title: Functional differences in the catabolism of branched-chain L-amino acids in cultured normal and maple syrup urine disease fibroblasts.
abstract: Possible functional differences in the catabolism of the four branched-chain L-amino acids in maple syrup urine disease were assessed using cultured human skin fibroblast stains. Transamination and oxidative decarboxylation were comparatively studied in 90-min incubations with 1 mmole/liter of 1-14C-labeled substrates. In normal cell strains (n = 5), apparent transamination rates (sum of branched-chain 2-oxo[14C]acid and 14CO2 release; means expressed in nmole/90 min/mg of cell protein) were in the order L-leucine (32) greater than L-valine (17) greater than or equal to L-isoleucine (14) greater than L-allo-isoleucine (8); 14CO2 production was in the order L-valine (9) greater than L-isoleucine (6) greater than or equal to L-leucine (5) greater than L-allo-isoleucine (2). In variant (n = 5) as well as classical (n = 2) MSUD cell lines, branched-chain 2-oxo-[14C]acid release rates were generally comparable to the control values. As compared to the 14CO2 release in controls (= 100%), branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase activity in MSUD fibroblasts was individually reduced and varied considerably between strains (residual activity 2-38%). Within individual strains, only small differences in the residual decarboxylation activity were observed in incubations with L-valine, L-leucine, and L-isoleucine. It was remarkably high, however, when L-allo-isoleucine was applied as a substrate. With the exception of L-allo-isoleucine, apparent total transamination rates of branched-chain L-amino acids were therefore distinctly lower in MSUD cells than in normal cells.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie II, Universität Düsseldorf, West Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schadewaldt
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wendel
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003653:Decarboxylation; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008375:Maple Syrup Urine Disease / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain