The binding of glucose and nucleotides to hexokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The binding of glucose, ADP and AdoPP[NH]P, to the native PII dimer and PII monomer and the proteolytically-modified SII monomer of hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was monitored at pH 6.7 by the concomitant quenching of protein fluorescence. The data were analysed in terms of Qmax, the maximal quenching of fluorescence at saturating concentrations of ligand, and [L]0.5, the concentration of ligand at half-maximal quenching. No changes in fluorescence were observed with free enzyme and nucleotide alone. In the presence of saturating levels of glucose, Qmax induced by nucleotide was between 2 and 7%, and [L]0.5 was between 0.12 and 0.56 mM, depending on the nucleotide and enzyme species. Qmax induced by glucose alone was between 22 and 25%, while [L]0.5 was approx. 0.4 mM for either of the monomeric hexokinase forms and 3.4 for PII dimer. In the presence of 6 mM ADP or 2 mM AdoPP[NH]P, Qmax for glucose was increased by up to 4% and [L]0.5 was diminished 3-fold for hexokinase PII monomer, 6-fold for SII monomer, and 15-fold for PII dimer. The results are interpreted in terms of nucleotide-induced conformational change of hexokinase in the presence of glucose and synergistic binding interactions between glucose and nucleotide.     

The binding of glucose to yeast hexokinase monomers is independent of ionic strength.

Hoggett & Kellett [Eur. J. Biochem. 66, 65-77 (1976)] have reported that the binding of glucose to the monomer of hexokinase PII isoenzyme is independent of ionic strength, in contrast to the subsequent claim of Feldman & Kramp [Biochemistry 17, 1541-1547 (1978)] that the binding is strongly dependent on ionic strength. Since measurements with native hexokinase P forms are complicated by the fact that the enzyme exists in a monomer-dimer association-dissociation equilibrium, we have now studied the binding of glucose to the proteolytically-modified S forms which are monomeric. At pH 8.5, the affinity of glucose for both SI and SII monomers is independent of salt concentration over the range of KCl concentrations 0-1.0 mol . dm-3 and is in good agreement with that of the corresponding P forms in both low and high salt. These observations confirm that the binding of glucose to hexokinase P monomers is independent of ionic strength and that the affinity of glucose for the hexokinase PII monomer is about an order of magnitude greater than that for the dimer.     

Fluorescence quenching of dimeric and monomeric forms of yeast hexokinase (PII): effect of substrate binding steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies

Fluorescence quenching studies on the PII isoenzyme of yeast hexokinase have been performed using charged as well as polar uncharged quenchers. In both 'open' (i.e. in the absence of glucose) and 'closed' (i.e. in the presence of glucose) forms of the enzyme, bimolecular quenching rate constant (kq) for acrylamide is significantly larger than that of KI, indicating that all the tryptophans are not fully exposed to the solvent. Overall accessibility of tryptophans towards KI was greater in the presence of glucose than in the absence of glucose. At high ionic strength, the value of bimolecular quenching rate constant (kq) for KI did not change suggesting that the average environment of the accessible tryptophan residue(s) is almost neutral. Quenching by KI is dynamic in nature. Accessibility of tryptophans towards acrylamide at concentration > or = 0.2 M was more in the 'open' form of the enzyme than that observed in the 'closed' form whereas at concentration < or = 0.2 M no significant difference in the extent of quenching was observed. It is reasonable to conclude that glucose induced conformational change leads some tryptophan residue(s) to be more exposed and at the same time some tryptophan residue(s) in the hydrophobic region become more buried. Dimeric and monomeric forms of the enzyme behave similarly towards the quenching by acrylamide. In the unfolded state, the accessibility of tryptophans was considerably higher for both the quenchers. Temperature dependent study and the fluorescence lifetime data indicate that the mechanism of quenching by acrylamide is primarily dynamic in nature.     

