Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase Isozyme 1 (PDK1)

PDK1codes for an isozyme of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK).The human PDK1 gene encodes a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 49,244 Da that shares 93% identity with that of the rat PDK1 gene. Northern blot analysis showed that the PDK1 message was expressed predominantly in the heart.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is a part of a mitochondrial multienzyme complex that catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and is one of the major enzymes responsible for the regulation of homeostasis of carbohydrate fuels in mammals. The enzymatic activity is regulated by a phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycle. Phosphorylation of PDH by a specific pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) results in inactivation.