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We observed that in vivo and in vitro a small fraction of the glycolytic enzyme enolase became covalently modified by its substrate 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PG). In modified Escherichia coli enolase, 2-PG was bound to Lys341, which is located in the active site. An identical reversible modification was observed with other bacterial enolases, but also with enolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and rabbit muscle. An equivalent of Lys341, which plays an important role in catalysis, is present in enolase of all organisms. Covalent binding of 2-PG to this amino acid rendered the enzyme inactive. Replacement of Lys341 of E. coli enolase with other amino acids prevented the automodification and in most cases strongly reduced the activity. As reported for other bacteria, a significant fraction of E. coli enolase was found to be exported into the medium. Interestingly, all Lys341 substitutions prevented not only the automodification, but also the export of enolase. The K341E mutant enolase was almost as active as the wild-type enzyme and therefore allowed us to establish that the loss of enolase export correlates with the loss of modification and not the loss of glycolytic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The influence of caloric restriction (CR) from 2 months of age on the activities of liver glycolytic enzymes and metabolite levels was studied in young and old mice. Livers were sampled 48 h after the last scheduled feeding time. Old mice on CR showed significant decreases in the activities of all the enzymes studied, except for aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase and phosphoglycerate mutase, which were unchanged. The metabolites glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, pyruvate and lactate were lower while fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate were increased in old CR. Young mice on CR also showed reduced enzyme activities, except for aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase and enolase which were unchanged when compared with young controls. The metabolites glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate and pyruvate were decreased when compared with young controls, while phosphoenolpyruvate was increased. Ketone bodies increased (65%) in old, but not young, CR mice while fructose-2,6-bisphosphate decreased in both young (22%) and old CR (28%) mice. The results indicate that decreased hepatic glucose levels in CR mice are associated with decreased enzyme activities but not a uniform decrease in metabolite levels. Increased ketone body levels indicate increased utilization of non-carbohydrate fuels while decreased fructose-2,6-bisphosphate level suggests its importance in the control of glycolysis in CR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The first rate-limiting enzyme of the serine synthesis pathway (SSP), phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), is hyperactive in multiple tumors, which leads to the activation of SSP and promotes tumorigenesis. However, only a few inhibitors of PHGDH have been discovered to date, especially the covalent inhibitors of PHGDH. Here, we identified withangulatin A (WA), a natural small molecule, as a novel covalent inhibitor of PHGDH. Affinity-based protein profiling identified that WA could directly bind to PHGDH and inactivate the enzyme activity of PHGDH. Biolayer interferometry and LC-MS/MS analysis further demonstrated the selective covalent binding of WA to the cysteine 295 residue (Cys295) of PHGDH. With the covalent modification of Cys295, WA blocked the substrate-binding domain (SBD) of PHGDH and exerted an allosteric effect to induce PHGDH inactivation. Further studies revealed that with the inhibition of PHGDH mediated by WA, the glutathione synthesis was decreased and intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were elevated, leading to the inhibition of tumor proliferation. This study indicates WA as a novel PHGDH covalent inhibitor, which identifies Cys295 as a novel allosteric regulatory site of PHGDH and holds great potential in developing anti-tumor agents for targeting PHGDH., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)