Activation by adenosine-5'-triphosphate of glutamic decarboxylase from a subcellular fraction of mouse brain

Glutamate decarboxylase from a mouse brain P2 fraction undergoes a twofold activation in the presence of 0.5 mM ATP. No such stimulation by ATP occurs if the enzyme is assayed in the presence of excess pyridoxal phosphate as cofactor. The ATP-induced stimulation is almost completely eliminated if the enzyme is dialysed before its assay. [lambda-32P]ATP present during the enzyme measurement is converted to [32P]pyridoxal phosphate. These results demonstrate that the activation produced by ATP is the result of the generation of cofactor during the course of the assay. This phenomenon may be a reflection of a control mechanism of glutamate decarboxylase activity.