Evidence that rat liver pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activator protein is a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase.
It is shown here that rat liver pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinase activator protein (KAP) catalyses ATP-dependent inactivation and [32P]phosphorylation of pig heart PDHE1 and of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) PDH complex devoid of PDH kinase activity, that fluorosulphonylbenzoyladenosine inactivates rat liver KAP and the intrinsic PDH kinase of rat liver PDH complex, and that KAP, like PDH kinase, is inactivated by thiol-reactive reagents. It is concluded that KAP is a free PDH kinase.