Regulation of the Activity of Lactate Dehydrogenases from Four Lactic Acid Bacteria*

Abstract

Despite high similarity in sequence and catalytic properties, the l-lactate dehydrogenases (LDHs) in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) display differences in their regulation that may arise from their adaptation to different habitats. We combined experimental and computational approaches to investigate the effects of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), phosphate (P_i), and ionic strength (NaCl concentration) on six LDHs from four LABs studied at pH 6 and pH 7. We found that 1) the extent of activation by FBP (K_act) differs. Lactobacillus plantarum LDH is not regulated by FBP, but the other LDHs are activated with increasing sensitivity in the following order: Enterococcus faecalis LDH2 ≤ Lactococcus lactis LDH2 < E. faecalis LDH1 < L. lactis LDH1 ≤ Streptococcus pyogenes LDH. This trend reflects the electrostatic properties in the allosteric binding site of the LDH enzymes. 2) For L. plantarum, S. pyogenes, and E. faecalis, the effects of P_i are distinguishable from the effect of changing ionic strength by adding NaCl. 3) Addition of P_i inhibits E. faecalis LDH2, whereas in the absence of FBP, P_i is an activator of S. pyogenes LDH, E. faecalis LDH1, and L. lactis LDH1 and LDH2 at pH 6. These effects can be interpreted by considering the computed binding affinities of P_i to the catalytic and allosteric binding sites of the enzymes modeled in protonation states corresponding to pH 6 and pH 7. Overall, the results show a subtle interplay among the effects of P_i, FBP, and pH that results in different regulatory effects on the LDHs of different LABs.