Regulation of isocitrate metabolism in Chlamydomonas segnis

Isocitrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.1) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+) (EC 1.1.1.42) activities were detected in cell-free extracts of Chlamydomonas segnis Ettl when the alga was grown photoautotrophically with 5% CO2 in air (v/v) at 11 klx. When the cultures were either bubbled with air (0.03% CO2), exposed to low light intensity (3 klx), or subjected to manganese or nitrogen deficiency, isocitrate lyase activity was undetectable. During growth in batch cultures provided with 5% CO2, the activity of the dehydrogenase was about 5–12 times greater than the lyase.Using partially purified (about 50-fold) enzyme preparations, isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+) showed greater affinity for isocitrate (Km = 0.008 mM) than did isocitrate lyase (Km = 0.1 mM). The dehydrogenase had Km values of 0.011 mM and 0.006 mM for NADP and Mn2+, respectively. Both enzymes were inhibited by α-ketoglutarate and oxalacetate at 1 mM, but the dehydrogenase was more sensitive to these two keto acids (68–79%) than the lyase (36%). Glycolate at 1 mM inhibited (36%) only the lyase, while glyoxylate had little effect. The dehydrogenase was subject to concerted inhibition by oxalacetate plus glyoxylate (Ki = 0.01 mM). This inhibition was competitive with respect to isocitrate, and preincubation of the enzyme with NADP in absence of isocitrate was necessary for effective inhibition. Each of NADPH (Ki = 0.06 mM) and ATP (Ki = 0.65 mM) was a non-competitive inhibitor (with respect to isocitrate) of isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+), and both nucleotides are suggested to be active in the in vivo regulation of isocitrate metabolism in C. segnis during photoautotrophy.