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Soybean (Glycine max) 5-deoxyisoflavonoids (daidzein and its conjugates) are precursors of glyceollin phytoalexins. They are also converted to equol by microbes in the human intestine, resulting in health benefits. 5-Deoxyisoflavonoids accumulate in the roots (93% mol/mol of the total root isoflavonoids) and seeds of unstressed soybean plants. Chalcone reductase (CHR) is a key enzyme mediating 5-deoxyisoflavonoid biosynthesis because it catalyzes the production of 6'-deoxychalcone through its effects on the chalcone synthase (CHS)-catalyzed reaction. The soybean genome encodes at least 11 CHR-related homologs, but it is unclear which ones are functionally important for daidzein accumulation in unstressed plants. Among the CHR homologs, the temporal and spatial expression patterns of GmCHR5 were the most correlated with the distribution patterns of 5-deoxyisoflavonoids. The CHR activity of GmCHR5 was confirmed in vitro and in planta. In the in vitro assays, the ratio of CHR products (6'-deoxychalcone) to total CHS products (R value) was dependent on GmCHR5 and CHS concentrations, with higher concentrations resulting in higher R values (i.e. approaching 90%). Subcellular localization analyses revealed that GmCHR5 was present in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Protein-protein interaction assays indicated that GmCHR5, but not GmCHR1 and GmCHR6, interacted with 2-hydroxyisoflavanone synthase (IFS) isozymes. The CHS isozymes also interacted with IFS isozymes but not with GmCHR5. The proposed micro-compartmentalization of isoflavone biosynthesis through the formation of an IFS-mediated metabolon is probably involved in positioning GmCHR5 close to CHS, resulting in an R value that is high enough for the accumulation of abundant 5-deoxyisoflavonoids in soybean roots.

The arrangement of proteins into complexes is a key organizational principle for many cellular functions. Although the topology of many complexes has been systematically analyzed in isolation, their molecular sociology in situ remains elusive. Here, we show that crude cellular extracts of a eukaryotic thermophile, Chaetomium thermophilum, retain basic principles of cellular organization. Using a structural proteomics approach, we simultaneously characterized the abundance, interactions, and structure of a third of the C. thermophilum proteome within these extracts. We identified 27 distinct protein communities that include 108 interconnected complexes, which dynamically associate with each other and functionally benefit from being in close proximity in the cell. Furthermore, we investigated the structure of fatty acid synthase within these extracts by cryoEM and this revealed multiple, flexible states of the enzyme in adaptation to its association with other complexes, thus exemplifying the need for in situ studies. As the components of the captured protein communities are known—at both the protein and complex levels—this study constitutes another step forward toward a molecular understanding of subcellular organization.

Protein complexes of sequential metabolic enzymes, often termed metabolons, may permit direct channelling of metabolites between the enzymes, providing increased control over metabolic pathway fluxes. Experimental evidence supporting their existence in vivo remains fragmentary. In the present study, we test binary interactions of the proteins constituting the plant tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. We integrate (semi-)quantitative results from affinity purification-mass spectrometry, split-luciferase and yeast-two-hybrid assays to generate a single reliability score for assessing protein–protein interactions. By this approach, we identify 158 interactions including those between catalytic subunits of sequential enzymes and between subunits of enzymes mediating non-adjacent reactions. We reveal channelling of citrate and fumarate in isolated potato mitochondria by isotope dilution experiments. These results provide evidence for a functional TCA cycle metabolon in plants, which we discuss in the context of contemporary understanding of this pathway in other kingdoms., A metabolon is a complex of sequential metabolic enzymes that channels substrates directly between enzymes, thus optimizing metabolic flux. Here Zhang et al. provide protein interaction and isotope dilution data that support the existence of a metabolon that channels both citrate and fumarate in the plant TCA cycle.

Photosynthesis drives the production of ATP and NADPH, and acts as a source of carbon for primary metabolism. NADPH is also used in the production of many natural bioactive compounds. These are usually synthesized in low quantities and are often difficult to produce by chemical synthesis due to their complex structures. Some of the crucial enzymes catalyzing their biosynthesis are the cytochromes P450 (P450s) situated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), powered by electron transfers from NADPH. Dhurrin is a cyanogenic glucoside and its biosynthesis involves a dynamic metabolon formed by two P450s, a UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) and a P450 oxidoreductase (POR). Its biosynthetic pathway has been relocated to the chloroplast where ferredoxin, reduced through the photosynthetic electron transport chain, serves as an efficient electron donor to the P450s, bypassing the involvement of POR. Nevertheless, translocation of the pathway from the ER to the chloroplast creates other difficulties, such as the loss of metabolon formation and intermediate diversion into other metabolic pathways. We show here that co-localization of these enzymes in the thylakoid membrane leads to a significant increase in product formation, with a concomitant decrease in off-pathway intermediates. This was achieved by exchanging the membrane anchors of the dhurrin pathway enzymes to components of the Twin-arginine translocation pathway, TatB and TatC, which have self-assembly properties. Consequently, we show 5-fold increased titers of dhurrin and a decrease in the amounts of intermediates and side products in Nicotiana benthamiana . Further, results suggest that targeting the UGT to the membrane is a key factor to achieve efficient substrate channeling.

Cap homeostasis is a cyclical process of decapping and recapping that impacts a portion of the mRNA transcriptome. The metastable uncapped forms of recapping targets redistribute from polysomes to non-translating mRNPs, and recapping is all that is needed for their return to the translating pool. Previous work identified a cytoplasmic capping metabolon consisting of capping enzyme (CE) and a 5′-monophosphate kinase bound to adjacent domains of Nck1. The current study identifies the canonical cap methyltransferase (RNMT) as the enzyme responsible for guanine-N7 methylation of recapped mRNAs. RNMT binds directly to CE, and its presence in the cytoplasmic capping complex was demonstrated by pulldown assays, gel filtration and proximity-dependent biotinylation. The latter also identified the RNMT cofactor RAM, whose presence is required for cytoplasmic cap methyltransferase activity. These findings guided development of an inhibitor of cytoplasmic cap methylation whose action resulted in a selective decrease in levels of recapped mRNAs.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ, ubiquinone) is a redox-active lipid produced across all domains of life that functions in electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation and whose deficiency causes human diseases. Yet, CoQ biosynthesis has not been fully defined in any organism. Several proteins with unclear molecular functions facilitate CoQ biosynthesis through unknown means, and multiple steps in the pathway are catalyzed by currently unidentified enzymes. Here we highlight recent progress toward filling these knowledge gaps through both traditional biochemistry and cutting-edge ‘omics’ approaches. To help fill the remaining gaps, we present questions framed by the recently discovered CoQ biosynthetic complex and by putative biophysical barriers. Mapping CoQ biosynthesis, metabolism, and transport pathways has great potential to enhance treatment of numerous human diseases.

