Coordinate regulation of tetrahydrobiopterin turnover and phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in rat liver cells.

This work had two purposes: (i) to determine in vivo whether liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) is regulated by its substrates phenylalanine and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) as studies with purified enzyme suggest and (ii) to investigate in vivo the relationship between PAH activity and BH4 turnover. We found there are two BH4 pools in hepatocytes, one that is metabolically available (free BH4) and one that is not (bound BH4). Bound BH4 appears bound to PAH; the PAH-BH4 complex has much less catalytic activity and is less readily phenylalanine activated than uncomplexed enzyme. Interconversion of activated and unactivated PAH and bound and free BH4 is driven by phenylalanine; and free BH4 concentration is determined by the state of activation and activity of PAH. In hepatocytes, BH4 and PAH (subunit) concentrations are equal, all intracellular BH4 appears to be available to PAH, and free BH4 turns over rapidly (t1/2 approximately 1 hr). There is no evidence for feedback inhibition of BH4 synthesis; the BH4 synthetic rate appears high when free BH4 concentration is high and low when free BH4 is low. The data provide support in vivo that phenylalanine and BH4 are positive and negative regulators of the activity and activation state of PAH in the proposed manner; they also imply that regulation of BH4 turnover and PAH activity are linked processes, which are both controlled by phenylalanine concentration.