title: A combination of intracellular leucine with either glutamate or aspartate inhibits autophagic proteolysis in isolated rat hepatocytes.
abstract: It has been shown previously that the inhibition of autophagic proteolysis in liver by a physiological mixture of amino acids can be mimicked completely by addition of leucine in combination with alanine [Leverve, X. M., Caro, L. H. P., Plomp, P. J. A. M. and Meijer, A. J. (1987) FEBS Lett. 219, 455-458]. We have now further defined conditions which lead to this inhibition. Isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated in the perifusion system in which the cells can be maintained at a steady state in the presence of low amino acid concentrations. Combinations of leucine (0.5 mM) with either alanine, glutamine, asparagine or proline (2 mM) inhibited proteolysis by 40-50%. Under these conditions, both in the absence and presence of the transaminase inhibitor, aminooxyacetate, a correlation was found between the extent of inhibition of proteolysis and the sum of the total intracellular amounts of aspartate and glutamate. Inhibition of proteolysis by leucine and leucine analogues did not correlate with their ability to activate glutamate dehydrogenase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Plomp
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Leverve
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D007930:Leucine