitch red or fast-twitch white muscle fiber sections.

Novel aspects of tetramer assembly and N-terminal domain structure and function are revealed by recombinant expression of human AMP deaminase isoforms.

AMP deaminase isoforms purified from endogenous sources display smaller than predicted subunit molecular masses, whereas baculoviral expression of human AMPD1 (isoform M) and AMPD3 (isoform E) cDNAs produces full-sized recombinant enzymes. However, nearly 100 N-terminal amino acid residues are cleaved from each recombinant polypeptide during storage at 4 degreesC. Expression of N-truncated cDNAs (DeltaL96AMPD1 and DeltaM90AMPD3) produces stable recombinant enzymes exhibiting subunit molecular masses and kinetic properties that are similar to those reported for purified isoforms M and E. Conversely, wild type recombinant isoforms display significantly higher Km(app) values in the absence of ATP. Gel filtration analysis demonstrates native tetrameric structures for all recombinant proteins, except the wild type AMPD1 enzyme, which forms aggregates of tetramers that disperse upon cleavage of N-terminal residues at 4 degreesC. These data: 1) confirm that available literature on AMP deaminase is likely derived from N-truncated enzymes and 2) are inconsistent with a new model proposing native trimeric structure of an N-truncated rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (Ranieri-Raggi, M., Montali, U., Ronca, F., Sabbatini, A., Brown, P. E., Moir, A. J. G., and Raggi, A. (1997) Biochem. J. 326, 641-648). N-terminal residues also influence actomyosin-binding properties of the enzyme, which are enhanced and suppressed by AMPD1 and AMPD3 sequences, respectively. Finally, co-expression of AMPD1 and AMPD3 recombinant polypeptides produces tetrameric enzymes with either isoform-specific or mixed subunits, and also reveals that tetramer assembly is driven by relative polypeptide abundance with no apparent preference for like subunits.

Cytoarchitectural and metabolic adaptations in muscles with mitochondrial and cytosolic creatine kinase deficiencies.

We have blocked creatine kinase (CK) mediated phosphocreatine (PCr) <==> ATP transphosphorylation in mitochondria and cytosol of skeletal muscle by knocking out the genes for the mitochondrial (ScCKmit) and the cytosolic (M-CK) CK isoforms in mice. Animals which carry single or double mutations, if kept and tested under standard laboratory conditions, have surprisingly mild changes in muscle physiology. Strenuous ex vivo conditions were necessary to reveal that MM-CK absence in single and double mutants leads to a partial loss of tetanic force output. Single ScCKmit deficiency has no noticeable effects but in combination the mutations cause slowing of the relaxation rate. Importantly, our studies revealed that there is metabolic and cytoarchitectural adaptation to CK defects in energy metabolism. The effects involve mutation type-dependent alterations in the levels of AMP, IMP, glycogen and phosphomonoesters, changes in activity of metabolic enzymes like AMP-deaminase, alterations in mitochondrial volume and contractile protein (MHC isoform) profiles, and a hyperproliferation of the terminal cysternae of the SR (in tubular aggregates). This suggests that there is a compensatory resiliency of loss-of-function and redirection of flux distributions in the metabolic network for cellular energy in our mutants.

Alterations in AMP deaminase activity and kinetics in skeletal muscle of creatine kinase-deficient mice.

Alterations in the competency of the creatine kinase system elicit numerous structural and metabolic compensations, including changes in purine nucleotide metabolism. We evaluated molecular and kinetic changes in AMP deaminase from skeletal muscles of mice deficient in either cytosolic creatine kinase alone (M-CK-/-) or also deficient in mitochondrial creatine kinase (CK-/-) compared with wild type. We found that predominantly fast-twitch muscle, but not slow-twitch muscle, from both M-CK-/- and CK-/- mice had much lower AMP deaminase; the quantity of AMP deaminase detected by Western blot was correspondingly lower, whereas AMP deaminase-1 (AMPD1) gene expression was unchanged. Kinetic analysis of AMP deaminase from mixed muscle revealed negative cooperativity that was significantly greater in creatine kinase deficiencies. Treatment of AMP deaminase with acid phosphatase abolished negative cooperative behavior, indicating that a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle may be important in the regulation of AMP deaminase.

Molecular and kinetic alterations of muscle AMP deaminase during chronic creatine depletion.