An artificial metabolon with high conversion efficiency was constructed by confining a bi-enzyme into porous aluminum oxide nanochannels, which accelerated enzymatic reactions by minimizing the diffusion loss of intermediate species.

Freshwater organisms actively take up ions from their environment to counter diffusive ion losses due to inhabiting hypo-osmotic environments. The mechanisms behind active Na + uptake are quite well understood in freshwater teleosts; however, the mechanisms employed by invertebrates are not. Pharmacological and molecular approaches were used to investigate Na + uptake mechanisms and their link to ammonia excretion in the ribbon leech Nephelopsis obscura . At the molecular level, we identified a Na + channel and a Na + /H + exchanger (NHE) in the skin of N. obscura , where the NHE was up-regulated when acclimated to extremely low [Na + ] (0.05 mmol l −1 , pH 5) conditions. Additionally, we found that leeches in dilute freshwater environments use both a vacuolar-type H + -ATPase (VHA)-assisted uptake via a Na + channel and a NHE-based mechanisms for Na + uptake. Immunolocalization of VHA and Na + /K + -ATPase (NKA) indicated at least two cell types present within leech skin, VHA + and VHA − cells, where the VHA + cells are probably involved in Na + uptake. NKA was present throughout the epithelium. We also found that increasing ammonia excretion by decreasing water pH, ammonia loading leeches or exposing leeches to high environmental ammonia does not affect Na + uptake, providing indications that an NHE-Rh metabolon is not present and that ammonia excretion and Na + uptake are not coupled in N. obscura . To our knowledge, this is the first study showing the mechanisms of Na + uptake and their links to ammonia excretion in a freshwater invertebrate, where results suggest an ammonia-independent Na + uptake mechanism relying on both Na + channels and NHEs.

In Bacillus subtilis, recent in vivo studies revealed that particular enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle form complexes that allow an efficient transfer of metabolites. Remarkably, a complex of the malate dehydrogenase (Mdh) (EC 1.1.1.37) with isocitrate dehydrogenase (Icd) (EC 1.1.1.42) was identified, although both enzymes do not catalyze subsequent reactions. In the present study, the interactions between these enzymes were characterized in vitro by surface plasmon resonance in the absence and presence of their substrates and cofactors. These analyses revealed a weak but specific interaction between Mdh and Icd, which was specifically stimulated by a mixture of substrates and cofactors of Icd: isocitrate, NADP+ and Mg2+. Wild-type Icd converted these substrates too fast, preventing any valid quantitative analysis of the interaction with Mdh. Therefore, binding of the IcdS104P mutant to Mdh was quantified because the mutation reduced the enzymatic activity by 174-fold but did not affect the stimulatory effect of substrates and cofactors on Icd–Mdh complex formation. The analysis of the unstimulated Mdh–IcdS104P interaction revealed kinetic constants of ka = 2.0 ± 0.2 × 102 m−1·s−1 and kd = 1.0 ± 0.1 × 10−3·s−1 and a KD value of 5.0 ± 0.1 μm. Addition of isocitrate, NADP+ and Mg2+ stimulated the affinity of IcdS104P to Mdh by 33-fold (KD = 0.15 ± 0.01 μm, ka = 1.7 ± 0.7 × 103 m−1·s−1, kd = 2.6 ± 0.6 × 10−4·s−1). Analyses of the enzymatic activities of wild-type Icd and Mdh showed that Icd activity doubles in the presence of Mdh, whereas Mdh activity was slightly reduced by Icd. In summary, these data indicate substrate control of complex formation in the tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolon assembly and maintenance of the α-ketoglutarate supply for amino acid anabolism in vivo. Structured digital abstract Idh physically interacts with Mdh by cross-linking study (View interaction) Mdh binds to Idh by surface plasmon resonance (1, 2)

Metabolite channeling by a dynamic metabolon The specialized metabolite dhurrin breaks down into cyanide when plant cell walls have been chewed, deterring insect pests. Laursen et al. found that the enzymes that synthesize dhurrin in sorghum assemble as a metabolon in lipid membranes (see the Perspective by Dsatmaichi and Facchini). The dynamic nature of metabolon assembly and disassembly provides dhurrin on an as-needed basis. Membrane-anchored cytochrome P450s cooperated with a soluble glucosyltransferase to channel intermediates toward efficient dhurrin production. Science , this issue p. 890 ; see also p. 829

Objective To infer possible molecular effectors of therapeutic effects and adverse events for the pro-drug dimethyl fumarate (DMF, Tecfidera) in the plasma of relapsing-remitting MS patients (RRMS) based on untargeted blood plasma metabolomics. Methods Blood samples were collected from 27 RRMS patients at baseline and six weeks after initiation of treatment with DMF (BG-12; Tecfidera). Patients were separated into a discovery (n=15) and a validation cohort (n=12). Ten healthy controls were also recruited and blood samples were collected over the same time intervals. Untargeted metabolomic profiling using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was performed on plasma samples from the discovery cohort and healthy controls at Metabolon Inc. (Durham, NC). UPLC-MS was then performed on samples from the validation cohort at the National Phenome Centre (Imperial College, UK). Plasma neurofilament concentration (NfL) was also assayed for all subjects using the Simoa platform (Quanterix, Lexington, MA). Time course and cross-sectional statistical analyses were performed to identify pharmacodynamic changes in the metabolome secondary to DMF and relate these to adverse events. Results In the discovery cohort, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates fumarate and succinate and TCA cycle metabolites succinyl-carnitine and methyl succinyl-carnitine were increased 6-weeks after the start of treatment (q < 0.05). We confirmed that methyl succinyl carnitine was also increased in the validation cohort 6-weeks after the start of treatment (q < 0.05). Changes in concentrations of these metabolites were not seen over a similar time period in blood from the untreated healthy control population. Increased succinyl-carnitine and methyl succinyl-carnitine were associated with adverse events from DMF (flushing, abdominal symptoms. The mean plasma NfL concentration before treatment was higher in the RRMS patients than in the healthy controls and reduced over the 15 months of treatment with DMF. Conclusion TCA cycle intermediates and metabolites are increased in RRMS patients treated with DMF and may mediate some effects of this pro-drug. The results suggest reversal of flux through the succinate dehydrogenase complex with pharmacological concentrations of fumarate. We hypothesise that contributions to both therapeutic effects and adverse events could be mediated through succinyl- carnitine ester agonism at hydroxylic acid receptor 2.

