Structural and Functional relationship of the recombinant catalytic subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase

Catalytic subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (PDPc) has been suggested to have three major funational domains such as dihydrplipoamide adetyltransferase(E2)-binding domain, regulatory subunit of PDP(PDP)r-binding domain, and calcium-binding domain. In order to identify functional domains, recombinant catalytic subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase(rPDPc) was expressed in E. coli JM101 and purified to near homogeneity using the unique property of PDPc: PDPc binds to the inner lipoyl domain (L2) of E2 of ppyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) in the presence of Ca+2, not under EGTA. PDPc was limited-proteolysed by typsin, chymotypsin, Arg-C, and elastase at pH 7.0 and 30C and N-terminal analysis of the fragments was done. Chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase made two major fragments: N-terminal large fragment, approx. 50kD and C-terminal small fragment, approx.10 kDa. Arg-C made three major fragments: N-terminal fragment, approx. 35kD, and central fragment, approx. 15 kD, and C-terminal fragment, approx. 10 kD. This study strongly suggest that PDPc consists of three major functional domains. However, further study should be necessary to identify the functional role.