Molecular analysis of cytosolic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenases isolated from domestic cats (Felis catus)

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) plays crucial roles in energy and cellular metabolism. In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of cytosolic MDH (MDH1) and mitochondrial MDH (MDH2) in liver of domestic cat (Felis catus). To clone the feline full-length MDH genes, we performed rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The MDH1 gene encoded a protein of 334 amino acids and the MDH2 gene encoded a protein of 338 amino acids, containing a 24-amino acid mitochondrial target sequence. The feline MDH1 and MDH2 proteins shared, respectively, 98.8-93.7 and 96.7-94.4% homology with dog, giant panda, horse, cow, pig, human, mouse, and rat. The feline MDHs had a highly conserved active motif, which contained important residues for catalysis and coenzyme binding. The putatively acetylated lysine residues that regulate MDH activity were also conserved at K118, K121, and K298 in MDH1, and K185, K301, K307, and K314 in MDH2. Both MDH1 and MDH2 mRNAs were ubiquitously expressed, but these expression levels varied in a tissue-specific manner. Both MDH genes were expressed at considerably high levels in heart and skeletal muscle, but at low levels in lung and spleen.