On the mechanism of inactivation and ATP-dependent reactivation of rat liver tyrosine aminotransferase.

The mechanism of in vitro inactivation and ATP-dependent rapid reactivation of rat liver tyrosine aminotransferase by a membrane-bound system from rat liver and kidney cortex and the nucleotide specificity of this process was investigated using partially purified tyrosine amino-transferase as a substrate. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) could be replaced by guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP), Whereas inosine 5'-triphosphate (ITP) was less effective. During reactivation [gamma-32P]ATP was incorporated into the enzyme and not excorporated by incubation of the labeled enzyme with excess non-radioative ATP. Inactivation of labeled tyrosine aminotransferase by a particulate fraction led to a decrease protein-bound radioactivity concomitant with an increase of [32P]orthophosphate. This points to a phosphorylation and dephosphorylation mechanism in the regulation of tyrosine aminotransferase activity.