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Glutamine Metabolism in Mammalian Tissues pp 122–137Cite as

Liver Glutaminase

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Abstract

The original observation that extracts of liver contain considerable gluta- mine-hydrolysing activity was reported by Krebs in 1935 [1]. Errera [2] demonstrated that the major part of the glutaminase activity was dependent on added phosphate and was located in the particulate fraction of the liver. Definitive evidence that glutaminase is a mitochondrial enzyme was first obtained by Guha [3]. Liver extracts also contain a phosphate-independent glutamine-hydrolysing activity located in the supernatant fraction [2, 4–6]. This activity is stimulated by maleate and represents a partial reaction of γ -glutamyltransferase (EC 2.3.2.2) [7]. In a careful reinvestigation of the characteristics of glutamine hydrolysis in rat liver extracts, Horowitz and Knox [8] showed that 90% of the glutamine hydrolysing activity was phosphate-de- pendent and located in the mitochondria and was thus catalysed by the enzyme now classified as glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, England

    N. M. Bradford

  2. Laboratory of Biochemistry, B.C.P. Jansen Institute, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 20151, 1000 HD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    A. J. Verhoeven & A. J. Meijer

Authors
  1. J. D. Mcgivan
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  2. N. M. Bradford
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  3. A. J. Verhoeven
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  4. A. J. Meijer
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Hugstetterstraße 55, 7800, Freiburg, Germany

    Dieter Häussinger

  2. Institut für Physiologische Chemie I, Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstraβe 5, 4000, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Helmut Sies

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Mcgivan, J.D., Bradford, N.M., Verhoeven, A.J., Meijer, A.J. (1984). Liver Glutaminase. In: Häussinger, D., Sies, H. (eds) Glutamine Metabolism in Mammalian Tissues. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69754-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69754-8_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-69756-2

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