Regulation of 5'-aminolevulinate synthase activity in overloaded skeletal muscle

The regulation of the mitochondrial enzyme 5'-aminolevulinate synthase (ALV synthase) activity during chronic weight-bearing activity (overload) in chicken skeletal muscle was investigated. Maximal enzyme activity was increased 2.5- and 4.0-fold after 3 and 7 days of overload. The content of ALV synthase mRNA (ng/mg total RNA) was not changed after 3 days but increased (20%; P less than 0.05) after 7 days of overload. Normalizing the content of ALV synthase mRNA relative to the increase in total RNA indicated that ALV synthase mRNA increased by 1.6- and 2.0-fold at 3 and 7 days, respectively. On this basis, the increase in enzyme activity per gram protein exceeded the increase in mRNA content per gram protein by 60-70%. During overload, the activity of cytochrome oxidase was unchanged after 3 days but increased by 1.5-fold (P less than 0.05) after 7 days of overload. The data indicate that 1) the initial rise in ALV synthase mRNA and activity due to overload occurs in the absence of a prior change in the level of cytochrome oxidase, an enzyme that requires heme for its assembly, and 2) induction of ALV synthase activity is regulated largely by processes at the translational or posttranslational steps.