Properties and physiological functions of UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase in Arabidopsis

UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase catalyzes the conversion of various monosaccharide 1-phosphates to the respective UDP-sugars in the salvage pathway. Using the genomic database, we cloned a putative gene for UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Arabidopsis. Although relatively stronger expression was detected in the vascular tissue of leaves and the pollen, AtUSP is expressed in most cell types of Arabidopsis, indicating a housekeeping function in nucleotide sugar metabolism. Recombinant AtUSP expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited broad specificity toward monosaccharide 1-phosphates, resulting in the formation of various UDP-sugars such as UDP-glucose, -galactose, -glucuronic acid, -xylose and -L-arabinose. A loss-of-function mutation in the AtUSP gene caused by T-DNA insertion completely abolished male fertility. These results indicate that AtUSP functions as a UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase in the salvage pathway, and that the generation of UDP-sugars from monosaccharide 1-phosphates catalyzed by AtUSP is essential for pollen development in Arabidopsis.     

Structural basis for the broad substrate range of the UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Leishmania major

Nucleotide sugars and the enzymes that are responsible for their synthesis are indispensable for the production of complex carbohydrates and, thus, for elaboration of a protective cellular coat for many organisms such as the protozoan parasite Leishmania. These activated sugars are synthesized de novo or derived from salvaged monosaccharides. In addition to UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) pyrophosphorylase, which catalyzes the formation of UDP-Glc from substrates UTP and glucose-1-phosphate, Leishmania major and plants express a UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase (USP) that exhibits broad substrate specificity in vitro. The enzyme, likely involved in monosaccharide salvage, preferentially generates UDP-Glc and UDP-galactose, but it may also activate other hexose- or pentose-1-phosphates such as galacturonic acid-1-phosphate or arabinose-1-phosphate. In order to gain insight into structural features governing the differences in substrate specificity, we determined the crystal structure of the L. major USP in the APO-, UTP-, and UDP-sugar-bound conformations. The overall tripartite structure of USP exhibits a significant structural homology to other nucleotidyldiphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylases. The obtained USP structures reveal the structural rearrangements occurring during the stepwise binding process of the substrates. Moreover, the different product complexes explain the broad substrate specificity of USP, which is enabled by structural changes in the sugar binding region of the active site.     

Preparation of UDP-galacturonic acid using UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase

UDP-galacturonic acid, the activated form of galacturonic acid (GalUA), is synthesized both de novo and by salvage pathways. The UDP-GalUA pyrophosphorylase gene involved in the salvage pathway has not been identified. Here we show that UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Pisum sativum with a broad specificity has UDP-GalUA pyrophosphorylase activity. The enzyme catalyzed the formation of UDP-GalUA and pyrophosphate from GalUA 1-phosphate and UTP with an equilibrium constant value of 0.24. The recombinant UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase had optimal pH of 6.0, and the apparent K(m) values for GalUA 1-phosphate, UTP, UDP-GalUA, and pyrophosphate were 2.27, 1.15, 0.70, and 1.26 mM, respectively. In the presence of inorganic pyrophosphatase, the recombinant enzyme produced UDP-GalUA in an 84% yield (based on the GalUA 1-phosphate substrate) on a preparative scale. Thus, this UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase is useful for the highly efficient production of UDP-GalUA for studies on pectin biosynthesis.     

Leishmania UDP-sugar Pyrophosphorylase: THE MISSING LINK IN GALACTOSE SALVAGE?

The Leishmania parasite glycocalyx is rich in galactose-containing glycoconjugates that are synthesized by specific glycosyltransferases that use UDP-galactose as a glycosyl donor. UDP-galactose biosynthesis is thought to be predominantly a de novo process involving epimerization of the abundant nucleotide sugar UDP-glucose by the UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, although galactose salvage from the environment has been demonstrated for Leishmania major. Here, we present the characterization of an L. major UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase able to reversibly activate galactose 1-phosphate into UDP-galactose thus proving the existence of the Isselbacher salvage pathway in this parasite. The ordered bisubstrate mechanism and high affinity of the enzyme for UTP seem to favor the synthesis of nucleotide sugar rather than their pyrophosphorolysis. Although L. major UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase preferentially activates galactose 1-phosphate and glucose 1-phosphate, the enzyme is able to act on a variety of hexose 1-phosphates as well as pentose 1-phosphates but not hexosamine 1-phosphates and hence presents a broad in vitro specificity. The newly identified enzyme exhibits a low but significant homology with UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylases and conserved in particular is the pyrophosphorylase consensus sequence and residues involved in nucleotide and phosphate binding. Saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy experiments confirm the importance of these moieties for substrate binding. The described leishmanial enzyme is closely related to plant UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylases and presents a similar substrate specificity suggesting their common origin.     