Key points • Controversial results have been reported on the hypothesis that the cytosolic carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) of the red cell is largely bound to the cell's Cl−/HCO3− exchanger AE1, forming a ‘metabolon complex’ that greatly enhances transport activity of AE1. • In examining so far untested aspects of this hypothesis, we report that fluorophore-labelled AE1 and CAII proteins, expressed in tsA201 cells, neither colocalize at the cell membrane nor show close proximity by Forster resonance emission spectroscopy. • Antibody against Flag-tagged AE1 expressed in tsA201 cells co-immunoprecipitates coexpressed ankyrin but not CAII. • CAII-deficient human red blood cells with substantial CAI activity exhibit HCO3− permeabilities identical to those of normal red cells. • A mathematical model of CO2/HCO3− transport of red cells indicates that this process occurs more rapidly when the CA of the cell is distributed homogeneously across the cytoplasm rather than being bound to the membrane interior. Abstract We have investigated the previously published ‘metabolon hypothesis’ postulating that a close association of the anion exchanger 1 (AE1) and cytosolic carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) exists that greatly increases the transport activity of AE1. We study whether there is a physical association of and direct functional interaction between CAII and AE1 in the native human red cell and in tsA201 cells coexpressing heterologous fluorescent fusion proteins CAII-CyPet and YPet-AE1. In these doubly transfected tsA201 cells, YPet-AE1 is clearly associated with the cell membrane, whereas CAII-CyPet is homogeneously distributed throughout the cell in a cytoplasmic pattern. Forster resonance energy transfer measurements fail to detect close proximity of YPet-AE1 and CAII-CyPet. The absence of an association of AE1 and CAII is supported by immunoprecipitation experiments using Flag-antibody against Flag-tagged AE1 expressed in tsA201 cells, which does not co-precipitate native CAII but co-precipitates coexpressed ankyrin. Both the CAII and the AE1 fusion proteins are fully functional in tsA201 cells as judged by CA activity and by cellular HCO3− permeability () sensitive to inhibition by 4,4′-Diisothiocyano-2,2′-stilbenedisulfonic acid. Expression of the non-catalytic CAII mutant V143Y leads to a drastic reduction of endogenous CAII and to a corresponding reduction of total intracellular CA activity. Overexpression of an N-terminally truncated CAII lacking the proposed site of interaction with the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of AE1 substantially increases intracellular CA activity, as does overexpression of wild-type CAII. These variously co-transfected tsA201 cells exhibit a positive correlation between cellular and intracellular CA activity. The relationship reflects that expected from changes in cytoplasmic CA activity improving substrate supply to or removal from AE1, without requirement for a CAII–AE1 metabolon involving physical interaction. A functional contribution of the hypothesized CAII–AE1 metabolon to erythroid AE1-mediated HCO3− transport was further tested in normal red cells and red cells from CAII-deficient patients that retain substantial CA activity associated with the erythroid CAI protein lacking the proposed AE1-binding sequence. Erythroid was indistinguishable in these two cell types, providing no support for the proposed functional importance of the physical interaction of CAII and AE1. A theoretical model predicts that homogeneous cytoplasmic distribution of CAII is more favourable for cellular transport of HCO3− and CO2 than is association of CAII with the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane. This is due to the fact that the relatively slow intracellular transport of H+ makes it most efficient to place the CA in the vicinity of the haemoglobin molecules, which are homogeneously distributed over the cytoplasm.

Sequential metabolic enzymes can form supramolecular complexes named metabolons in vivo through enzyme-enzyme association or aggregation to facilitate efficient substrate channeling. By separately labeling enzymes with lysine-targeting carboxylic acid succinimidyl ester fluorophores of distinct excitation wavelengths, this research presents a quantitative study of polymer-entrapment-induced in vitro multi-enzyme aggregation from three Krebs cycle enzymes using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to find potential polymer materials for immobilizing enzyme cascades and inducing the metabolon biomimic formation on electrodes. The effect of hydrophobic modification of linear polyethylenimine, Nafion, and chitosan polymers on metabolon formation has been investigated through photobleaching FRET imaging in addition to traditional steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. By partially destroying FRET acceptors of longer excitation wavelength, increased fluorescence from dequenched donors of shorter excitation wavelength was measured and enzyme interactions in terms of energy-transfer efficiencies were mapped point by point. Results show that trimethyloctadecylammonium-modified Nafion works best in inducing multi-enzyme aggregation and exhibits a promising future in immobilized metabolon biomimics with the most uniform enzyme organization, as indicated by the protein distance distribution.

In the Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycolytic pathway, 11 enzymes catalyze the stepwise conversion of glucose to two molecules of ethanol plus two CO₂ molecules. In the highly crowded cytoplasm, this pathway would be very inefficient if it were dependent on substrate/enzyme diffusion. Therefore, the existence of a multi-enzymatic glycolytic complex has been suggested. This complex probably uses the cytoskeleton to stabilize the interaction of the various enzymes. Here, the role of filamentous actin (F-actin) in stabilization of a putative glycolytic metabolon is reported. Experiments were performed in isolated enzyme/actin mixtures, cytoplasmic extracts and permeabilized yeast cells. Polymerization of actin was promoted using phalloidin or inhibited using cytochalasin D or latrunculin. The polymeric filamentous F-actin, but not the monomeric globular G-actin, stabilized both the interaction of isolated glycolytic pathway enzyme mixtures and the whole fermentation pathway, leading to higher fermentation activity. The associated complexes were resistant against inhibition as a result of viscosity (promoted by the disaccharide trehalose) or inactivation (using specific enzyme antibodies). In S. cerevisiae, a glycolytic metabolon appear to assemble in association with F-actin. In this complex, fermentation activity is enhanced and enzymes are partially protected against inhibition by trehalose or by antibodies.

