A Mathematical Model for Enzyme Clustering in Glucose Metabolism

Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 9;8(1):2696. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20348-7.

Abstract

We have recently demonstrated that the rate-limiting enzymes in human glucose metabolism organize into cytoplasmic clusters to form a multienzyme complex, the glucosome, in at least three different sizes. Quantitative high-content imaging data support a hypothesis that the glucosome clusters regulate the direction of glucose flux between energy metabolism and building block biosynthesis in a cluster size-dependent manner. However, direct measurement of their functional contributions to cellular metabolism at subcellular levels has remained challenging. In this work, we develop a mathematical model using a system of ordinary differential equations, in which the association of the rate-limiting enzymes into multienzyme complexes is included as an essential element. We then demonstrate that our mathematical model provides a quantitative principle to simulate glucose flux at both subcellular and population levels in human cancer cells. Lastly, we use the model to simulate 2-deoxyglucose-mediated alteration of glucose flux in a population level based on subcellular high-content imaging data. Collectively, we introduce a new mathematical model for human glucose metabolism, which promotes our understanding of functional roles of differently sized multienzyme complexes in both single-cell and population levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrate Metabolism
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Theoretical

Substances

  • Glucose