title: Monitoring flux through the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway using [1-14C]gluconate.
abstract: The aim of this work was to examine the metabolism of exogenous gluconate by a 4-day-old cell suspension culture of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Release of (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]gluconate was dependent on the concentration in the medium and could be resolved into a substrate-saturable component (apparent K(m) of approximately 0.4 mM) and an unsaturable component. At an external concentration of 0.3 mM, the rate of decarboxylation of applied gluconate was 0.2% of the rate of oxygen consumption by the cells. There was no effect of 0.3 mM gluconate on the rate of oxygen consumption, or on the rate of (14)CO(2) release from either [1-(14)C]glucose or [6-(14)C]glucose by the culture. The following observations argue that gluconate taken up by the cells is metabolised by direct phosphorylation to 6-phosphogluconate and subsequent decarboxylation through 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. First, more than 95% of the label released from [1-(14)C]gluconate during metabolism by the cell culture was recovered as (14)CO(2). Secondly, inhibition of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) by treatment with 6-aminonicotinamide preferentially inhibited release of (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]gluconate relative to that from [1-(14)C]glucose. Thirdly, perturbation of glucose metabolism by glucosamine did not affect (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]gluconate. Fourth, stimulation of the OPPP by phenazine methosulphate stimulated release of (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]gluconate to a far greater extent than that from [1-(14)C]glucose. It is proposed that measurement of (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C]gluconate provides a simple and sensitive technique for monitoring flux through the OPPP pathway in plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Garlick
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Kruger
mesh_terms: D015120:6-Aminonicotinamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005942:Gluconates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008773:Methylphenazonium Methosulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010734:Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005942:Gluconates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008773:Methylphenazonium Methosulfate; D015120:6-Aminonicotinamide; D010734:Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase; D005947:Glucose; D005944:Glucosamine; C008884:6-phosphogluconic acid