Specificity of ligand binding to yeast hexokinase PII studied by STD-NMR

Hexokinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose and is the first enzyme in glycolysis. To investigate enzyme–ligand interactions in yeast hexokinase isoform PII under physiological conditions, we utilized the technique of Saturation Transfer Difference NMR (STD NMR) to monitor binding modes and binding affinities of different ligands at atomic resolution. These experiments clearly show that hexokinase tolerates several changes at C-2 of its main substrate glucose, whereas epimerization of C-4 significantly reduces ligand binding. Although both glucose anomers bind to yeast hexokinase, the α-form is the preferred form for the phosphorylation reaction. These findings allow mapping of tolerated and prohibited modification sites on the ligand. Furthermore, competitive titration experiments show that mannose has the highest binding affinity of all examined sugars. As several naturally occurring sugars in cells show binding affinities in a similar range, hexokinase may be considered as an ‘emergency enzyme’ in yeast cells. Taken together, our results represent a comprehensive analysis of ligand–enzyme interactions in hexokinase PII and provide a valuable basis for inhibitor design and metabolic engineering.     

Glucose sensing based on the intrinsic fluorescence of sol-gel immobilized yeast hexokinase

In this study, we investigated measurements of the intrinsic fluorescence of yeast hexokinase as an assay for glucose and immobilization of the enzyme in a silica sol-gel matrix as a potential in vivo glucose sensor for use in patients with diabetes. The intrinsic fluorescence of hexokinase in solution (excitation=295 nm, emission=330 nm) decreased by 23% at a saturating glucose concentration of 1 mM (Kd=0.3 mM), but serum abolished the glucose-related fluorescence response. When entrapped in tetramethylorthosilicate-derived sol gel, hexokinase retained activity, with a 25% maximal glucose-related decrease in intrinsic fluorescence, and the saturation point was increased to 50 mM glucose (Kd=12.5 mM). The glucose response range was increased further (to 120 mM, Kd=57 mM) by a covering membrane of poly(2-hydroxyethyl) methacrylate. Unlike free enzyme, the fluorescence responses to glucose with sol-gel immobilized hexokinase, with or without covering membrane, were similar for buffer and serum. We conclude that fluorescence monitoring of sol-gel entrapped yeast hexokinase is a suitable system for development as an in vivo glucose biosensor.     

Examination of substrate-induced conformational changes in the Na+/glucose cotransporter

Conformations of the Na+/glucose cotransporter were examined using tryptophan fluorescence and substrates to induce cotransporter conformational changes. Addition of Na+ but not K+ or TMA+ resulted in a saturable quenching of tryptophan fluorescence with a K0.5 for Na+ of 28 mM. In the presence of saturating Na+ concentrations, d-glucose but not l-glucose, fructose, or phlorizin resulted in a partial return of tryptophan fluorescence to approximately 70% of the substrate-free levels. This return of tryptophan fluorescence was a saturable function of d-glucose concentration with a K0.5 of 43 microM. The three conformations were compared with respect to their sensitivity to tryptophan quench reagents. Acrylamide quenching was unaffected by substrates. In contrast, I- quenching decreased 40% in the presence of Na+, while Cs+ quenching increased 64%. Addition of saturating d-glucose concentrations resulted in the return of I- quenching to 90% of the substrate-free values and reduced Cs+ quenching to substrate-free levels. In contrast, phlorizin did not mimic the effect of d-glucose on tryptophan fluorescence. These results are interpreted in terms of a second substrate-induced cotransporter conformational change which based on similar substrate specificities appears directly related to cotransporter-mediated Na+ and d-glucose transport.     

Xylose induced decrease in hexokinase PII activity confers resistance to carbon catabolite repression of invertase synthesis in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The relationship between the xylose induced decrease in hexokinase PII activity and the derepression of invertase synthesis in yeast is described. When xylose was added to cells growing in a chemostat under nitrogen limitation, the catabolic repression was supressed as shown by the large increase on invertase levels even if glucose remained high. The glucose phosphorylating-enzymes were separated by hydroxylapatite chromatography and it is shown that the treatment with xylose is accompanied by a loss of 98% hexokinase PII and a 50% of the PI isoenzyme, whereas the levels of glucokinase as well as those of glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, pyruvate and ATP remained unaffected.The analysis of the enzymes present in cells grown in ethanol, limiting glucose and high glucose, shows that hexokinase PII predominates in cells under catabolic repression, the opposite is true for glucokinase, whereas hexokinase PI remains unaffected.     