We examined a possible mechanism to account for the maintenance of peak AMP deamination rate in fast-twitch muscle of rats fed the creatine analog beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA), in spite of reduced abundance of the enzyme AMP deaminase (AMPD). AMPD enzymatic capacity (determined at saturating AMP concentration) and AMPD protein abundance (Western blot) were coordinately reduced approximately 80% in fast-twitch white gastrocnemius muscle by beta-GPA feeding over 7 wk. Kinetic analysis of AMPD in the soluble cell fraction demonstrated a single Michaelis-Menten constant (Km; approximately 1.5 mM) in control muscle extracts. An additional high-affinity Km (approximately 0.03 mM) was revealed at low AMP concentrations in extracts of beta-GPA-treated muscle. The kinetic alteration in AMPD reflects increased molecular activity at low AMP concentrations; this could account for high rates of deamination in beta-GPA-treated muscle in situ, despite the loss of AMPD enzyme protein. The elimination of this kinetic effect by treatment of beta-GPA-treated muscle extracts with acid phosphatase in vitro suggests that phosphorylation is involved in the kinetic control of skeletal muscle AMPD in vivo.

Oxidation of urate in human skeletal muscle during exercise.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether high metabolic stress to skeletal muscle, induced by intensive exercise, would lead to an oxidation of urate to allantoin in the exercised muscle. Seven healthy male subjects performed short term (4.39 +/- 0.04 [+/-SE] min) exhaustive cycling exercise. Muscle samples were obtained from m. v. lateralis before and during the first few minutes after the exercise. Venous blood samples were obtained before and up to 45 min after the exercise. The concentration of urate in muscle decreased from a resting level of 0.26 +/- 0.023 to 0.084 +/- 0.016 mumol.g-1 w.w. (p < .05) during the exercise and then rapidly increased during recovery to reach the resting level within 3 min after exercise. The concentration of allantoin in the muscle increased from a resting value of 0.03 +/- 0.007 to 0.10 +/- 0.014 mumol.g-1 w.w. immediately after exercise (p < .05) and then decreased to 0.079 +/- 0.002 mumol.g-1 w.w. during the first 3 min after exercise (p < .05). Plasma urate levels increased slowly from 305 +/- 16 to 426 +/- 20 mumol.liter-1 at 45 min in recovery (p < .05). Plasma allantoin was 11.9 +/- 2.6 mumol.liter-1 at rest and by 5 min the level was more than twofold higher and remained elevated throughout recovery (p < .05). The present results indicate that urate is oxidized to allantoin in the muscle during exercise, probably due to generation of free radicals. Furthermore, the findings support the suggested importance of urate as a free radical scavenger in vivo.

IMP reamination to AMP in rat skeletal muscle fiber types.

Inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) reamination in skeletal muscle fiber sections of the rat hindlimb was studied. High IMP concentrations were established during ischemic contractions in each fiber section: 3.1, 2.8, or 0.6 mumol/g in the fast-twitch white (FTW), fast-twitch red (FTR), and slow-twitch red (STR) muscle sections, respectively. Thereafter blood flow was restored and stimulation was discontinued to allow reamination of IMP. After 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, or 20 min of recovery, muscle sections were freeze-clamped and analyzed for metabolite contents. IMP was nearly fully reaminated after 10 and 20 min of recovery in STR and FTR muscles, respectively. Reamination in TW fibers was delayed and slower, with only 50% of the IMP reaminated after 20 min of recovery. Significant recovery (approximately 75%) of phosphocreatine occurs in each fiber section before the onset of reamination. Reamination was also evaluated after high-speed treadmill running with or without inhibition of reamination by hadacidin. Running resulted in large accumulations of IMP in FTW and FTR fibers (3.5 and 1.4 mumul/g, respectively); IMP in FTR fibers was higher with hadacidin treatment. Reamination after running was much greater in FTR than in FTW fibers and was associated with recovery of phosphocreatine. After running, the purine degradation products inosine and hypoxanthine were increased in FTW and FTR fibers in normal and hadacidin-treated animals. Plasma inosine, hypoxanthine, and urate increased after exercise; concentrations continued to increase if reamination was inhibited by hadacidin. These results demonstrate that when muscle IMP is increased, subsequent degradation and loss of purines occur. Rapid reamination should minimize the quantity of purine lost from muscle and limit the metabolic cost of replenishing purines by the de novo synthesis or salvage pathways.

Creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid alters skeletal muscle AMP deaminase activity.

