[Lactate as competitive inhibitor of Pinus pinea isocitrate lyase]

We studied the effect of L-lactate on both the cleavage and the condensation reactions of Pinus pinea isocitrate lyase. This compound is a competitive of Pinus pinea isocitrate lyase towards both isocitrate and glyoxylate, whereas is a mixed type inhibitor towards succinate. Assuming that L-lactate acts as a glyoxylate analogue, our finding agrees with an uni-bi ordered mechanism of isocitrate lyase, with glyoxylate first substrate to enter the active site in the condensation reaction. Results are discussed and compared with those known in the literature about other structurally related metabolites.