Regulation of the Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex

Abstract

1. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from human heart has been partially purified and shown to be regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle similar to that previously found for other mammalian tissues. 2. Incubation of the complex with ATP (2 mmol/l) led to its inactivation associated with the concomitant incorporation into the protein of ³²P from the terminal phosphate group of the ATP. Pyruvate, ADP, thiamin pyrophosphate and dichloroacetate diminished the rate of inactivation by ATP. 3. Pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase from human heart requires Mg²⁺ for activity and is sensitive to Ca²⁺ at concentrations of a few μmol/l. Similar ionic requirements of the skeletal muscle phosphatase have been demonstrated in a crude tissue extract. 4. The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in human adipose tissue was less than 10% of typical values in rats. This could be due to the high level of dietary fat consumed by humans, which is known to repress the enzyme activity in rats.