The sporopollenin polymer is the major constituent of exine, the outer pollen wall. Recently fatty acid derivatives have been shown to be the precursors of sporopollenin building units. ACYL-COA SYNTHETASE, POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE A (PKSA) and PKSB, TETRAKETIDE α-PYRONE REDUCTASE1 (TKPR1) and TKPR2 have been demonstrated to be involved in sporopollenin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Here all these sporopollenin biosynthetic enzymes but TKPR2 have been immunolocalized to endoplasmic reticulum of anther tapetal cells. Pull-down experiments demonstrated that tagged recombinant proteins interacted to form complexes whose constituents were characterized by immunoblotting. In vivo protein interactions were evidenced by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid analysis and by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy/Förster resonance energy transfer studies in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana, which were used to test the possibility that the enzymes interact to form a biosynthetic metabolon. Various pairs of proteins fused to two distinct fluorochromes were coexpressed in N. benthamiana leaf tissues and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy/Förster resonance energy transfer measurements demonstrated that proteins interacted pairwise in planta. Taken together, these results suggest the existence of a sporopollenin metabolon.

The carbonic anhydrases enzymes (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are zinc containing metalloproteins, which efficiently catalyse the reversible conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and release proton. These enzymes are essentially important for biological system and play several important physiological and patho-physiological functions. There are 16 different alpha-carbonic anhydrase isoforms studied, differing widely in their cellular localization and biophysical properties. The catalytic domains of all CAs possess a conserved tertiary structure fold, with predominately β-strands. We performed an extensive analysis of all 16 mammalian CAs for its structure and function in order to establish a structure-function relationship. CAs have been a potential therapeutic target for many diseases. Sulfonamides are considered as a strong and specific inhibitor of CA, and are being used as diuretics, anti-glaucoma, anti-epileptic, anti-ulcer agents. Currently CA inhibitors are widely used as a drug for the treatment of neurological disorders, anti-glaucoma drugs, anti-cancer, or anti-obesity agents. Here we tried to emphasize how CAs can be used for drug discovery, design and screening. Furthermore, we discussed the role of CA in carbon capture, carbon sensor and metabolon. We hope this review provide many useful information on structure, function, mechanism, and applications of CAs in various discipline.

Glycolytic enzymes (GEs) have been shown to exist in multienzyme complexes on the inner surface of the human erythrocyte membrane. Because no protein other than band 3 has been found to interact with GEs, and because several GEs do not bind band 3, we decided to identify the additional membrane proteins that serve as docking sites for GE on the membrane. For this purpose, a method known as "label transfer" that employs a photoactivatable trifunctional cross-linking reagent to deliver a biotin from a derivatized GE to its binding partner on the membrane was used. Mass spectrometry analysis of membrane proteins that were biotinylated following rebinding and photoactivation of labeled GAPDH, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase revealed not only the anticipated binding partner, band 3, but also the association of GEs with specific peptides in α- and β-spectrin, ankyrin, actin, p55, and protein 4.2. More importantly, the labeled GEs were also found to transfer biotin to other GEs in the complex, demonstrating for the first time that GEs also associate with each other in their membrane complexes. Surprisingly, a new GE binding site was repeatedly identified near the junction of the membrane-spanning and cytoplasmic domains of band 3, and this binding site was confirmed by direct binding studies. These results not only identify new components of the membrane-associated GE complexes but also provide molecular details on the specific peptides that form the interfacial contacts within each interaction.

In plants, some enzymes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily are thought to organize into transient dynamic metabolons to optimize the biosynthesis of bioactive natural products. Metabolon formation may facilitate efficient turnover of labile and toxic intermediates and prevent undesired metabolic cross talk. Two CYPs, CYP79A1 and CYP71E1 involved in the synthesis of dhurrin, were used to assess the possibility to use amphipols (APols) to trap these membrane-bound enzymes in a soluble form in a detergent-free environment. APol surfactants are short polymers composed of a hydrophilic backbone randomly grafted with hydrophobic side chains. An optimal ratio of 1:2 w/w of protein to APol (A8-35) was required for trapping the single transmembrane helices of CYP79A1, CYP71E1, and the electron partner cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR). CYP79A1 and POR retained their individual activity upon A8-35 trapping, whereas a direct interaction between CYP79A1 and POR was hampered, probably due to electrostatic repulsion caused by the negatively charged APol molecules. Upon substitution of POR with NADPH-ferredoxin oxidoreductase and ferredoxin as an electron donor system, the CYPs were shown to be catalytically active. The use of APol surfactants in functional and structural studies of membrane proteins is discussed.

Rdh10 catalyzes the first step of all-trans-retinoic acid biogenesis physiologically, conversion of retinol into retinal. We show that Rdh10 associates predominantly with mitochondria/mitochondrial-associated membrane (MAM) in the absence of lipid droplet biosynthesis, but also locates with lipid droplets during acyl ester biosynthesis. Targeting to lipid droplets requires the 32 N-terminal residues, which include a hydrophobic region followed by a net positive charge. Targeting to mitochondria/MAM and/or the stability of Rdh10 require both the N-terminal and the 48 C-terminal hydrophobic residues. Rdh10 behaves similarly to cellular retinol-binding protein, type 1, which also localizes to mitochondria/MAM before lipid droplet synthesis, and associates with lipid droplets during acyl ester synthesis (Jiang, W., and Napoli, J. L. (2012) Biochem. Biophys. Acta 1820, 859-8692). LRAT, an ER protein, also associates with lipid droplets upon acyl ester biosynthesis. Colocalization of Rdh10, Crbp1, and LRAT on lipid droplets suggests a metabolon that mediates retinol homeostasis.

In this review evidence from a wide variety of biological systems is presented for the genetic, functional, and likely physical association of membrane transporters and the enzymes that metabolize the transported substrates. This evidence supports the hypothesis that the dynamic association of transporters and enzymes creates functional membrane transport metabolons that channel substrates typically obtained from the extracellular compartment directly into their cellular metabolism. The immediate modification of substrates on the inner surface of the membrane prevents back-flux through facilitated transporters, increasing the efficiency of transport. In some cases products of the enzymes are themselves substrates for the transporters that efflux the products in an exchange or antiport mechanism. Regulation of the binding of enzymes to transporters and their mutual activities may play a role in modulating flux through transporters and entry of substrates into metabolic pathways. Examples showing the physical association of transporters and enzymes are provided, but available structural data is sparse. Genetic and functional linkages between membrane transporters and enzymes were revealed by an analysis of Escherichia coli operons encoding polycistronic mRNAs and provide a list of predicted interactions ripe for further structural studies. This article supports the view that membrane transport metabolons are important throughout Nature in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans.

