Regulation of cellular energy metabolism: the Crabtree effect

The Crabtree effect (inhibition of respiration by glycolysis) is observed in cells with approximately equal glycolytic and respiratory capacities for ATP synthesis. Addition of glucose to aerobic suspensions of glucose-starved cells (Sarcoma 180 ascites tumor cells) causes a burst of respiration and lactate production due to ATP utilization for glucose phosphorylation by hexokinase and phosphofructokinase. This burst of activity is followed by inhibition of both respiration and glycolysis, the former to below the value before glucose addition (Crabtree effect). Both the respiratory rate and the glycolytic flux appear to be regulated by the cytosolic [ATP]/[ADP][Pi] albeit by completely different mechanisms. Respiration is regulated by the free energy of hydrolysis of ATP, such that the rate increases as the [ATP]/[ADP][Pi] decreases and decreases as the [ATP]/[adp][Pi] increases. The regulatory enzymes of glycolysis are activated by ADP (AMP) and Pi and inhibited by ATP. Thus both respiration and glycolysis increase or decrease as the [ATP]/[ADP][Pi] decreases or increases. The parallel regulation of both ATP-producing pathways by this common metabolite ratio is consistent with the cytoplasmic [ATP]/[ADP][Pi] being an important determinant of homeostatic regulation of cellular energy metabolism.