A Highly Glucose Tolerant ß-Glucosidase from Malbranchea pulchella (MpBg3) Enables Cellulose Saccharification

The thermophilic fungus Malbranchea pulchella produces a single extracellular, alkaline, serine protease when grown at 45 °C, on 2% casein as sole carbon source. The growth-associated production of protease in submerged cultures was inhibited by addition of glucose, amino acids, or yeast extract. A simple four-step purification which yields homogeneous protease in 78% yield is described. The protease has an isoelectric point of 6.0, a pH optimum of 8.5, and is completely inhibited by serine protease inhibitors. A specificity study with small synthetic ester substrates indicated that the protease preferentially hydrolyzed bonds situated on the carboxyl side of aromatic or apolar amino acid residues which are not β-branched, positively charged or of the D configuration. Peptidase substrates and others such as N-acetyl-L-tyrosine-ethyl ester were not hydrolyzed. The protease was stable over a broad range of pH (6.5–9.5 at 30 °C, 20 h), and was particularly thermostable (t1/2 = 110 min at 73 °C, pH 7.4) in the presence of Ca2+ (10 mM). Macromolecules and Ca2+ also provide protection against the significant autolysis which occurs at pure protease concentrations greater than 0.01 mg/ml, as well as against surface denaturation which is enhanced by the presence of a silicone antifoam agent. Hence the stability of protease in submerged cultures is rationalized.

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Epinephrine inhibits insulin-mediated glycogenesis but enhances glycolysis in human skeletal muscle

AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1152/ajpendo.1991.260.3.e430 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 260 (3) ◽

pp. E430-E435 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

I. Raz ◽

A. Katz ◽

M. K. Spencer

Keyword(s):

Glycogen Synthase ◽

Glucose Production ◽

High Energy ◽

Endogenous Glucose Production ◽

Fat Free Mass ◽

Glucose Disposal ◽

High Energy Phosphates ◽

Before And After ◽

Glucose Tolerant ◽

Femoris Muscle

The effect of epinephrine (E) infusion on insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in humans has been studied. Eight glucose-tolerant men were studied on two separate occasions: 1) during 120 min of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia (UH, approximately 5 mM; 40 mU.m-2.min-1); and 2) during UH while E was infused (UHE, 0.05 microgram.kg-1.min-1). Biopsies were taken from the quadriceps femoris muscle before and after each clamp. Glucose disposal, correcting for endogenous glucose production, was 36 +/- 3 and 18 +/- 2 (SE) mumol.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1.min-1 during the last 40 min of UH and UHE, respectively (P less than 0.001). Nonoxidative glucose disposal (presumably glycogenesis) averaged 23.0 +/- 3.0 and 4.0 +/- 1.1 (P less than 0.001), whereas carbohydrate oxidation (which is proportional to glycolysis) averaged 13.1 +/- 1.4 and 15.3 +/- 1.1 mumol.kg FFM-1.min-1 (P less than 0.05) during UH and UHE, respectively. UHE resulted in significantly higher contents of UDP-glucose, hexose monophosphates, postphosphofructokinase intermediates, and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate (G-1,6-P2) in muscle (P less than 0.05-0.001), but there were no significant differences in high-energy phosphates or fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-P2) between treatments. Fractional activities of phosphorylase increased (P less than 0.01), and glycogen synthase decreased (P less than 0.001) during UHE. It is concluded that E inhibits insulin-mediated glycogenesis because of an inactivation of glycogen synthase and an activation of glycogenolysis. E also appears to inhibit insulin-mediated glucose utilization, at least partly, because of an increase in G-6-phosphate (which inhibits hexokinase) and enhances glycolysis by G-1,6-P2-, fructose 6-phosphate-, and F-1,6-P2-mediated activation of PFK.

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