Background Cilia are finger-like motor-driven organelles, which propel inhaled particles and mucus from the lung and airways. We have previously shown that brief alcohol exposure stimulates ciliary motility through an endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-dependent pathway localized in the ciliary metabolon. However, the signaling molecules of the ciliary metabolon involved in alcohol-triggered ciliary beat frequency (CBF) stimulation upstream of eNOS activation remain unknown. Methods We hypothesized that brief alcohol exposure alters threonine and serine phosphorylation of proteins involved in stimulating CBF. Two-dimensional electrophoresis indicated both increases and decreases in the serine and threonine phosphorylation states of several proteins. One of the proteins identified was heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), which undergoes increased threonine phosphorylation after brief alcohol exposure. Because HSP90 has been shown to associate with eNOS in lung tissue, we hypothesized that HSP90 is a key component in alcohol-triggered eNOS activation and that these 2 proteins co-localize within the ciliary metabolon. Results Immunofluorescence experiments demonstrate that eNOS and HSP90 co-localize within basal bodies of the ciliary metabolon and partially translocate to the axoneme upon brief alcohol exposure. Pretreatment with geldanamycin, which disrupts HSP90 chaperone functions, prevented eNOS-HSP90 association and prevented the translocation of eNOS from the ciliary metabolon to the axoneme. Functional cilia motility studies revealed that geldanamycin blocked alcohol-stimulated ciliary motility in bovine bronchial epithelial cells and mouse tracheal rings. Conclusions On the basis of the HSP90 localization with eNOS, alcohol activation of HSP90 phosphorylation, and geldanamycin's ability to inhibit HSP90-eNOS association, prevent eNOS translocation to the axoneme, and block alcohol-stimulated ciliary motility, we conclude that alcohol-induced cilia stimulation occurs through the increased association of HSP90 with eNOS. These data help further elucidate the mechanism through which brief alcohol exposure stimulates CBF.

Several genes exhibit gene dosage toxicity yet its molecular underpinnings remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that overexpression of DHFR inE. colicauses toxic metabolic imbalance triggered by interactions with several enzymes involved in 1-carbon metabolism, in particular GlyA and PurH. DHFR overexpression partially inhibits activity of these enzymes, but at physiological concentrations, PurH-DHFR interaction enhances catalytic efficiency of DHFR, implying a functional interactionin vivo. Surprisingly, overexpression of orthologous DHFRs from other bacterial species caused minimal metabolic and fitness perturbations, despite pulling out more interacting partners than overexpressed endogenous DHFR. Orthologous DHFRs were less potent in inhibitingE. coliGlyA and PurH, or gaining a catalytic improvement upon interaction with PurH, indicating a partial loss of interaction specificity due to evolutionary divergence. This study shows how protein overexpression perturbs a dynamic network of weak yet potentially functional PPI with consequences for the metabolic state of cells and their fitness.

Efficient substrate utilization is the first and most important prerequisite for economically viable production of biofuels and chemicals by microbial cell factories. However, production rates and yields are often compromised by low transport rates of substrates across biological membranes and their diversion to competing pathways. This is especially true when common chassis organisms are engineered to utilize nonphysiological feedstocks. Here, we addressed this problem by constructing an artificial complex between an endogenous sugar transporter and a heterologous xylose isomerase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Direct feeding of the enzyme through the transporter resulted in acceleration of xylose consumption and substantially diminished production of xylitol as an undesired side product, with a concomitant increase in the production of ethanol. This underlying principle could also likely be implemented in other biotechnological applications.

Transient multienzyme and/or multiprotein complexes (metabolons) direct substrates toward specific pathways and can significantly influence the metabolism of glutamate and glutamine in the brain. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in brain. This neurotransmitter has essential roles in normal brain function including learning and memory. Metabolism of glutamate involves the coordinated activity of astrocytes and neurons and high affinity transporter proteins that are selectively distributed on these cells. This chapter describes known and possible metabolons that affect the metabolism of glutamate and related compounds in the brain, as well as some factors that can modulate the association and dissociation of such complexes, including protein modifications by acylation reactions (e.g., acetylation, palmitoylation, succinylation, SUMOylation, etc.) of specific residues. Development of strategies to modulate transient multienzyme and/or enzyme–protein interactions may represent a novel and promising therapeutic approach for treatment of diseases involving dysregulation of glutamate metabolism.

The growth regulator auxin is involved in all key developmental processes in plants. A complex network of a multiplicity of potential auxin biosynthetic pathways as well as transport, signalling plus conjugation and deconjugation lead to a complicated system of auxin function. This raises the question how such a complex and multifaceted system producing such a powerful and important molecule as auxin can be effectively organised and controlled. Here we report that a subset of auxin biosynthetic enzymes in the TAA/YUC route of auxin biosynthesis is localised to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER microsomal fractions also contain a significant percentage of auxin biosynthetic activity. This could point toward a model of auxin function using ER membrane location and subcellular compartmentation for supplementary layers of regulation. Additionally we show specific protein-protein interactions between some of the enzymes in the TAA/YUC route of auxin biosynthesis.

In vivo, as an advanced catalytic strategy, transient non-covalently bound multi-enzyme complexes can be formed to facilitate the relay of substrates, i. e. substrate channeling, between sequential enzymatic reactions and to enhance the throughput of multi-step enzymatic pathways. The human thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase catalyze two consecutive reactions in the folate metabolism pathway, and experiments have shown that they are very likely to bind in the same multi-enzyme complex in vivo. While reports on the protozoa thymidylate synthase-dihydrofolate reductase bifunctional enzyme give substantial evidences of substrate channeling along a surface "electrostatic highway," attention has not been paid to whether the human thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase, if they are in contact with each other in the multi-enzyme complex, are capable of substrate channeling employing surface electrostatics. This work utilizes protein-protein docking, electrostatics calculations, and Brownian dynamics to explore the existence and mechanism of the substrate channeling between the human thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase. The results show that the bound human thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase are capable of substrate channeling and the formation of the surface "electrostatic highway." The substrate channeling efficiency between the two can be reasonably high and comparable to that of the protozoa.

In the course of metabolite formation, some multienzymatic edifices, the so-called metabolon, are formed and lead to a more efficient production of these natural compounds. One of the major features of these enzyme complexes is the facilitation of direct transfer of the metabolite between enzyme active sites by substrate channelling. Biophysical insights into substrate channelling remain scarce because the transient nature of these macromolecular complexes prevents the observation of high resolution structures. Here, using molecular modelling, we describe the substrate channelling of a flavonoid compound between DFR (dihydroflavonol-4-reductase) and LAR (leucoanthocyanidin reductase). The simulation presents crucial details concerning the kinetic, thermodynamic, and structural aspects of this diffusion. The formation of the DFR–LAR complex leads to the opening of the DFR active site giving rise to a facilitated diffusion, in about 1 μs, of the DFR product towards LAR cavity. The theoretically observed substrate channelling is supported experimentally by the fact that this metabolite, i.e. the product of the DFR enzyme, is not stable in the media. Moreover, along this path, the influence of the solvent is crucial. The metabolite remains close to the surface of the complex avoiding full solvation. In addition, when the dynamic behaviour of the system leads to a loss of interaction between the metabolite and the enzymes, water molecules through bridging H-bonds prevent the former from escaping to the bulk.

