Biomaterial Database

Determination of molecular weight and molecular structure of rat-liver pyruvate carboxylase. 1976

E M Gottschalk, and F Mayer, and A Klostermann, and W Seubert

The molecular weight of pyruvate carboxylase isolated from pigeon and rat liver mitochondria was examined using analytical ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy. The enzyme molecule appeared as a tetramer with the four subunits arranged at the corners of a square. Sedimentation studies in the analytical ultracentrifuge, extrapolated to infinite dilution, showed the tetramer to have a molecular weight Mc=0r of 280 000 and an So20,w of 12.7 S. The tetramer could be dissociated into trimers and dimers of lower specific enzymic activity by storage at 4 degrees C or incubation at -- 20 degrees C at low protein concentrations. The isolated trimers and dimers had a molecular weight Mc=0r of 210 000 and 140 000, respectively, and an So20,w of 10.85 S and 7.55 S, respectively. Incubation with 2 M urea at 20 degrees C yielded enzymically inactive subunits (Mc=0r = 70 000; So20,w = 4.95 S). The molecular weights (for pyruvate carboxylase and its subunits), as calculated from the subunit diameter observed in the electron microscope, were consistent with the values obtained from sedimentation studies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D011485	Protein Binding	The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.	Plasma Protein Binding Capacity,Binding, Protein
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D011766	Pyruvate Carboxylase	A biotin-dependent enzyme belonging to the ligase family that catalyzes the addition of CARBON DIOXIDE to pyruvate. It is occurs in both plants and animals. Deficiency of this enzyme causes severe psychomotor retardation and ACIDOSIS, LACTIC in infants. EC 6.4.1.1.	Carboxylase, Pyruvate
D004355	Drug Stability	The chemical and physical integrity of a pharmaceutical product.	Drug Shelf Life,Drugs Shelf Lives,Shelf Life, Drugs,Drug Stabilities,Drugs Shelf Life,Drugs Shelf Live,Life, Drugs Shelf,Shelf Life, Drug,Shelf Live, Drugs,Shelf Lives, Drugs
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures