Mammalian tissues are fuelled by circulating nutrients, including glucose, amino acids, and various intermediary metabolites. Under aerobic conditions, glucose is generally assumed to be burned fully ...by tissues via the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) to carbon dioxide. Alternatively, glucose can be catabolized anaerobically via glycolysis to lactate, which is itself also a potential nutrient for tissues and tumours. The quantitative relevance of circulating lactate or other metabolic intermediates as fuels remains unclear. Here we systematically examine the fluxes of circulating metabolites in mice, and find that lactate can be a primary source of carbon for the TCA cycle and thus of energy. Intravenous infusions of
C-labelled nutrients reveal that, on a molar basis, the circulatory turnover flux of lactate is the highest of all metabolites and exceeds that of glucose by 1.1-fold in fed mice and 2.5-fold in fasting mice; lactate is made primarily from glucose but also from other sources. In both fed and fasted mice,
C-lactate extensively labels TCA cycle intermediates in all tissues. Quantitative analysis reveals that during the fasted state, the contribution of glucose to tissue TCA metabolism is primarily indirect (via circulating lactate) in all tissues except the brain. In genetically engineered lung and pancreatic cancer tumours in fasted mice, the contribution of circulating lactate to TCA cycle intermediates exceeds that of glucose, with glutamine making a larger contribution than lactate in pancreatic cancer. Thus, glycolysis and the TCA cycle are uncoupled at the level of lactate, which is a primary circulating TCA substrate in most tissues and tumours.
Reduction of N
by nitrogenases occurs at an organometallic iron cofactor that commonly also contains either molybdenum or vanadium. The well-characterized resting state of the cofactor does not bind ...substrate, so its mode of action remains enigmatic. Carbon monoxide was recently found to replace a bridging sulfide, but the mechanistic relevance was unclear. Here we report the structural analysis of vanadium nitrogenase with a bound intermediate, interpreted as a μ
-bridging, protonated nitrogen that implies the site and mode of substrate binding to the cofactor. Binding results in a flip of amino acid glutamine 176, which hydrogen-bonds the ligand and creates a holding position for the displaced sulfide. The intermediate likely represents state E
or E
of the Thorneley-Lowe model and provides clues to the remainder of the catalytic cycle.
Cells receive growth and survival stimuli through their attachment to an extracellular matrix (ECM). Overcoming the addiction to ECM-induced signals is required for anchorage-independent growth, a ...property of most malignant cells. Detachment from ECM is associated with enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) owing to altered glucose metabolism. Here we identify an unconventional pathway that supports redox homeostasis and growth during adaptation to anchorage independence. We observed that detachment from monolayer culture and growth as anchorage-independent tumour spheroids was accompanied by changes in both glucose and glutamine metabolism. Specifically, oxidation of both nutrients was suppressed in spheroids, whereas reductive formation of citrate from glutamine was enhanced. Reductive glutamine metabolism was highly dependent on cytosolic isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1), because the activity was suppressed in cells homozygous null for IDH1 or treated with an IDH1 inhibitor. This activity occurred in absence of hypoxia, a well-known inducer of reductive metabolism. Rather, IDH1 mitigated mitochondrial ROS in spheroids, and suppressing IDH1 reduced spheroid growth through a mechanism requiring mitochondrial ROS. Isotope tracing revealed that in spheroids, isocitrate/citrate produced reductively in the cytosol could enter the mitochondria and participate in oxidative metabolism, including oxidation by IDH2. This generates NADPH in the mitochondria, enabling cells to mitigate mitochondrial ROS and maximize growth. Neither IDH1 nor IDH2 was necessary for monolayer growth, but deleting either one enhanced mitochondrial ROS and reduced spheroid size, as did deletion of the mitochondrial citrate transporter protein. Together, the data indicate that adaptation to anchorage independence requires a fundamental change in citrate metabolism, initiated by IDH1-dependent reductive carboxylation and culminating in suppression of mitochondrial ROS.
•Browning and Reactive Carbonyl Species were monitored in orange juice for 8 weeks.•Changes in RCS concentrations were positively correlated with color formation.•3-Deoxyglucosone and acetol ...significantly increased color formation.•The Maillard reaction was reported as the main pathway of orange juice browning.•Tryptophan and glutamine significantly impacted RCS and color formation.