Dietary supplementation of the creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA) decreases in vitro skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMP-D) activity in rats. Downregulation of AMP-D activity was progressive and greater in fast-twitch muscles (70-80%) than in the slow-twitch soleus muscle (approximately 50%). The loss in AMP-D activity had little effect on inosine 5'-monophosphate accumulation in mixed-fiber muscle with intense tetanic contractions. In contrast, inosine 5'-monophosphate formation was evident earlier in fast-twitch red and white fiber sections of creatine-depleted animals during intense twitch contractions, indicating that fast-twitch muscle of beta-GPA-treated rats buffers decreases in the ATP/ADPfree ratio via deamination, even though AMP-D activity is less. Isoforms of skeletal muscle AMP-D mRNAs in mixed-fiber muscle were not altered by feeding beta-GPA for up to 9 wk. Creatine depletion did not alter total immunoreactivity; however, a redistribution of AMP-D immunoreactivity from primarily an approximately 80-kDa form toward lower apparent molecular mass species (approximately 60 and approximately 56 kDa) was observed. Posttranslational changes in AMP-D appear related to changes in activity.

IMP metabolism in human skeletal muscle after exhaustive exercise.

This study addressed whether AMP deaminase (AMPD)myosin binding occurs with deamination during intense exercise in humans and the extent of purine loss from muscle during the initial minutes of recovery. Male subjects performed cycle exercise (265 +/- 2 W for 4.39 +/- 0.04 min) to stimulate muscle inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) formation. After exercise, blood flow to one leg was occluded. Muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were taken before and 3.6 +/- 0.2 min after exercise from the occluded leg and 0.7 +/- 0.0, 1.1 +/- 0.0, and 2.9 +/- 0.1 min postexercise in the nonoccluded leg. Exercise activated AMPD; at exhaustion IMP was 3.5 +/- 0.4 mmol/kg dry muscle. Before exercise, 16.0 +/- 1.6% of AMPD cosedimented with the myosin fraction; the extent of AMPD:myosin binding was unchanged by exercise. Inosine content increased about threefold during exercise and twofold more during recovery; by 2.9 min postexercise it was 0.43 +/- 0.02 mmol/kg dry muscle. IMP decreased 2.1 +/- 0.3 mmol/kg dry muscle with no change in total adenylates. Total purines declined significantly (P < 0.05) during the recovery period in the nonoccluded leg, consistent with a loss of purines to the circulation, whereas total purines were unchanged in the occluded leg. Regulation of muscle purine content is a dynamic process that must accommodate rapid changes due to degradation and efflux.

Increased peak oxygen consumption of trained muscle requires increased electron flux capacity.

The importance of the training-induced increase in mitochondrial capacity in realizing the increase in maximal O2 consumption (VO2max) of trained muscle was evaluated using an isolated perfused rat hindlimb preparation at a high blood flow (approximately 80 ml.min-1.100 g-1) during tetanic contractions. Rats trained for 8-12 wk by treadmill running exhibited an approximately 25% increase in muscle VO2max (5.62 +/- 0.31 to 7.06 +/- 0.64 mumol.min-1.g-1), an increase in mitochondrial enzyme activity (approximately 70% for cytochrome oxidase and approximately 55% for NADH cytochrome-c reductase), and an increase in tissue capillarity (14%) that is expected to increase the O2 exchange capacity of the tissue. Muscle VO2max of sedentary (n = 34) and trained (n = 30) animals was determined, and electron transport capacity was acutely managed with myxothiazol, a tight-binding inhibitor of complex III. Inhibition of complex III was similar among 1) the low- and high-oxidative fibers and 2) the superficial and deep mitochondrial populations within muscle. Inhibition of NADH cytochrome-c reductase activity resulted in reductions in muscle VO2max with similar dose responses (mean effective dose of approximately 0.2 microM) of myxothiazol added to the perfusion medium. The extraction of O2 by the contracting muscle decreased as VO2max declined. The increase in muscle VO2max observed in the muscle of trained animals was eliminated when its electron transport capacity was reduced to that observed in normal sedentary rat muscle. Thus, the exercise-induced adaptation of an increased muscle mitochondrial content appears to be essential for trained muscle to exhibit its increased O2 flux capacity. The results of the present experiment illustrate the importance of mitochondrial adaptations in muscle remodeled by exercise training.

Purine nucleoside formation in rat skeletal muscle fiber types.

