Theoretical analysis of the glutamate dehydrogenase kinetics under physiological conditions

A kinetic model of the glutamate dehydrogenase reaction has been formulated for the reversible reaction including all seven reactants (substrates and cofactors NAD(H) and NADP(H)). The model parameters have been evaluated from published initial-rate data. Analysis of the model at cofactor concentration near to that in the intact mitochondrion has shown that the competition for active sites between cofactors and substrates simultaneously present in mitochondria diminishes the steady-state rate of the reaction by a factor of 10 to 100 as compared to the maximal reaction rate. The model predicts near-equilibrium of the reaction substrates with NAD+/NADH cofactor pair and off-equilibrium with NADP+/NADPH. Substrate cycling with futile transfer of hydrogen from NADP+-system to NAD+-system has been found to account under in vivo conditions for no more than 2% of the maximal glutamate dehydrogenase activity in the mitochondria.