Temperature and enzyme activity in poikilotherms. Isocitrate dehydrogenases in rainbow-trout liver

1. The kinetics of the thermally induced enzyme variants of the supernatant NADP–isocitrate dehydrogenase from rainbow-trout liver are investigated. 2. Fish acclimatized to 2°C (cold-adapted enzyme) and 17°C (warm-adapted enzyme) show different relative distributions of the three NADP–isocitrate dehydrogenase isoenzymes; this has been demonstrated with electrophoresis and electrofocusing techniques. 3. Plots of K_m versus temperature for the cold-adapted and warm-adapted enzyme variants are complex in nature with apparent maximal enzyme–substrate affinity corresponding to the temperature at which the trout is acclimatized. Both substrates, dl-isocitrate and NADP⁺, give similar curves although the magnitude of the K_m change with temperature is much decreased in the case of NADP⁺. 4. E_a values of approx. 18kcal/mol were determined for both the cold-adapted and warm-adapted enzyme variants. 5. In an attempt to determine how velocities can be increased at low temperatures, cation, pH requirements, metabolite and enzyme concentrations were examined. 6. NAD–isocitrate dehydrogenase could not be detected in trout tissues.