The role of Reactive Carbonyl Species (RCS) derived from the Maillard reaction and ascorbic acid degradation on brown color formation was investigated in orange juice during storage. Eight RCS were monitored in aseptic juice over an 8-week period under refrigerated (4 °C) and accelerated conditions (35 °C). Significant changes in RCS concentrations were reported and positively correlated with color formation. Recombination experiments demonstrated the significant role of 3-deoxyglucosone and acetol on color formation as well as their interactions with glyoxal and methylglyoxal that lead to an increase in browning. Isotopic enrichment techniques further identified fructose as the main precursor of RCS, indicating the important role of Maillard reaction as a mechanism of non-enzymatic browning during orange juice storage. Finally, among the amino acids, tryptophan and glutamine showed the largest percentage losses in orange juice during storage and were reported to significantly impact the RCS composition and color formation.
Chemical modifications of histones can mediate diverse DNA-templated processes, including gene transcription
. Here we provide evidence for a class of histone post-translational modification, ...serotonylation of glutamine, which occurs at position 5 (Q5ser) on histone H3 in organisms that produce serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)). We demonstrate that tissue transglutaminase 2 can serotonylate histone H3 tri-methylated lysine 4 (H3K4me3)-marked nucleosomes, resulting in the presence of combinatorial H3K4me3Q5ser in vivo. H3K4me3Q5ser displays a ubiquitous pattern of tissue expression in mammals, with enrichment observed in brain and gut, two organ systems responsible for the bulk of 5-HT production. Genome-wide analyses of human serotonergic neurons, developing mouse brain and cultured serotonergic cells indicate that H3K4me3Q5ser nucleosomes are enriched in euchromatin, are sensitive to cellular differentiation and correlate with permissive gene expression, phenomena that are linked to the potentiation of TFIID
interactions with H3K4me3. Cells that ectopically express a H3 mutant that cannot be serotonylated display significantly altered expression of H3K4me3Q5ser-target loci, which leads to deficits in differentiation. Taken together, these data identify a direct role for 5-HT, independent from its contributions to neurotransmission and cellular signalling, in the mediation of permissive gene expression.
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•Crosslinking collagen by transglutaminase (TGase) was investigated.•Proper denature temperature (≥35 °C) improved crosslinking efficiency of TGase.•Relationship between crosslinking ...and denature temperature for film performance.•Denatured, crosslinked film was still inferior to the natural one in strength.
Transglutaminase (TGase) catalyzing crosslinking between intra- and inter-chain glutamine and lysine peptide residues has been used for modifying protein’s structure. However, its enzymatic performance on albuminoids such as collagen was still not completely illustrated. Herein, we investigated the crosslinking efficiency of films preheated at different temperatures and estimated its physicochemical properties. The electrophoresis results showed that the extracted collagen had typical triple helix structure but reduced and even disappeared as temperature increased. Accordingly, X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the amount of triple helices decreased, corresponding to the decreases in thermal stability and mechanical properties of films. TGase crosslinking decreased the thickness of all films, while mechanical properties and thermal stability had a significant improvement especially at 45 °C and 65 °C. With the proper equilibrium of denature temperature and TGase crosslinking, the tailored film-forming properties of collagen can offer a potential to engineer collagenic material for biodegradable and edible packaging applications.
Catalytic long-range proton transfer in NiFe-hydrogenases has long been associated with a highly conserved glutamate (E) situated within 4 Å of the active site. Substituting for glutamine (Q) in the ...O2-tolerant NiFe-hydrogenase-1 from Escherichia coli produces a variant (E28Q) with unique properties that have been investigated using protein film electrochemistry, protein film infrared electrochemistry, and X-ray crystallography. At pH 7 and moderate potential, E28Q displays approximately 1% of the activity of the native enzyme, high enough to allow detailed infrared measurements under steady-state conditions. Atomic-level crystal structures reveal partial displacement of the amide side chain by a hydroxide ion, the occupancy of which increases with pH or under oxidizing conditions supporting formation of the superoxidized state of the unusual proximal 4Fe–3S cluster located nearby. Under these special conditions, the essential exit pathway for at least one of the H+ ions produced by H2 oxidation, and assumed to be blocked in the E28Q variant, is partially repaired. During steady-state H2 oxidation at neutral pH (i.e., when the barrier to H+ exit via Q28 is almost totally closed), the catalytic cycle is dominated by the reduced states “Nia-R” and “Nia-C”, even under highly oxidizing conditions. Hence, E28 is not involved in the initial activation/deprotonation of H2, but facilitates H+ exit later in the catalytic cycle to regenerate the initial oxidized active state, assumed to be Nia-SI. Accordingly, the oxidized inactive resting state, “Ni-B”, is not produced by E28Q in the presence of H2 at high potential because Nia-SI (the precursor for Ni-B) cannot accumulate. The results have important implications for understanding the catalytic mechanism of NiFe-hydrogenases and the control of long-range proton-coupled electron transfer in hydrogenases and other enzymes.