To determine the capacity for purine nucleotide degradation among skeletal muscle fiber types, we established energy-depleted conditions in muscles of the rat hindlimb by inducing muscle contraction during ischemia. After 5, 10, 15, or 20 min of ischemic contractions, representative muscle sections were freeze-clamped and analyzed for purine nucleotides, nucleosides, and bases. Fast-twitch muscle sections accumulated about fourfold more IMP than the slow-twitch red soleus muscle. Inosine begins to accumulate at < 0.5 mumol/g IMP in slow-twitch muscle and at approximately 2 mumol/g IMP in fast-twitch muscle. This suggests that inosine is formed intracellularly by 5'-nucleotidase acting on IMP and that the activity and/or substrate affinity of the 5'-nucleotidase present in slow-twitch muscle may be higher than in fast-twitch muscle. At similar concentrations of precursor IMP, slow-twitch muscle has a greater capacity for purine nucleoside formation and should be more dependent on salvage and de novo synthesis of purine for the maintenance of muscle adenine nucleotides. Fast-twitch muscles are better able to retain IMP for subsequent reamination due to their lower capacity to degrade IMP to inosine.

AMP deaminase binding in rat skeletal muscle after high-intensity running.

Skeletal muscle deaminates a substantial fraction of its adenylate pool to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) when the rate of energy expenditure exceeds supply. How AMP deaminase is activated in vivo is unclear because the substrate affinity is quite low (Michaelis constant approximately 1-2 mM) relative to estimated concentrations of free AMP in skeletal muscle (0.2-1 microM). AMP deaminase:myosin binding causes a large increase in substrate affinity; whether this binding occurs during physiological exercise is uncertain. Exhaustive high-speed (60 m/min) treadmill exercise in rats results in an extensive depletion of adenine nucleotide and a stoichiometric accumulation of IMP (1.5-2 mumol/g) in the superficial vastus lateralis muscles (predominantly fast-twitch white). We measured AMP deaminase:myosin binding after intense exercise and found the bound fraction of AMP deaminase to be increased from 9 +/- 1% at rest to 48 +/- 4% at approximately 45 s after exercise. The extent of binding lessened during recovery from exercise, falling to 32 +/- 4% after approximately 75 s and 21 +/- 2% after approximately 105 s. This postexercise dissociation of AMP deaminase from myosin appeared to be a first-order process (approximately 50 s half time). Treadmill running that leads to deamination also results in AMP deaminase:myosin binding. Binding should activate AMP deaminase and thus favor IMP formation at low physiological concentrations of AMP.

AMP deaminase binding in contracting rat skeletal muscle.

AMP deaminase, which hydrolyses AMP to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and NH3 at high rates during excessive energy demands in skeletal muscle, is activated when bound to myosin in vitro. We evaluated AMP deaminase binding in vivo during muscle contractions to assess whether binding 1) is inherent to deamination and found only with high rates of IMP production or simply coincident with the contractile process and 2) requires cellular acidosis. AMP deaminase activity (mumol.min-1.g-1) was measured in the supernatant (free) and 10(4)-g pellet (bound) homogenate fractions of muscle of anesthetized rats after in situ contractions to determine the percent bound. In resting muscle, nearly all (approximately 90%) AMP deaminase is free (cytosolic). During contractions when energy balance was well maintained, binding did not significantly differ from resting values. However, during intense contraction conditions that lead to increased IMP concentration, binding increased to approximately 60% (P less than 0.001) in fast-twitch and approximately 50% in slow-twitch muscle. Binding increased in an apparent first-order manner and preceded initiation of IMP formation. Further, binding rapidly declined within 1 min after cessation of intense stimulation, even though the cell remained extremely acidotic. Extensive binding during contractions was also evident without cellular acidosis (iodoacetic acid-treated muscle). Thus the in vivo AMP deaminase-myosin complex association/dissociation is not coupled to changes in cellular acidosis. Interestingly, binding remained elevated after contractions, if energy recovery was limited by ischemia. Our results are consistent with myosin binding having a role in AMP deaminase activation and subsequent IMP formation in contracting muscle.

Altered kinetics of AMP deaminase by myosin binding.