The high resolution crystal structure of yeast hexokinase PII with the correct primary sequence provides new insights into its mechanism of action

Hexokinase is the first enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, catalyzing the transfer of a phosphoryl group from ATP to glucose to form glucose 6-phosphate and ADP. Two yeast hexokinase isozymes are known, namely PI and PII. The crystal structure of yeast hexokinase PII from Saccharomyces cerevisiae without substrate or competitive inhibitor is determined and refined in a tetragonal crystal form at 2.2-A resolution. The folding of the peptide chain is very similar to that of Schistosoma mansoni and previous yeast hexokinase models despite only 30% sequence identity between them. Distinct differences in conformation are found that account for the absence of glucose in the binding site. Comparison of the current model with S. mansoni and yeast hexokinase PI structures both complexed with glucose shows in atomic detail the rigid body domain closure and specific loop movements as glucose binds. A hydrophobic channel formed by strictly conserved hydrophobic residues in the small domain of the hexokinase is identified. The channel's mouth is close to the active site and passes through the small domain to its surface. The possible role of the observed channel in proton transfer is discussed.     

Autophosphorylation of yeast hexokinase PII

Autophosphorylation of hexokinase PII was studied using an enzyme purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Incubation of this enzyme preparation with [gamma-32P]ATP and Mn2+ or Mg2+ gave a phosphoprotein of molecular mass 58,000 which corresponded to hexokinase PII. D-Xylose stimulated autophosphorylation of hexokinase PII. Dilution of hexokinase PII over a 10-fold concentration range did not change the specific activity of hexokinase PII autophosphorylation suggesting that it may occur by an intramolecular mechanism.     

Volumetric and spectroscopic characterizations of glucose-hexokinase association

The binding of D-glucose to hexokinase PII at 25 degrees C and pH 8.7 has been investigated by a combination of ultrasonic velocimetry, high precision densimetry, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The binding of glucose to the enzyme results in significant dehydration of the two interacting molecules, while the intrinsic coefficient of adiabatic compressibility of hexokinase slightly decreases. Glucose-hexokinase association is an entropy-driven process. The favorable change in entropy results from compensation between two large contributions. The binding-induced increase in hydrational entropy slightly prevails over the decrease in the configurational entropy of the enzyme. Taken together, our results emphasize the crucial role of water in modulating the energetics of protein recognition.     

Influence of the oligomeric state of yeast hexokinase isozymes on inactivation and unfolding by urea.

The effect of the association-dissociation equilibrium on the urea-induced inactivation and unfolding of the yeast hexokinase isoforms, PI and PII, showed that these enzymes are more stable as dimers. For the monomeric PII, the inactivation and unfolding processes occurred in parallel. However, inactivation precedes the unfolding of monomeric PI or dimeric PI and PII. The unfolding transitions are biphasic for PI indicating stable intermediates, whereas for the PII isoform the unfolding occurs in a single step. Our data suggests that although PI and PII present a 78% identity in their amino acid sequences, they probably have distinct inactivation and unfolding by urea behavior.     

Glucose phosphorylation. Interaction of a 50-amino acid peptide of yeast hexokinase with trinitrophenyl ATP

A 50-amino acid peptide predicted by chemical modification studies of yeast hexokinase to contain an ATP-binding site has been synthesized and purified. The peptide, which includes residues from glutamate 78 at the NH2-terminal end to leucine 127 at the COOH-terminal, resides within the smaller of the two lobes found in the three-dimensional structure of yeast hexokinase. It is this region which has been reported recently to exhibit significant sequence homology with hexokinase types I and IV of higher eukaryotic cells and sequence homology with the active site of protein kinases. Similar to native yeast hexokinase, the 50-amino acid peptide interacts strongly with the fluorescent analog TNP-ATP [2',(3')-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-adenosine-5'-triphosphate]. A 5-fold enhancement is observed when 8 microM peptide interacts with 20 microM TNP-ATP. The stoichiometry of binding is very close to 1 mol of TNP-ATP/mol peptide. Also, similar to native yeast hexokinase, the fluorescent enhancement observed upon TNP-ATP binding to the synthetic peptide is greater than that observed upon TNP-ADP binding. Finally, TNP-AMP exhibits a much lower fluorescent enhancement in the presence of hexokinase or the synthetic peptide. The additional findings that ATP can readily prevent TNP-ATP binding and that TNP-ATP can substitute for ATP as a weak substrate for hexokinase in the phosphorylation of glucose indicate that the synthetic peptide described here comprises part of the catalytic site.     

