Pyruvate carboxylase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase as anaplerotic enzymes in skeletal muscle mitochondria.

Oxygen uptake in skeletal muscle mitochondria respiring on pyruvate or on acetylcarnitine plus propionylcarnitine is stimulated 3--4-fold by bicarbonate. The stimulation is highly dependent on ATP. The respiration rate obtained amounts to 1/4-1/3 of the rate obtained with pyruvate-malate in the presence of ADP. With decreasing ATP/ADP ratios in the medium, a decreasing stimulation by bicarbonate is obtained. Similar results were obtained with heart mitochondria. With ATP added, a pyruvate-dependent build up of citric acid cycle intermediates takes place in incubations with skeletal muscle mitochondria amounting to about 0.5 nmol x min-1 x mg protein-1. In 14CO2-fixation experiments, the activity of pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.2.1) amounts to about 3 nmol x min-1 x mg protein-1 under similar conditions. With propionylcarnitine plus acetylcarnitine a similar stimulation of respiration and fixation of bicarbonate is observed. In this case the respiration and the propionyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.3) is less inhibited by ADP. The results are discussed in relation to the regulation of the level of citric acid cycle intermediates in muscle tissues. It is concluded that pyruvate carboxylase is an important anaplerotic enzyme in skeletal muscle mitochondria.