Differential expression of muscle pyruvate kinase in human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic cancer (1). We performed discovery of genes associated with epithelial ovarian cancer and of the high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) subtype, using published microarray data (2, 3) to compare global gene expression profiles of normal ovary or fallopian tube with that of primary tumors from women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer or HGSC. We identified the gene encoding muscle pyruvate kinase, PKM, as among the genes whose expression was most different in epithelial ovarian cancer as compared to the normal fallopian tube. PKM expression was significantly higher in high-grade serous ovarian tumors relative to normal fallopian tube. These data indicate that expression of PKM is perturbed in epithelial ovarian cancers broadly and in ovarian cancers of the HGSC subtype. PKM may be relevant to pathways underlying ovarian cancer initiation (transformation) or progression.

Chemical and enzymatic characterization of recombinant rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase

The stepwise synthesis of thymidine triphosphate (TTP) requires a kinase for phosphorylation in the last step. Because pyruvate kinase (PK) using phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) as substrate can regenerate adenosine triphosphate and phosphorylate thymidine diphosphate as well, we chose this enzyme for the synthesis of TTP via an enzymatic cascade reaction. The metalloenzyme PK shows pronounced promiscuity and therefore fits well to the conditions of this reaction. PK commonly used today is isolated from rabbit muscle. We cloned and expressed the respective open reading frame in Escherichia coli, purified, and characterized the His-tagged recombinant enzyme. The enzyme has an activity optimum at 37°C and in the pH range from 7.4 to 7.8. Km constants conformed well with the isolated native enzyme for adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to 0.37±0.02 mm and for PEP to 0.07±0.01 mm. The recombinant enzyme shows the following range in its substrate specificity: ADP>dADP>dGDP>dCDP>thymidine diphosphate (TDP). It allows the phosphorylation of TDP to TTP in high yield (up to 95%). The metal ions Mg2+ and K+ are necessary for full enzymatic activity. The addition of transition metal ions such as Mn2+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ reduces activity. Storage of the enzyme at -20°C retains full activity.