Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase

About: Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4224 publications have been published within this topic receiving 161052 citations. The topic is also known as: [pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoamide)] kinase & pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoamide) kinase.

Carnitine stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) in isolated human skeletal muscle mitochondria.

Abstract: L-carnitine stimulated CO2 production from 1-14C pyruvate in mitochondria from human skeletal muscle nearly twofold. A comparable increase in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) activity was seen. Moreover, in the presence of L-carnitine and at pyruvate concentration greater than 0.25 mM, this effect was associated with a marked increase of acetylcarnitine synthesis. Deoxycarnitine, an inhibitor of carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT), partially reversed the effect of carnitine on PDHC activity. The stimulatory effect of carnitine on PDHC activity in human mitochondria is mediated by the modulation of the intramitochondrial acetyl-CoA/CoASH ratio.

Up-regulation of glycolytic metabolism is required for HIF1α-driven bone formation

Abstract: The bone marrow environment is among the most hypoxic in the body, but how hypoxia affects bone formation is not known. Because low oxygen tension stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIFα) proteins, we have investigated the effect of expressing a stabilized form of HIF1α in osteoblast precursors. Brief stabilization of HIF1α in SP7-positive cells in postnatal mice dramatically stimulated cancellous bone formation via marked expansion of the osteoblast population. Remarkably, concomitant deletion of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in the mouse did not diminish bone accrual caused by HIF1α stabilization. Thus, HIF1α-driven bone formation is independent of VEGFA up-regulation and increased angiogenesis. On the other hand, HIF1α stabilization stimulated glycolysis in bone through up-regulation of key glycolytic enzymes including pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1). Pharmacological inhibition of PDK1 completely reversed HIF1α-driven bone formation in vivo. Thus, HIF1α stimulates osteoblast formation through direct activation of glycolysis, and alterations in cellular metabolism may be a broadly applicable mechanism for regulating cell differentiation.

Development of mitochondrial energy metabolism in rat brain

Abstract: 1 The development of pyruvate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase activity in rat brain mitochondria was studied Whereas the citrate synthase activity starts to increase at about 8 days after birth, that of pyruvate dehydrogenase starts to increase at about 15 days Measurements of the active proportion of pyruvate dehydrogenase during development were also made 2 The ability of rat brain mitochondria to oxidize pyruvate follows a similar developmental pattern to that of the pyruvate dehydrogenase However, the ability to oxidize 3-hydroxybutyrate shows a different developmental pattern (maximal at 20 days and declining by half in the adult), which is compatible with the developmental pattern of the ketone-body-utilizing enzymes 3 The developmental pattern of both the soluble and the mitochondrially bound hexokinase of rat brain was studied The total brain hexokinase activity increases markedly at about 15 days, which is mainly due to an increase in activity of the mitochondrially bound form, and reaches the adult situation (approx 70% being mitochondrial) at about 30 days after birth 4 The release of the mitochondrially bound hexokinase under different conditions by glucose 6-phosphate was studied There was insignificant release of the bound hexokinase in media containing high KCl concentrations by glucose 6-phosphate, but in sucrose media half-maximal release of hexokinase was achieved by 70mum-glucose 6-phosphate 5 The production of glucose 6-phosphate by brain mitochondria in the presence of Mg(2+)+glucose was demonstrated, together with the inhibition of this by atractyloside 6 The results are discussed with respect to the possible biological significance of the similar developmental patterns of pyruvate dehydrogenase and the mitochondrially bound kinases, particularly hexokinase, in the brain It is suggested that this association may be a mechanism for maintaining an efficient and active aerobic glycolysis which is necessary for full neural expression

Phosphodiesterase-4 promotes proliferation and angiogenesis of lung cancer by crosstalk with HIF.

Abstract: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recent data suggest that cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are relevant in various cancer pathologies. Pathophysiological role of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) with possible therapeutic prospects in lung cancer was investigated. We exposed 10 different lung cancer cell lines (adenocarcinoma, squamous and large cell carcinoma) to hypoxia and assessed expression and activity of PDE4 by real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry, western blotting and PDE activity assays. Expression and activity of distinct PDE4 isoforms (PDE4A and PDE4D) increased in response to hypoxia in eight of the studied cell lines. Furthermore, we analyzed various in silico predicted hypoxia-responsive elements (p-HREs) found in in PDE4A and PDE4D genes. Performing mutation analysis of the p-HRE in luciferase reporter constructs, we identified four functional HRE sites in the PDE4A gene and two functional HRE sites in the PDE4D gene that mediated hypoxic induction of the reporter. Silencing of hypoxia-inducible factor subunits (HIF1α and HIF2α) by small interfering RNA reduced hypoxic induction of PDE4A and PDE4D. Vice versa, using a PDE4 inhibitor (PDE4i) as a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) -elevating agent, cAMP analogs or protein kinase A (PKA)-modulating drugs and an exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC) activator, we demonstrated that PDE4-cAMP-PKA/EPAC axis enhanced HIF signaling as measured by HRE reporter gene assay, HIF and HIF target genes expression ((lactate dehydrogenase A), LDHA, (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1) PDK1 and (vascular endothelial growth factor A) VEGFA). Notably, inhibition of PDE4 by PDE4i or silencing of PDE4A and PDE4D reduced human lung tumor cell proliferation and colony formation. On the other hand, overexpression of PDE4A or PDE4D increased human lung cancer proliferation. Moreover, PDE4i treatment reduced hypoxia-induced VEGF secretion in human cells. In vivo, PDE4i inhibited tumor xenograft growth in nude mice by attenuating proliferation and angiogenesis. Our findings suggest that PDE4 is expressed in lung cancer, crosstalks with HIF signaling and promotes lung cancer progression. Thus, PDE4 may represent a therapeutic target for lung cancer therapy.