ABCG2 is a transporter protein of the ATP-binding-cassette (ABC) family that is expressed in the plasma membrane in cells of various tissues and tissue barriers, including the blood-brain, ...blood-testis and maternal-fetal barriers
. Powered by ATP, it translocates endogenous substrates, affects the pharmacokinetics of many drugs and protects against a wide array of xenobiotics, including anti-cancer drugs
. Previous studies have revealed the architecture of ABCG2 and the structural basis of its inhibition by small molecules and antibodies
. However, the mechanisms of substrate recognition and ATP-driven transport are unknown. Here we present high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human ABCG2 in a substrate-bound pre-translocation state and an ATP-bound post-translocation state. For both structures, we used a mutant containing a glutamine replacing the catalytic glutamate (ABCG2
), which resulted in reduced ATPase and transport rates and facilitated conformational trapping for structural studies. In the substrate-bound state, a single molecule of estrone-3-sulfate (E
S) is bound in a central, hydrophobic and cytoplasm-facing cavity about halfway across the membrane. Only one molecule of E
S can bind in the observed binding mode. In the ATP-bound state, the substrate-binding cavity has collapsed while an external cavity has opened to the extracellular side of the membrane. The ATP-induced conformational changes include rigid-body shifts of the transmembrane domains, pivoting of the nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), and a change in the relative orientation of the NBD subdomains. Mutagenesis and in vitro characterization of transport and ATPase activities demonstrate the roles of specific residues in substrate recognition, including a leucine residue that forms a 'plug' between the two cavities. Our results show how ABCG2 harnesses the energy of ATP binding to extrude E
S and other substrates, and suggest that the size and binding affinity of compounds are important for distinguishing substrates from inhibitors.
This paper reports an investigation into organocatalytic hydrogels as prebiotically relevant systems. Gels are interesting prebiotic reaction media, combining heterogeneous and homogeneous ...characteristics with a structurally organized active “solid-like” catalyst separated from the surrounding environment, yet in intimate contact with the solution phase and readily accessible via “liquid-like” diffusion. A simple self-assembling glutamine amide derivative 1 was initially found to catalyze a model aldol reaction between cyclohexanone and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, but it did not maintain its gel structure during reaction. In this study, it was observed that compound 1 could react directly with the benzaldehyde to form a hydrogel in situ based on Schiff base 2 as a low-molecular-weight gelator (LMWG). This new dynamic gel is a rare example of a two-component self-assembled LMWG hydrogel and was fully characterized. It was demonstrated that glutamine amide 1 could select an optimal aldehyde component and preferentially assemble from mixtures. In the hunt for an organocatalyst, reductive conditions were applied to the Schiff base to yield secondary amine 3, which is also a highly effective hydrogelator at very low loadings with a high degree of nanoscale order. Most importantly, the hydrogel based on 3 catalyzed the prebiotically relevant aldol dimerization of glycolaldehyde to give threose and erythrose. In buffered conditions, this reaction gave excellent conversions, good diastereoselectivity, and some enantioselectivity. Catalysis using the hydrogel of 3 was much better than that using non-assembled 3demonstrating a clear benefit of self-assembly. The results suggest that hydrogels offer a potential strategy by which prebiotic reactions can be promoted using simple, prebiotically plausible LMWGs that can selectively self-organize from complex mixtures. Such processes may have been of prebiotic importance.
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