Adaptive changes in the capacity of systems used for the synthesis of citrulline in rat liver mitochondria in response to high- and low-protein diets

Abstract

1. Citrulline synthesis was measured in mitochondria from rats fed on a standard diet, a high-protein diet, or on glucose. 2. With NH₄Cl as the nitrogen source the rate of citrulline synthesis was higher in mitochondria from rats fed on a high-protein diet than in those from rats fed on a standard diet. When rats were fed solely on glucose the rate of synthesis of citrulline from NH₄Cl was very low. 3. With glutamate as the nitrogen source the relative rates of citrulline synthesis were much lower than when NH₄Cl was present, but similar adaptive changes occurred. 4. The activity of the mitochondrial glutamate-transporting system increased two to three times on feeding rats on a high-protein diet, but the K_m for glutamate was unchanged. 5. Adaptive changes in certain intramitochondrial enzymes were also measured. 6. The results were interpreted to indicate that when an excess of substrate was present, citrulline synthesis from NH₄Cl was rate-limited by the intramitochondrial concentration of N-acetyl-glutamate, but citrulline synthesis from glutamate was rate-limited primarily by the activity of the glutamate-transporting system.