In mitochondria, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle integrates oxidation pathways of all major carbon sources by eight enzymes that are associated into a supramolecular complex called the metabolon. In metabolons, substrate channeling is the most remarkable feature, which is the directed or facilitated intermediate transport between active sites. Considerable studies have been done on biological implications of substrate channeling in improving coupled catalysis. Nowadays the TCA cycle metabolon attracts increasing interest from experts in the field of bioelectrocatalysis, who have been seeking highly efficient enzyme cascades enabling deep substrate oxidation and promoted mass transport. This dissertation research focuses on the fundamental understanding of the TCA cycle metabolon from mechanistic and structural perspectives. In this work, a microfluidic system was built to study enzyme dynamics in metabolon formation and showed that intermediate generated by one enzyme induces directed transport of subsequent enzymes against the concentration gradient, and thus enhances enzyme association. Structural probing by in vivo cross-linking, mass spectrometry and protein docking revealed protein-protein interactions in the natural TCA cycle metabolon. Computer simulation demonstrated the formation of an electrostatic channeling upon association-induced surface charge rearrangement. The other aspect of this dissertation is in vitro fabrication of the TCA cycle metabolon mimics by two strategies. Polymeric co-immobilization-induced multi-enzyme aggregation was assessed by acceptor photobleaching FRET imaging. Structure-based design of engineered metabolons was also exploited to construct a recombinant complex featuring natural orientation and enhanced substrate channeling.

The branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids required not only for growth and development, but also as nutrient signals and as nitrogen donors to neurotransmitter synthesis and glutamate/glutamine cycling. Transamination and oxidative decarboxylation of the BCAAs are catalysed by the branched-chain aminotransferase proteins (BCATm, mitochondrial and BCATc, cytosolic) and the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase enzyme complex (BCKDC), respectively. These proteins show tissue, cell compartmentation, and protein–protein interactions, which call for substrate shuttling or channelling and nitrogen transfer for oxidation to occur. Efficient regulation of these pathways is mediated through the redox environment and phosphorylation in response to dietary and hormonal stimuli. The wide distribution of these proteins allows for effective BCAA utilisation. We discuss how BCAT, BCKDC, and glutamate dehydrogenase operate in supramolecular complexes, allowing for efficient channelling of substrates. The role of BCAAs in brain metabolism is highlighted in rodent and human brain, where differential expression of BCATm indicates differences in nitrogen metabolism between species. Finally, we introduce a new role for BCAT, where a change in function is triggered by oxidation of its redox-active switch. Our understanding of how BCAA metabolism and nitrogen transfer is regulated is important as many studies now point to BCAA metabolic dysregulation in metabolic and neurodegenerative conditions.

One-step purification of a multi-enzyme complex was developed based on a mixture of cell extracts containing three dockerin-containing enzymes and one family 3 cellulose-binding module (CBM3)-containing scaffoldin through high-affinity adsorption on low-cost solid regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC). The three-enzyme complex, called synthetic metabolon, was self-assembled through the high-affinity interaction between the dockerin in each enzyme and three cohesins in the synthetic scaffoldin. The metabolons were either immobilized on the external surface of RAC or free when the scaffoldin contained an intein between the CBM3 and three cohesins. The immobilized and free metabolons containing triosephosphate isomerase, aldolase, and fructose 1,6-biphosphatase exhibited initial reaction rates 48 and 38 times, respectively, that of the non-complexed three-enzyme mixture at the same enzyme loading. Such reaction rate enhancements indicated strong substrate channeling among synthetic metabolons due to the close spatial organization among cascade enzymes. These results suggested that the construction of synthetic metabolons by using cohesins, dockerins, and cellulose-binding modules from cellulosomes not only decreased protein purification labor and cost for in vitro synthetic biology projects but also accelerated reaction rates by 1 order of magnitude compared to non-complexed enzymes. Synthetic metabolons would be an important biocatalytic module for in vitro and in vivo synthetic biology projects.

In the ovary epidermis of O. umbellatum there are lipotubuloid metabolons (LMs), in which synthesis of lipids takes place. This process partly provides nourishment, and partly cuticle building blocks, transformed, among others, with the participation of cutinsomes. The cutinsomes are cutin-building structures, 40-200nm in size, which are formed as a result of self-assembly and self-esterification of hydroxy fatty acids. The cutinsomes, by binding to the cuticle, introduce into it nonlinear, amorphous and cross-linked polymers. Double-immunogold EM observations revealed that enzymes producing elements of cutin (GPAT6) and waxes (WS/DGAT) were found not only as free cytoplasmic molecules but also in many cases they were bound to carboxylate-carboxylic shell of cuntinsomes. Hence, we suppose that these enzymes can move alone or together with the cutinsomes through cytoplasm (pH 6.8-7.0), plasmalemma and the polysaccharide layer of a cell wall to the site of their functioning i.e. to the cuticle (pH 5.0).

Biochemical adaptation of enzymes involves conservation of activity, stability and affinity across a wide range of intracellular and environmental conditions. Enzyme adaptation by alteration of primary structure is well known, but the roles of protein-protein interactions in enzyme adaptation are less well understood. Interspecific differences in thermal stability of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in porcelain crabs (genus Petrolisthes) are related to intrinsic differences among LDH molecules and by interactions with other stabilizing proteins. Here, we identified proteins that interact with LDH in porcelain crab claw muscle tissue using co-immunoprecipitation, and showed LDH exists in high molecular weight complexes using size exclusion chromatography and Western blot analyses. Co-immunoprecipitated proteins were separated using 2D SDS PAGE and analyzed by LC/ESI using peptide MS/MS. Peptide MS/MS ions were compared to an EST database for Petrolisthes cinctipes to identify proteins. Identified proteins included cytoskeletal elements, glycolytic enzymes, a phosphagen kinase, and the respiratory protein hemocyanin. Our results support the hypothesis that LDH interacts with glycolytic enzymes in a metabolon structured by cytoskeletal elements that may also include the enzyme for transfer of the adenylate charge in glycolytically produced ATP. Those interactions may play specific roles in biochemical adaptation of glycolytic enzymes.

