Role of Ca2+ ions in the regulation of intramitochondrial metabolism in rat epididymal adipose tissue. Evidence against a role for Ca2+ in the activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase by insulin.

The sensitivity of rat epididymal-adipose-tissue pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase, NAD+-isocitrate dehydrogenase and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase to Ca2+ ions was studied both in mitochondrial extracts and within intact coupled mitochondria. It is concluded that all three enzymes may be activated by increases in the intramitochondrial concentration of Ca2+ and that the distribution of Ca2+ across the mitochondrial inner membrane is determined, as in rat heart mitochondria, by the relative activities of a uniporter (which transports Ca2+ into mitochondria and is inhibited by Mg2+ and Ruthenium Red) and an antiporter (which allows Ca2+ to leave mitochondria in exchange for Na+ and is inhibited by diltiazem). Previous studies with incubated fat-cell mitochondria have indicated that the increases in the amount of active non-phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat epididymal tissue exposed to insulin are the result of activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase.

Persistence of the effect of insulin on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in rat white and brown adipose tissue during the preparation and subsequent incubation of mitochondria.

Increases in the amount of the active non-phosphorylated form of pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat epididymal adipose tissue, as a result of incubation with insulin, persist not only during the preparation of mitochondria but also during subsequent incubation of coupled mitochondria in the presence of respiratory substrates. No effect on insulin was found if the hormone was added directly to mitochondria in the presence or absence of added plasma membranes. Concentrations of several possible regulators of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (ATP, ADP, NADH, NAD+, acetyl-CoA, CoA and potassium) were measured in rat epididymal-adipose-tissue mitochondria incubated under conditions where differences in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity persist as a result of insulin action.

The role of phosphorylation in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis by insulin and other hormones.

Insulin stimulates fatty acid synthesis in white and brown fat cells as well as in liver and mammary tissue. Hormones that increase cellular cyclic AMP concentrations inhibit fatty acid synthesis, at least in white adipose tissue and liver. These changes in fatty acid synthesis occur within minutes.

Generating monoclonal antibodies to the opioid receptor.

BALB/c mice were immunized with an opioid receptor complex over the period of 1 year. Spleen cells from the mouse, whose serum inhibited opiate binding to rat neural membranes to the greatest extent, were fused with P3-X63-Ag8. 653.

The effects of glucagon, phenylephrine and insulin on the phosphorylation of cytoplasmic, mitochondrial and membrane-bound proteins of intact liver cells from starved rats.

1. The effects of glucagon, insulin and phenylephrine on the phosphorylation of cytoplasmic, mitochondrial and membrane proteins were studied in intact hepatocytes from 24 h-starved rats incubated with [32P]Pi. A rapid cell-fractionation technique was used, followed by radioautography of the proteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

Parallel increases in rates of fatty acid synthesis and in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in isolated rat hepatocytes incubated with insulin.

The effect of insulin on the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase is studied in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats. Insulin increases the 'initial' activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase by 30% without modifying the total activity of the enzyme. The maximal increase is reached 3 min after addition of the hormone and is dose-dependent.

Properties of N-maleoylmethionine sulphone, a novel impermeant maleimide, and its use in the selective labelling of the erythrocyte glucose-transport system.

1. The synthesis of N-maleoylmethionine sulphone (MMS), a membrane-impermeant protein-labelling reagent, is described. Radioactively labelled MMS can be readily prepared at high specific radioactivity from [35S]methionine.

Reversibility of the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of ATP citrate lyase and a cytoplasmic protein of subunit Mr 22000 in adipose tissue.

Exposure of rat epididymal adipose tissue to insulin leads to a 2-fold increase in incorporation of [32P]phosphate into ATP citrate lyase and a cytoplasmic protein of Mr 22000. A smaller increase and decrease in incorporation into cytoplasmic proteins of Mr 63000 and 20000 respectively were also observed. Subsequent addition of anti-insulin serum largely reversed these changes within 15 min, indicating that the alterations in 32P incorporation represented changes in net phosphate content of the proteins.

