The effects of various anions and cations on the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity from pig kidney cortex.

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) purified from pig kidney cortex was found to be affected by various uni- and bi-valent ions. At a constant strength of 0.13 M at pH 7.8, K+, Na+, Cl-, HCO3- and HPO4(2-) had significant effects on the activity of PDC: Na+, K+ and HPO4(2-) stimulated, but HCO3- and Cl- inhibited. The stimulatory effect of Na+ was mediated by a change in the Vmax. of PDC only, whereas K+ produced an increase in Vmax. and a change in the Hill coefficient (h). The extent of stimulation produced by HPO4(2-)4 on the activity of PDC was dependent on the concentrations of K+ and Na+. Both cations at concentrations higher than 40 mM partially prevented the effect of HPO4(2-)4. Cl- and HCO3- anions decreased the Vmax. of the enzyme and increased the S0.5 for pyruvate. The effects of Na+, K+, Cl-, HPO4(2-) and HCO3- on the activity of PDC were additive. In the presence of 80 mM-K+, 20 mM-Na+, 10 mM-HPO4(2-), 20 mM-Cl- and 20 mM-HCO3- the activity of PDC was increased by 30%, the S0.5 for pyruvate was increased from 75 to 158 microM and h was decreased from 1.3 to 1.1. Under these conditions and at 1.0 mM-pyruvate, the activity of PDC was 80% of the maximal activity achieved in the presence of these ions and 4.5 mM-pyruvate. The present study suggests that PDC may operate under non-saturating concentrations for substrate in vivo.