Formation of metabolons (macromolecular enzyme complexes) facilitates the channelling of substrates in biosynthetic pathways. Metabolon formation is a dynamic process in which transient structures mediated by weak protein-protein interactions are formed. In Sorghum, the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin is derived from l-tyrosine in a pathway involving the two cytochromes P450 (CYPs) CYP79A1 and CYP71E1, a glucosyltransferase (UGT85B1), and the redox partner NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). Experimental evidence suggests that the enzymes of this pathway form a metabolon. Homology modeling of the three membrane bound proteins was carried out using the Sybyl software and available relevant crystal structures. Residues involved in tight positioning of the substrates and intermediates in the active sites of CYP79A1 and CYP71E1 were identified. In both CYPs, hydrophobic surface domains close to the N-terminal trans-membrane anchor and between the F' and G helices were identified as involved in membrane anchoring. The proximal surface of both CYPs showed positively charged patches complementary to a negatively charged bulge on CPR carrying the FMN domain. A patch of surface exposed, positively charged amino acid residues positioned on the opposite face of the membrane anchor was identified in CYP71E1 and might be involved in binding UGT85B1 via a hypervariable negatively charged loop in this protein.

Enzymatic biofuel cells and bioelectrochemical sensors are often limited in performance because of their inability to utilize all of the energy confined in chemical bonds of complex molecules. Multi-enzyme cascade catalysis provides a means to remedy this limitation, but efficiencies of such electrodes can be further enhanced by improving interenzyme substrate mass transport. This consideration is demonstrated to be advantageous in biological systems, as displayed by nearly ubiquitous organization of sequential enzymes in natural metabolic pathways. This sequential organization, termed a metabolon, is examined in this work for a two-enzyme pentose phosphate pathway bioelectrode for the oxidation of glucose. This two-enzyme electrode is compared with a single enzyme, glucose dehydrogenase, and demonstrates increased performance. In addition, increases in efficiency are demonstrated through the creation of a synthetic two-enzyme metabolon versus randomly suspended enzymes immobilized within a hydrogel matrix.

The electrogenic Na+ -HCO₃⁻ cotransporter NBCe1 plays essential roles in the regulation of systemic and/or local pH. Homozygous inactivating mutations in NBCe1 cause proximal renal tubular acidosis associated with ocular abnormalities. We recently showed that defective membrane expression of NBCe1, caused by several mutations such as Delta65bp (S982NfsX4), is also associated with familial migraine. The Delta65bp mutant is quite unique in that it lacks a putative carbonic anhydrase (CA) II-binding domain but still shows an apparently normal transport activity in Xenopus oocytes. In this addendum, we show that the co-expression of CAII together with the wild-type NBCe1 or the Delta65bp mutant does not enhance the NBCe1 activities in oocytes. Moreover, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide fails to inhibit the wild-type or the Delta65bp activities co-expressed with CAII. These results indicate that a bicarbonate transport metabolon proposed for the interaction between CAII and NBCe1 does not work at least in Xenopus oocytes.

Three vital respiratory gases-oxygen (O(2)), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon dioxide (CO(2))-intersect at the level of the human red blood cell (RBC). In addition to hemoglobin (Hb)'s central role in O(2) transport, interaction of Hb with the Band 3 metabolon balances RBC energy flow. 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate enhances O(2) transport across the placenta and plays an important role in regulating RBC plasticity. NO is a key mediator of hypoxic vasodilation, but the precise role of RBC Hb remains controversial. In addition to established theories that depend on RBC uptake, delivery, and discharge of NO or its metabolites, an alternative hypothesis based on RBC permeability is suggested. NO depletion by free Hb may account for several clinical features seen during intravascular hemolysis or during deliberate infusion of Hb solutions used as RBC substitutes. CO(2) released by tissues triggers oxygen release through a series of well-coordinated reactions centered on the Band 3 metabolon. While RBC carbonic anhydrase and the Band 3 anion exchanger are central to this process, there is surprisingly little research on the kinetics of CO(2) clearance by transfusion. The three RBC gases are directly related to the three principal gases of Earth's atmosphere. Human fossil fuel consumption dumps 90 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere annually. Increasing CO(2) levels are linked to global warming, melting Arctic ice, rising sea levels, and climate instability. Just as individual cells depend on balance of the three vital gases, so too will their balance determine survival of life on Earth.

The existence of interactions between sequential enzymes of metabolic pathways has been explored extensively throughout the field of biochemistry. These closely coupled pathways, termed metabolons, have been demonstrated to induce substrate channeling that results in increased efficiency by enhancing local substrate concentrations, protecting liable intermediates, and limiting distance between enzyme active sites. This phenomenon may have direct implication in the advancement of multi-enzyme enzymatic biofuel cells through the use of super-complex formations as bioanode catalysts. This will result in an efficient means of a more complete oxidation of a fuel, while optimizing the flux of the system through the recreation of a phenomenon that is conserved throughout biology.

How is cellular iron (Fe) uptake and efflux regulated in mammalian cells? In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Yanatori et al. report for the first time that a member of the emerging PCBP [poly(rC)-binding protein] Fe-chaperone family, PCBP2, physically interacts with the major Fe importer DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1) and the Fe exporter FPN1 (ferroportin 1). In both cases, the interaction of the Fe transporter with PCBP2 is Fe-dependent. Interestingly, another PCBP Fe-chaperone, PCBP1, does not appear to bind to DMT1. Strikingly, the PCBP2–DMT1 interaction is required for DMT1-dependent cellular Fe uptake, suggesting that, in addition to functioning as an intracellular Fe chaperone, PCBP2 may be a molecular ‘gate- keeper’ for transmembrane Fe transport. These new data hint at the possibility that PCBP2 may be a component of a yet-to-be-described Fe-transport metabolon that engages in Fe channelling to and from Fe transporters and intracellular sites.

The concept of a metabolon was first described in 1985 as a supramolecular assembly of enzymatic and structural components able to sequester and channel metabolic pathway intermediates ( 1 ). Initially, metabolons were proposed for the citric acid cycle, glycolysis, and nucleotide and amino acid biosynthesis as a mechanism to coordinate metabolic flux and reduce kinetic constraints. Although the theory is expedient and has aligned with a vast amount of evidence in support of protein-protein interactions, definitive proof that efficient cellular metabolism is associated with metabolon formation has been elusive. On page 890 of this issue, elegant work from Laursen et al. ( 2 ) provides a functional link between the dynamic interactions of metabolic enzymes and the production of the cyanogenic glucoside, dhurrin, in the cereal crop sorghum. Upon tissue damage by pests, dhurrin is hydrolyzed to toxic hydrogen cyanide as a plant defense mechanism.