AMP deaminase catalyzes the deamination of AMP to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia. Factors controlling the enzyme in muscle can rapidly promote high rates of IMP formation when ATP utilization exceeds supply. We evaluated whether binding of AMP deaminase to myosin, which occurs during intense contraction conditions, alters the kinetic behavior of the enzyme. Reaction kinetics of myosin-bound and free AMP deaminase were evaluated. Reaction kinetics of the free enzyme yielded a near-linear double-reciprocal plot with an expected Km of approximately 1 mM AMP concentration (AMP). In contrast, reaction kinetics of AMP deaminase became bimodal when bound to myosin. At [AMP] less than 0.15 mM, a high-affinity Km (0.05-0.10 mM) with maximal velocity approximately 20% that of free enzyme was evident. At [AMP] greater than 0.15 mM, the Km and maximal velocity values were similar to that of the free enzyme. The 10- to 20-fold higher affinity Km would allow for a higher rate of AMP deamination at the low [AMP] found physiologically. AMP deaminase binding to myosin also induced a marked resistance to orthophosphate inhibition (10 mM) in the presence of 50 microM ADP. Results were similar for purified preparations of AMP deaminase bound to myosin subfragment 2 and crude extracts obtained from contracting muscle. Our results add further support to the hypothesis that AMP deaminase binding to myosin serves an important role in control of enzyme activity in contracting muscle.

Adenine nucleotide synthesis in exercising and endurance-trained skeletal muscle.

Strenuous exercise leads to increased efflux of purine nucleoside and base that should necessitate recovery of adenine nucleotides by either the de novo synthesis or salvage pathway. De novo synthesis of adenine nucleotide was measured in quiescent and contracting muscle of sedentary and exercise-trained rats using an isolated perfused hindquarter preparation. Synthesis rates were assessed by measuring the incorporation of [1-14C]glycine into adenine nucleotide in muscles of both resting and stimulated hindlimbs after 1 h of either low- or high-energy demand isometric contractions. In nonstimulated sedentary and trained muscles, rates of de novo synthesis were similar. The effect of muscle contractions on de novo synthesis varied among muscle fiber types. Contracting, nonfatigued fast-twitch muscle sections showed significant declines in de novo synthesis in both sedentary and trained groups. Rates in slow-twitch red fibers and fatigued fast-twitch white fiber sections were not different from rest. Supplementing the perfusate with 5 mM ribose caused de novo synthesis to rise three- to fourfold in each of the fiber sections. However, the response in synthesis rates due to exercise was similar with or without ribose supplementation. De novo synthesis does not increase during exercise but exhibits an unchanged or reduced rate depending on the expected energy balance within the cell. This would occur if the energy state of muscle exerts significant control over de novo synthesis of adenine nucleotide.

Adenine nucleotide metabolism in contracting skeletal muscle.

During steady-state muscle contractions, ATP production and utilization are well matched. When the rate of ATP hydrolysis exceeds the capacity of a given muscle fiber to phosphorylate ADP, the ADPf and AMPf concentrations rise, first leading to the deamination of adenylates and subsequently to the dephosphorylation of AMP or IMP, or both, to their respective nucleosides and bases. Several proposed roles for the purine nucleotide cycle in skeletal muscle have been reviewed and evaluated. The deaminating limb of the purine nucleotide cycle is most important; it maintains the ATP/ADP ratio and lessens adenine nucleotide degradation. Regulation of glycolytic pathway enzymes by the products of AMP deamination (IMP and NH4+) does not seem likely. During reamination there is a net production of fumarate, with the branch-chain amino acids potentially supplying a significant fraction of the amine; reamination, however, is probably not concurrent with a high rate of deamination. Evidence from some studies of AMP deaminase-deficient persons suggests that an intact purine nucleotide cycle is required for normal muscle function during intense exercise; the issue is clouded, however, by the occurrence of asymptomatic AMP deaminase deficiency. Skeletal muscle is capable of extensive adenine nucleotide degradation during severe, energy-depleting conditions. Purine nucleosides and bases not reincorporated by the salvage pathway must be synthesized de novo. The capacity for de novo synthesis differs among fiber types, being highest in muscle with the highest oxidative capacity.

Adenine nucleotide degradation in striated muscle.

Adenine nucleotides play a central role in cellular processes involving the transduction of energy. Among striated muscles, the management of adenine nucleotide catabolism differs greatly. These differences can be understood by considering the distribution, activity, and kinetic characteristics of degradative enzymes. When these factors are weighed in light of the differing energetic demands faced by heart and skeletal muscle fiber types, a coherent picture emerges. Our analysis suggests that, as the routine energy demand of a particular muscle rises in relation to the tissue's capacity for oxidative metabolism, the pattern of adenine nucleotide degradation shifts toward increased rates of AMP deamination along with lessened rates of dephosphorylation.

Adenine nucleotide degradation in slow-twitch red muscle.