Cloning and restriction analysis of the hexokinase PII gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Carbon catabolite repression in yeast depends on catalytic active hexokinase isoenzyme PII (Entian 1980a). A yeast strain lacking hexokinase isoenzymes PI and PII was transformed, using a recombinant pool with inserts of yeast nuclear DNA up to 10 kbp in length. One hundred transformants for hexokinase were obtained. All selected plasmids coded for hexokinase isoenzyme PII, none for hexokinase isoenzyme PI, and carbon catabolite repression was restored in the transformants. Thirty-five independently isolated stable plasmids were investigated further. Analysis with the restriction enzyme EcoRI showed that these plasmids fell into two classes with different restriction behaviour. One representative of each class was amplified in Escherichia coli and transferred back into the yeast hexokinase-deficient strain with concomitant complementation of the nuclear mutation. The two types of insert were analysed in detail with 16 restriction enzymes, having 0–3 cleavage sites on transformant vector YRp7. The plasmids differed from each other by the orientation of the yeast insert in the vector. After yeast transformation with fragments of one plasmid the hexokinase PII gene was localised within a region of 1.65 kbp.     

Proteolysis of hexokinase PII is not the triggering signal of carbon catabolite derepression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The role of hexokinase PII in mediating carbon catabolite derepression in yeast has been examined. Hexokinase isoenzyme PII (EC 2.7.1.1) was partially degraded when protease inhibitors were omitted from the buffer used for preparation of cell-free extracts. The hexokinase PII inactivation induced by D-xylose was correlated with derepression of maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) in the wild-type strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae G-517 and in D.308.3, a strain that contains the cloned hexokinase PII gene on a multicopy plasmid. This inactivation was not correlated with the loss of hexokinase PII protein as assayed by immunoblotting. We conclude that during the derepression process there is no release of proteolytic peptides from hexokinase PII.     

Malate dehydrogenase, anticooperative NADH, and L-malate binding in ternary complexes with Supernatant pig heart enzyme.

Supernatant malate dehydrogenase from pig heart, a dimeric protein containing two very similar or identical subunits, shows negatively cooperative (anticooperative) interactions between NADH binding sites in the presence, but not in the absence, of 0.1 M L-malate. This behavior is observed consitently whether the technique used employs protein fluorescence quenching, NADH fluorescence enhancement, or ultrafiltration dialysis. Fluorescence titration shows that L-malate is also anticooperatively bound in the presence of saturating concentrations of NADH. The data are consistent with an "induced asymmetry" model in which conformational change accompanies the formation of the ternary complex. Two of the three chromatographically resolvable forms of the enzyme have been tested and found to have anticooperative behavior.     

Cloning of hexokinase structural genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with regulatory mutations responsible for glucose repression.

The regulatory hexokinase PII mutants isolated previously (K.-D. Entian and K.-U. Fröhlich, J. Bacteriol. 158:29-35, 1984) were characterized further. These mutants were defective in glucose repression. The mutation was thought to be in the hexokinase PII structural gene, but it did not affect the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Hence, a regulatory domain for glucose repression was postulated. For further understanding of this regulatory system, the mutationally altered hexokinase PII proteins were isolated from five mutants obtained independently and characterized by their catalytic constants and bisubstrate kinetics. None of these characteristics differed from those of the wild type, so the catalytic center of the mutant enzymes remained unchanged. The only noticeable difference observed was that the in vivo modified form of hexokinase PII, PIIM, which has been described recently (K.-D. Entian and E. Kopetzki, Eur. J. Biochem. 146:657-662, 1985), was absent from one of these mutants. It is possible that the PIIM modification is directly connected with the triggering of glucose repression. To establish with certainty that the mutation is located in the hexokinase PII structural gene, the genes of these mutants were isolated after transforming a hexokinaseless mutant strain and selecting for concomitant complementation of the nuclear function. Unlike hexokinase PII wild-type transformants, glucose repression was not restored in the hexokinase PII mutant transformants. In addition mating experiments with these transformants followed by tetrad analysis of sporulated diploids gave clear evidence of allelism to the hexokinase PII structural gene.     