Evaluation of: Moehlenbrock MJ, Toby TK, Waheed A, Minteer SD: Metabolon catalyzed pyruvate/air biofuel cell. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 6288–6289 (2010).Enzymatic fuel cells suffer from a severe limitation: they convert only a fraction of the substrate’s chemical energy into electricity. The reason for this limitation lies in the specificity of single enzymes, which are not able to completely oxidize complex organic substrates such as glucose. Enzyme cascade electrodes may help to overcome this limitation; however, they are only a starting point. In their communication, Moehlenbrock et al. have proposed the use of metabolon structures – biomimetically linked multienzyme complexes – as anode catalysts. Depending on their further development, metabolon-based biofuel cells may be able to overcome today’s biofuel cell limitations and close the gaps between the current technologies of enzymatic and microbial fuel cells.

Introduction: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid cancer with rapidly rising incidence. The interface between PTC tumor metabolic reprogramming and metabolic immunomodulation remains poorly understood. Experimental Procedures: We sought to investigate the immunometabolic interaction patterns of PTC tumors and to determine whether a correlative relationship exists between tumor-infiltrating immune cell phenotypes and the expression of tumor metabolic enzymes. We performed a computational immunogenomic analysis to calculate leukocyte fractions within 496 PTC tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Immunogenomic analysis was performed using CIBERSORT (Newman AM et al., Nature Methods2015), a deconvolution method to calculate leukocyte fractions using RNA gene expression signatures. The PTC immune cell fractions were then compared to the RNA expression of tumor metabolic enzymes within the TCGA data using regression analysis. Matching targeted metabolomic analysis (Metabolon, Inc.) of 20 human PTC tumors was performed to determine tumor metabolite profiles associated with perturbed tumor cellular metabolic pathways based on the TCGA data analysis. Results: The immunogenomic and PTC metabolic pathway enzyme expression analysis demonstrated significant correlation between immune cell types and major metabolic pathway enzymes. Specifically, tumor glycolytic enzymes upstream of the TCA cycle correlated with CD8 (hexokinase-1, p Conclusion: We demonstrate, for the first time, a distinct immunometabolic tumor signature supported by tumor metabolic reprogramming in PTC tumors. This novel characterization approach provides an important foundation for future functional metabolic studies within the tumor and immunologic microenvironment. A mechanistic understanding of the complex integration of immune networks and cellular metabolism can be harnessed for future therapeutic immunometabolic modulation in PTC. Citation Format: Vivian L. Weiss, Naira Baregamian. Immunometabolic signature of papillary thyroid carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 628.

In the present article, we describe the two standard high-throughput methods for identification of protein complexes: two-hybrid screens and TAP (tandem affinity purification) tagging. These methods have been used to characterize the interactome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, showing that the majority of proteins are part of complexes, and that complexes typically consist of a core to which are bound ‘party’ and ‘dater’ proteins. Complexes typically are merely the sum of their parts. A particularly interesting type of complex is the metabolon, containing enzymes within the same metabolic pathway. There is reasonably good evidence that metabolons exist, but they have not been detected using high-thoughput assays, possibly because of their fragility.

The soluble enzyme carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) plays an important role in CO(2) influx and efflux by red blood cells (RBCs), a process initiated by changes in the extracellular [CO(2)] (CO(2)-initiated CO(2) transport). Evidence suggests that CAII may be part of a macromolecular complex at the inner surface of the RBC membrane. Some have suggested CAII specifically binds to a motif on the cytoplasmic C terminus (Ct) of the Cl-HCO(3) exchanger AE1 and some other members of the SLC4 family of HCO(3)(-) transporters, a transport metabolon. Moreover, others have suggested that this bound CAII enhances the transport of HCO(3)(-)-related species-HCO(3)(-), CO(3)(), or CO(3)() ion pairs-when the process is initiated by altering the activity of the transporter (HCO(3)(-)-initiated HCO(3)(-) transport). In this review, I assess the theoretical roles of CAs in the transport of CO(2) and HCO(3)(-)-related species, concluding that although the effect of bound CAII on CO(2)-initiated CO(2) transport is expected to be substantial, the effect of bound CAs on HCO(3)(-)-initiated HCO(3)(-) transport is expected to be modest at best. I also assess the experimental evidence for CAII binding to AE1 and other transporters, and the effects of this binding on HCO(3)(-)-initiated HCO(3)(-) transport. The early conclusion that CAII binds to the Ct of AE1 appears to be the result of unpredictable effects of GST in the GST fusion proteins used in the studies. The early conclusion that bound CAII speeds HCO(3)(-)-initiated HCO(3)(-) transport appears to be the result of CAII accelerating the pH changes used as a read-out of transport. Thus, it appears that CAII does not bind directly to AE1 or other SLC4 proteins, and that bound CAII does not substantially accelerate HCO(3)(-)-initiated HCO(3)(-) transport.

The catabolic pathway for branched-chain amino acids includes deamination followed by oxidative decarboxylation of the deaminated product branched-chain α-keto acids, catalyzed by the mitochondrial branched-chain aminotransferase (BCATm) and branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase enzyme complex (BCKDC). We found that BCATm binds to the E1 decarboxylase of BCKDC, forming a metabolon that allows channeling of branched-chain α-keto acids from BCATm to E1. The protein complex also contains glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH1), 4-nitrophenylphosphatase domain and non-neuronal SNAP25-like protein homolog 1, pyruvate carboxylase, and BCKDC kinase. GDH1 binds to the pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate (PMP) form of BCATm (PMP-BCATm) but not to the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-BCATm and other metabolon proteins. Leucine activates GDH1, and oxidative deamination of glutamate is increased further by addition of PMP-BCATm. Isoleucine and valine are not allosteric activators of GDH1, but in the presence of 5′-phosphate-BCATm, they convert BCATm to PMP-BCATm, stimulating GDH1 activity. Sensitivity to ADP activation of GDH1 was unaffected by PMP-BCATm; however, addition of a 3 or higher molar ratio of PMP-BCATm to GDH1 protected GDH1 from GTP inhibition by 50%. Kinetic results suggest that GDH1 facilitates regeneration of the form of BCATm that binds to E1 decarboxylase of the BCKDC, promotes metabolon formation, branched-chain amino acid oxidation, and cycling of nitrogen through glutamate.