The catabolism of adenine nucleotides (AdN) in rat soleus muscle (predominantly slow twitch) is very different from that in fast-twitch muscle. AMP deaminase is highly inhibited during brief (3 min) intense (120 tetani/min) in situ stimulation, resulting in little inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) accumulation (0.21 mumol/g). Even with ligation of the femoral artery during the same brief intense contraction conditions there is surprisingly little increase in IMP (0.37 mumol/g), although AdN depletion is evident (-1.30 mumol/g). We have tested the hypothesis that accumulation of purine nucleosides and bases accounts for the AdN depletion by measuring purine degradation products using high-performance liquid chromatography. There was no stoichiometric accumulation of purine degradation products to account for the observed AdN depletion even though metabolite recovery was essentially quantitative. We hypothesis that under these conditions AdN are converted to a form different from purine nucleoside and base degradation products. In contrast to the inhibition of AMP deamination seen during brief ischemia, slow-twitch muscle depletes a substantial fraction (28%) of muscle AdN (1.75 mumol/g) that can be accounted for stoichiometrically as purine degradation products during an extended 10-min ischemic period of mild (12 tetani/min) contraction conditions. IMP accumulation (1 mumol/g) is most prominent with inosine, accounting for 23% (0.4 mumol/g) of the depleted AdN, showing that slow-twitch red muscle is capable of both AMP deamination and the subsequent production of purine nucleosides during an extended period of ischemic contractions. The present results indicate that AdN metabolism in the soleus muscle is complex, yielding expected degradation products or a loss of total purines, depending on contraction conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

De novo synthesis of adenine nucleotides in different skeletal muscle fiber types.

Management of adenine nucleotide catabolism differs among skeletal muscle fiber types. This study evaluated whether there are corresponding differences in the rates of de novo synthesis of adenine nucleotide among fiber type sections of skeletal muscle using an isolated perfused rat hindquarter preparation. Label incorporation into adenine nucleotides from the [1-14C]glycine precursor was determined and used to calculate synthesis rates based on the intracellular glycine specific radioactivity. Results show that intracellular glycine is closely related to the direct precursor pool. Rates of de novo synthesis were highest in fast-twitch red muscle (57.0 +/- 4.0, 58.2 +/- 4.4 nmol.h-1.g-1; deep red gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis), relatively high in slow-twitch red muscle (47.0 +/- 3.1; soleus), and low in fast-twitch white muscle (26.1 +/- 2.0 and 21.6 +/- 2.3; superficial white gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis). Rates for four mixed muscles were intermediate, ranging between 32.3 and 37.3. Specific de novo synthesis rates exhibited a strong correlation (r = 0.986) with muscle section citrate synthase activity. Turnover rates (de novo synthesis rate/adenine nucleotide pool size) were highest in high oxidative muscle (0.82-1.06%/h), lowest in low oxidative muscle (0.30-0.35%/h), and intermediate in mixed muscle (0.44-0.55%/h). Our results demonstrate that differences in adenine nucleotide management among fiber types extends to the process of de novo adenine nucleotide synthesis.

Regulation of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide content in newborn rabbit liver.

This study examined the relationship between postnatal metabolic and hormonal changes and the accompanying rapid increase in mitochondrial adenine nucleotide content (ATP + ADP + AMP) in rabbit liver. The cytosolic NAD+/NADH concentration ratio, calculated from tissue pyruvate and lactate values, increased linearly 6.6-fold during the 1st postnatal h. The mitochondrial NAD+/NADH concentration ratio, calculated from tissue acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate values, increased 28-fold by 30 min postnatal. These changes in NAD+/NADH suggest that tissue oxygenation occurs rapidly and that oxygen supply rather than substrate supply is limiting for mitochondrial respiration in the immediate postnatal period. The normal increase in mitochondrial adenine nucleotide content that occurs within 2 h after birth was inhibited by hypoxia (5% O2). Glucagon stimulated the postnatal increase in mitochondrial adenine nucleotides but had no effect in combination with hypoxia. Both glucose and somatostatin injections inhibited the increase in mitochondrial adenine nucleotides and increased the insulin-to-glucagon ratio. Isoproterenol or dibutyryl cAMP stimulated, but propranolol did not inhibit, the normal increase in mitochondrial adenine nucleotide content. Phentolamine did not stimulate the postnatal accumulation of adenine nucleotides. In summary, the results show that the insulin-to-glucagon ratio is probably the most important hormone regulator of the rapid recompartmentation of adenine nucleotides into the mitochondrial matrix and that tissue oxygenation is strictly permissive for this hormone effect in the first 2 h after birth.