[The effect of phosphorylation on catalytic function of muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase complex].

It has been shown that phosphorylation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from pigeon breast muscle by endogenous ATP-dependent protein kinase suppresses the substrate conversion in the pyruvate: acceptor oxidoreductase reactions and nonoxidative reactions monitored by pyruvate decline in the absence of CoA and NAD. To identify the catalytic step blocked by phosphorylation, CD spectroscopy was used which revealed the appearance and decay of the charge transfer complex between component E1 and thiamine pyrophosphate during the enzymatic reaction. Phosphorylation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex while lowering the affinity for thiamine pyrophosphate does not preclude the formation of holo-E1 but inhibits its interaction with pyruvate.

[Study of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex by circular dichroism].

A comparative study of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and its pyruvate dehydrogenase component was carried out by using the circular dichroism method. It was found that the spectral properties of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex are determined by those of its first component: i) the spectrum of the thiamine pyrophosphate-free pyruvate dehydrogenase complex displayed the main characteristics of the pyruvate dehydrogenase component; ii) the appearance of the charge transfer complex band during thiamine pyrophosphate saturation was revealed for the both proteins; iii) in both cases the charge transfer complex band disappeared after the interaction of the holoform with pyruvate and reappeared after the addition of dithiothreitol used as a deacetylating reagent. Coenzyme A in the same reaction selectively deacetylated the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (but not its pyruvate dehydrogenase component).

Half-of-the-site reactivity of the decarboxylating component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from pigeon breast muscle with respect to 2-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate.

The holopyruvate dehydrogenase is characterized by the charge transfer complex formation between tryptophan residue and thiamine pyrophosphate in each of two active centres. Interaction of apoenzyme with one mole of 2-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate results in appearance of the same spectral band which does not change in intensity with further increase in ligand concentration. 2-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate: acceptor oxidoreductase activity abolishes after oxidation of only one tryptophan residue per mole of the protein or blocking of one of the active centres with inactive analogue of the coenzyme.