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The inhibition by fluorocitrate of rat liver mitochondrial and extramitochondrial aconitate hydratase.

ABSTRACT: 1. The effects of synthetic fluorocitrate were studied on: (a) the oxidation of citrate and cis-aconitate by rat liver mitochondria; (b) the activity of the aconitate hydratase found in the liver cell sap; (c) the activity of the aconitate hydratase solubilized from liver mitochondria. 2. Fluorocitrate was found to be a potent inhibitor of oxidation of citrate but only a weak inhibitor of oxidation of cis-aconitate: 6.7mum-fluorocitrate (containing 4% of the inhibitory isomer) caused 94% inhibition of the oxidation of citrate (2mm) whereas 1.0mm-fluorocitrate was necessary to provoke the same inhibition when cis-aconitate (2mm) was the substrate. The degree of inhibition varied in relation to the respiratory state of mitochondria when fluorocitrate was added. The inhibition could be partially reversed by cis-aconitate. 3. The aconitate hydratase extracted from the mitochondria was much less inhibited by fluorocitrate than was the mitochondria-bound enzyme, and the aconitate hydratase found in the cell sap was even less sensitive. 0.3mm-Fluorocitrate was required to cause 50% inhibition of the reaction citrate-->cis-aconitate, catalysed by the aconitate hydratase extracted from the mitochondria, and 1.2m-fluorocitrate for the extramitochondrial enzyme. For both enzymes the reaction citrate-->cis-aconitate was 2-3 times more sensitive to fluorocitrate than was the reaction isocitrate-->cis-aconitate. The inhibition was of the competitive type for both reactions.

SUBMITTER: Guarriera-Bobyleva V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1184776 | biostudies-other | 1969 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BackgroundResearch on citrus fruit ripening has received considerable attention because of the importance of citrus fruits for the human diet. Organic acids are among the main determinants of taste and organoleptic quality of fruits and hence the control of fruit acidity loss has a strong economical relevance. In citrus, organic acids accumulate in the juice sac cells of developing fruits and are catabolized thereafter during ripening. Aconitase, that transforms citrate to isocitrate, is the first step of citric acid catabolism and a major component of the citrate utilization machinery. In this work, the citrus aconitase gene family was first characterized and a phylogenetic analysis was then carried out in order to understand the evolutionary history of this family in plants. Gene expression analyses of the citrus aconitase family were subsequently performed in several acidic and acidless genotypes to elucidate their involvement in acid homeostasis.ResultsAnalysis of 460,000 citrus ESTs, followed by sequencing of complete cDNA clones, identified in citrus 3 transcription units coding for putatively active aconitate hydratase proteins, named as CcAco1, CcAco2 and CcAco3. A phylogenetic study carried on the Aco family in 14 plant species, shows the presence of 5 Aco subfamilies, and that the ancestor of monocot and dicot species shared at least one Aco gene. Real-time RT-PCR expression analyses of the three aconitase citrus genes were performed in pulp tissues along fruit development in acidic and acidless citrus varieties such as mandarins, oranges and lemons. While CcAco3 expression was always low, CcAco1 and CcAco2 genes were generally induced during the rapid phase of fruit growth along with the maximum in acidity and the beginning of the acid reduction. Two exceptions to this general pattern were found: 1) Clemenules mandarin failed inducing CcAco2 although acid levels were rapidly reduced; and 2) the acidless "Sucreña" orange showed unusually high levels of expression of both aconitases, an observation correlating with the acidless phenotype. However, in the acidless "Dulce" lemon aconitase expression was normal suggesting that the acidless trait in this variety is not dependent upon aconitases.ConclusionsPhylogenetic studies showed the occurrence of five different subfamilies of aconitate hydratase in plants and sequence analyses identified three active genes in citrus. The pattern of expression of two of these genes, CcAco1 and CcAco2, was normally associated with the timing of acid content reduction in most genotypes. Two exceptions to this general observation suggest the occurrence of additional regulatory steps of citrate homeostasis in citrus.

Project description:The mechanism whereby rat liver mitochondria regulate the extramitochondrial concentration of free Ca(2+) was investigated. At 30 degrees C and pH7.0, mitochondria can maintain a steady-state pCa(2+) (0) (the negative logarithm of the free extramitochondrial Ca(2+) concentration) of 6.1 (0.8mum). This represents a true steady state, as slight displacements in pCa(2+) (0) away from 6.1 result in net Ca(2+) uptake or efflux in order to restore pCa(2+) (0) to its original value. In the absence of added permeant weak acid, the steady-state pCa(2+) (0) is virtually independent of the Ca(2+) accumulated in the matrix until 60nmol of Ca(2+)/mg of protein has been taken up. The steady-state pCa(2+) (0) is also independent of the membrane potential, as long as the latter parameter is above a critical value. When the membrane potential is below this value, pCa(2+) (0) is variable and appears to be governed by thermodynamic equilibration of Ca(2+) across a Ca(2+) uniport. Permeant weak acids increase, and N-ethylmaleimide decreases, the capacity of mitochondria to buffer pCa(2+) (0) in the region of 6 (1mum-free Ca(2+)) while accumulating Ca(2+). Permeant acids delay the build-up of the transmembrane pH gradient as Ca(2+) is accumulated, and consequently delay the fall in membrane potential to values insufficient to maintain a pCa(2+) (0) of 6. The steady-state pCa(2+) (0) is affected by temperature, incubation pH and Mg(2+). The activity of the Ca(2+) uniport, rather than that of the respiratory chain, is rate-limiting when pCa(2+) (0) is greater than 5.3 (free Ca(2+) less than 5mum). When the Ca(2+) electrochemical gradient is in excess, the activity of the uniport decreases by 2-fold for every 0.12 increase in pCa(2+) (0) (fall in free Ca(2+)). At pCa(2+) (0) 6.1, the activity of the Ca(2+) uniport is kinetically limited to 5nmol of Ca(2+)/min per mg of protein, even when the Ca(2+) electrochemical gradient is large. A steady-state cycling of Ca(2+) through independent influx and efflux pathways provides a model which is kinetically and thermodynamically consistent with the present observations, and which predicts an extremely precise regulation of pCa(2+) (0) by liver mitochondria in vivo.

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The inhibition by fluorocitrate of rat liver mitochondrial and extramitochondrial aconitate hydratase.

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