Kinetic properties of hexokinase under near-physiological conditions. Relation to metabolic arrest in Artemia embryos during anoxia

Previous analyses of glycolytic metabolites in Artemia embryos indicate that an acute inhibition of glucose phosphorylation occurs during pHi-mediated metabolic arrest under anoxia. We describe here kinetic features of hexokinase purified from brine shrimp embryos in an attempt to explain the molecular basis for this inhibition. At saturating concentrations of cosubstrate, ADP is an uncompetitive inhibitor toward glucose and a partial noncompetitive inhibitor toward ATP (Kis = 0.86 mM, Kii = 1.0 mM, Kid = 1.9 mM). With cosubstrates at subsaturating concentrations, the uncompetitive inhibition versus glucose becomes noncompetitive, while inhibition versus ATP remains partial noncompetitive. The partial noncompetitive inhibition of ADP versus ATP is characterized by a hyperbolic intercept replot. These product inhibition patterns are consistent with a random mechanism of enzyme action that follows the preferred order of glucose binding first and glucose-6-P dissociating last. We propose that inhibition by glucose-6-P (Kis = 65 microM) occurs primarily by competing with ATP at the active site, resulting in the formation of the dead-end complex, enzyme-glucose-glucose-6-P. Versus glucose, inhibition by glucose-6-P is uncompetitive at pH 8.0 and noncompetitive at pH 6.8. Over a physiologically relevant pH range of 8.0 to 6.8 alterations in Km and Ki values do not account for the reduction in glucose phosphorylation, and no evidence suggests that Artemia hexokinase activity is modulated by reversible binding to intracellular structures. Total aluminum in the embryos is 4.01 +/- 0.36 micrograms/g dry weight, or, based upon tissue hydration, 72 microM. This concentration of aluminum dramatically reduces enzyme activity at pH values less than 7.2, even in the presence of physiological metal ion chelators (citrate, phosphate). When pH, aluminum, citrate, phosphate, substrates, and products were maintained at cellular levels measured under anoxia, we can account for a 90% inhibition of hexokinase relative to activity under control (aerobic) conditions.     

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate increases the binding affinity of yeast phosphofructokinase to AMP

At saturating concentrations of AMP four molecules of this ligand are bound per octamer of yeast phosphofructokinase. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate increases the binding affinity of the enzyme to AMP. This indicates synergistic cooperation of the two allosteric activators in the binding process. The stoichiometry of binding is not altered by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate.     

Inhibition and inactivation of glucose-phosphorylating enzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by D-xylose

Three glucose-phosphorylating enzymes were separated from cell-free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by hydroxylapatite chromatography. Variations in the amounts of these enzymes in cells growing on glucose and on ethanol showed that hexokinase PI was a constitutive enzyme, whereas synthesis of hexokinase PII and glucokinase were regulated by the carbon source used. Glucokinase proved to be a glucomannokinase with Km values of 0.04 mM for both glucose and mannose. D-Xylose produced an irreversible inactivation of the three glucose-phosphorylating enzymes depending on the presence or absence of ATP. Hexokinase PI inactivation required ATP, while hexokinase PII was inactivated by D-xylose without ATP in the reaction mixture. Glucokinase was protected by ATP from this inactivation. D-Xylose acted as a competitive inhibitor of hexokinase PI and glucokinase and as a non-competitive inhibitor of hexokinase PII.     

Cloning of hexokinase isoenzyme PI from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: PI transformants confirm the unique role of hexokinase isoenzyme PII for glucose repression in yeasts

Summary Hexokinase isoenzyme PI was cloned using a gene pool obtained from a yeast strain having only one functional hexokinase, isoenzyme PI. The gene was characterized using 20 restriction enzymes and located within a region of 2.0 kbp. The PI plasmid strongly hybridized with the PII plasmids isolated previously (Fröhlich et al. 1984). Hence there was a close relationship between the two genes, one of which must have been derived from the other by gene duplication. In conrrast, glucose repression was restored only in hexokinase PII transformants; PI transformants remained non-repressible. This observation provided additional evidence for the hypothesis of Entian (1980) that only hexokinase PII is necessary for glucose repression. Furthermore, glucose phosphorylating activity in PI transformants exceeded that of wild-type cells, giving clear evidence that the phosphorylating capacity is not important for glucose repression.