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Reversible modification of pig heart mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

The Biochemical Journal
|November 1, 1975
PubMed

Insights

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate inactivates pig heart mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase by modifying lysine residues. This inactivation is reversible initially but can become permanent with NaBH4 reduction, affecting enzyme activity.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Enzyme kinetics
  • Protein modification

Background:

  • Mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase is a key enzyme in the citric acid cycle.
  • Pyridoxal 5 phosphate is a cofactor that can react with amino groups in proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of inactivation of pig heart mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal 5 phosphate.
  • To characterize the reversibility and permanence of the inactivation process.

Main Methods:

  • Incubation of purified pig heart mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase with pyridoxal 5 phosphate at various temperatures (10, 25, and 35 degrees C).
  • Treatment with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to assess permanence of modification.
  • Dialysis and addition of L-lysine or L-cysteine to evaluate reversibility.
  • Determination of kinetic parameters (Km) for malate and NAD+.

Main Results:

  • Pyridoxal 5 phosphate causes gradual inactivation of malate dehydrogenase at 25 degrees C, which is reversible by dialysis or L-lysine/L-cysteine but permanent after NaBH4 reduction.
  • Inactivation at 35 degrees C proceeds in two phases: an initial reversible phase and a slower irreversible phase, suggesting Schiff base formation with a lysine residue.
  • At 10 degrees C, only reversible inactivation occurs. Repeated pyridoxal 5 phosphate/NaBH4 treatment leads to stepwise activity loss. Kinetic parameters (Km) remain unchanged, and substrates offer no protection.

Conclusions:

  • Pyridoxal 5 phosphate inactivates malate dehydrogenase primarily through modification of a lysine residue's epsilon-amino group.
  • The reaction involves reversible Schiff base formation, which can be stabilized by NaBH4 reduction, leading to irreversible inactivation.
  • Enzyme activity loss does not affect substrate binding affinity (Km) for malate or NAD+.

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