Kinetics of citrate-induced activation and polymerization of chick liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase

The kinetic time course of citrate-induced activation and polymerization (into filaments) of the protomeric form of acetyl-CoA carboxylase were compared to assess the concertedness of the two processes. Rapid-quench techniques were employed to measure the kinetics of activation of the carboxylase-catalyzed reaction by citrate. When enzyme was preincubated with citrate prior to initiating the steady state turnover reaction with acetyl-CoA in the rapid-quench device, the observed rate of carboxylation of acetyl-CoA was apparently linear from the moment of mixing. However, when enzyme was mixed with citrate to initiate the reaction, a lag (t1/2 = 0.7 s) occurred in the approach to steady state carboxylation rate. This lag was independent of enzyme concentration over a 230-fold range and was marginally dependent upon citrate concentration. Over the same range of enzyme concentration, polymerization of carboxylase protomers, as determined by right angle light scattering, was enzyme concentration-dependent in a manner predicted by a single protomer activation step, followed by a rate-limiting dimerization of active protomer and subsequent polymerization. Polymerization is a second order process, with a second order rate constant of 597,000 M-1 s-1. There appear to be two steps that limit polymerization of the inactive carboxylase protomer: a rapid citrate-induced conformational change, which is independent of enzyme concentration and leads to an active protomeric form of the enzyme and the dimerization of the active protomer, which constitutes the first step of polymerization and is enzyme concentration-dependent. Dimerization is the rate-limiting step of acetyl-CoA carboxylase polymerization. On the basis these results, it is concluded that activation of catalysis and the polymerization of carboxylase protomers are not concerted. Furthermore, activation of carboxylation leading to the formation of an active protomer was faster than polymerization under all conditions, and therefore precedes polymerization. It was also shown that the activation constant (Kact) for citrate is altered in a predictable manner by the accumulation of the reaction product, malonyl-CoA, the Kact increasing with malonyl-CoA concentration. Depolymerization of fully polymerized acetyl-CoA carboxylase is caused by malonyl-CoA or ATP.Mg (and HCO3-). Both malonyl-CoA and ATP.Mg (and HCO3-) compete with citrate in the maintenance of a given state of the protomer-polymer equilibrium apparently by carboxylating the enzyme to form enzyme-biotin CO2- which destabilizes the polymeric form.