Steven J. Maniscalco

A slow obligatory proton release step precedes hydride transfer in the liver glutamate dehydrogenase catalytic mechanism

We have used the stopped-flow indicator dye method to measure proton release and product formation simultaneously in the initial transient-state portion of the glutamate dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidative deamination of L-glutamate. We observe a measurably slow release of a proton from the enzyme-NADP-L-glutamate complex. This proton release precedes the hydride transfer step, as indicated by the distinct lag in the product formation signal. We show that the proton release step corresponds to an obligatory intermediate in the reaction sequence. We also find that compounds which are competitive inhibitors of L-glutamate are capable of inducing this phenomenon. We prove that this unanticipated prehydride transfer event cannot be due to the release of an alpha-amino group proton from the substrate.

The effects of an acetate-sensitive anion binding site on NADPH binding in glutamate dehydrogenase

The nature of a general anion binding site that regulates NADPH binding to L-glutamate dehydrogenase has been explored. Dissociation constants for the enzyme-NADPH complex were measured by difference spectroscopy in the presence of phosphate, pyrophosphate, ADP and acetate ions. Whereas two molecules of phosphate, binding in a cooperative fashion, raise the Kd of the enzyme-NADPH complex 50-fold from 2.3 microM, a single pyrophosphate raises the Kd only 23-fold, disproving the notion that the anion binding site is simply the pyrophosphate binding site of NADPH. ADP raises the Kd of the enzyme-NADPH complex 2-fold for a given phosphate concentration, and formation of the enzyme-ADP complex is itself interfered with by phosphate and pyrophosphate, indicating that these anions interact with the same anion binding site. Acetate ion acts in a manner opposite to that of phosphate, pyrophosphate and ADP and reverses the weakening effect that these ions exert on NADPH binding, returning the Kd of the enzyme-NADPH complex to 2.3 microM. In the absence of these anions, however, acetate exerts no measurable effect on the Kd, suggesting an allosteric mechanism.

The use of multiwavelength kinetic analysis approach to identify and characterize intermediate complexes in the reductive amination reaction catalyzed by bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase

A multiwavelength transient-state kinetic study of the glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzed reaction has proven that an alpha-iminoglutarate complex is an observable intermediate in the reverse direction. It also shows the existence of two enzyme-NADPH-ketoglutarate complexes, only one of which reacts with ammonia rapidly.