Studies on the interactions of Ca2+ and pyruvate in the regulation of rat heart pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. Effects of starvation and diabetes.

1. Previous studies showed that the activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase within intact rat heart mitochondria of pyruvate is much diminished in mitochondria from starved or diabetic animals [see Kerbey, Randle, Cooper, Whitehouse, Pask & Denton (1976) Biochem. J.

Evidence that insulin activates fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase by increased phosphorylation at a specific site.

1. A new rapid method for the purification of fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase is described; the key step is sedimentation after specific polymerization by citrate. 2.

Stimulation of hepatic lipogenesis and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase by vasopressin.

The effect of vasopressin on the short-term regulation of fatty acid synthesis was studied in isolated hepatocytes from rats fed ad libitum. Vasopressin stimulates fatty acid synthesis by 30-110%. This increase is comparable with that obtained with insulin.

A comparative study of the regulation of Ca2+ of the activities of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and NAD+-isocitrate dehydrogenase from a variety of sources.

Ca2+ was shown to activate oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and NAD+-isocitrate dehydrogenase from heart and other rat tissues by markedly decreasing the Km values of the enzymes for their respective substrates [see Denton & McCormack (1980) FEBS Lett. 119, 1-8]. Similar effects of Ca2+ were observed in the present study with both enzymes from other vertebrate sources (pigeon, trout, frog and human heart), but not with the enzymes from blowfly or locust flight muscle, or potato or Escherichia coli.

The activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the perfused rat heart by adrenaline and other inotropic agents.

Adrenaline resulted in a reversible 4-fold increase in the amount of pyruvate dehydrogenase in its active non-phosphorylated form in the perfused rat heart within 1 min. The increase was less in extent in hearts from starved or diabetic rats or in hearts from control rats oxidizing acetate, unless pyruvate was added to the perfusion medium. Increases could also be induced by other inotropic agents, supporting the hypothesis that increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ can be relayed into mitochondria and influence oxidative metabolism.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the frontal sinus.

The first case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the frontal sinus is reported. The aggressive nature of the tumor despite its relatively benign histologic pattern and value of electron microscopy are emphasized. Ultrastructural examination reveals a progression of several principal cell types, lending support to the multi-potent mesenchymal cell origin of these malignancies.

Studies on the incorporation of [32P]phosphate into pyruvate dehydrogenase in intact rat fat-cells. Effects of insulin.

1. Intact rat epididymal fat-cells were incubated with 32Pi, and the intracellular proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. One of the separated bands of phosphorylated proteins had an apparent subunit mol.

Use of a novel rapid preparation of fat-cell plasma membranes employing Percoll to investigate the effects of insulin and adrenaline on membrane protein phosphorylation within intact fat-cells.

1. A rapid method was developed for the preparation of plasma membranes from either isolated rat fat-cells or intact epididymal fat-pads with the use of density-gradient centrifugation in the presence of Percoll. On the basis of 5'-nucleotidase activity, the yield of plasma membranes was about 50% and purification over 10-fold.

Role of calcium ions in the regulation of intramitochondrial metabolism. Properties of the Ca2+-sensitive dehydrogenases within intact uncoupled mitochondria from the white and brown adipose tissue of the rat.

1. Increasing concentrations of both Ca2+ and Sr2+ (generated by using EGTA buffers) resulted in 4-fold increases in the initial activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase within intact uncoupled mitochondria from rat epididymal adipose tissue incubated in the presence of the ionophore A23187, ATP, Mg2+ and oligomycin. The k0.

Role of calcium ions in the regulation of intramitochondrial metabolism. Effects of Na+, Mg2+ and ruthenium red on the Ca2+-stimulated oxidation of oxoglutarate and on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in intact rat heart mitochondria.

1. In uncoupled rat heart mitochondria, the kinetic parameters for oxoglutarate oxidation were very close to those found for oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity in extracts of the mitochondria. In particular, Ca2+ greatly diminished the Km for oxoglutarate and the k0.