A bifunctional enzyme with L-fucokinase and GDP-L-fucose pyrophosphorylase activities salvages free L-fucose in Arabidopsis

Monomeric sugars generated during the metabolism of polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids are imported to the cytoplasm and converted to respective nucleotide sugars via monosaccharide 1-phosphates, to be reutilized as activated sugars. Because L-fucose (L-Fuc) is activated mainly in the form of GDP derivatives in seed plants, the salvage reactions for L-Fuc are expected to be independent from those for Glc, Gal, L-arabinose, and glucuronic acid, which are activated as UDP-sugars. For this study we have identified, in the genomic data base of Arabidopsis, the gene (designated AtFKGP) of a bifunctional enzyme with similarity to both L-fucokinase and GDP-L-Fuc pyrophosphorylase. Recombinant AtFKGP (rAt-FKGP) expressed in Escherichia coli showed both L-fucokinase and GDP-L-Fuc pyrophosphorylase activities, generating GDP-L-Fuc from L-Fuc, ATP, and GTP as the starting substrates. Point mutations in rAtFKGPs at either Gly(133) or Gly(830) caused loss of GDP-L-Fuc pyrophosphorylase and l-fucokinase activity, respectively. The apparent K(m) values of L-fucokinase activity of rAtFKGP for L-Fuc and ATP were 1.0 and 0.45 mm, respectively, and those of GDP-L-Fuc pyrophosphorylase activity for L-Fuc 1-phosphate and GTP were 0.052 and 0.17 mm, respectively. The expression of AtFKGP was detected in most cell types of Arabidopsis, indicating that salvage reactions for free L-Fuc catalyzed by AtFKGP occur ubiquitously in Arabidopsis. Loss-of-function mutants with tDNA insertion in AtFKGP exhibited higher accumulation of free L-Fuc in the soluble fraction than the wild-type plant. These results indicate that AtFKGP is a bifunctional enzyme with L-fucokinase and GDP-L-Fuc pyrophosphorylase activities, which salvages free L-Fuc in Arabidopsis.     

Nonradioactive enzyme measurement by high-performance liquid chromatography of partially purified sugar-1-kinase (glucuronokinase) from pollen of Lilium longiflorum

Here we present a highly sensitive and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that enables specific quantification of glucuronokinase activity in partially purified extracts from pollen of Lilium longiflorum without radioactive labeled substrates. This assay uses a recombinant UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase with broad substrate specificity from Pisum sativum (PsUSP) or Arabidopsis thaliana (AtUSP) as a coupling enzyme. Glucuronokinase was partially purified on a DEAE-sepharose column. Kinase activity was measured by a nonradioactive coupled enzyme assay in which glucuronic acid-1-phosphate, produced in this reaction, is used by UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase and further converted to UDP-glucuronic acid. This UDP-sugar, as well as different by-products, is detected by HPLC with either a strong anion exchange column or a reversed phase C18 column at a wavelength of 260 nm. This assay is adaptive to different kinases and sugars because of the broad substrate specificity of USP. The HPLC method is highly sensitive and allows measurement of kinase activity in the range of pmol min^-1. Furthermore, it can be used for determination of pure kinases as well as crude or partially purified enzyme solutions without any interfering background from ATPases or NADH oxidizing enzymes, known to cause trouble in different photometric assays.     

Expression of the Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 synthase in Escherichia coli. Assembly of type 3 polysaccharide on a lipid primer.

Synthesis of the type 3 capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae is catalyzed by the membrane-localized type 3 synthase, which utilizes UDP-Glc and UDP-GlcUA to form high molecular mass [3-beta-d-GlcUA-(1-->4)-beta-d-Glc-(1-->](n). Expression of the synthase in Escherichia coli resulted in synthesis of a 40-kDa protein that was reactive with antibody directed against the C terminus of the synthase and was the same size as the native enzyme. Membranes isolated from E. coli contained active synthase, as demonstrated by the ability to incorporate Glc and GlcUA into a high molecular mass polymer that could be degraded by type 3 polysaccharide-specific depolymerase. As in S. pneumoniae, the membrane-bound synthase from E. coli catalyzed a rapid release of enzyme-bound polysaccharide when incubated with either UDP-Glc or UDP-GlcUA alone. The recombinant enzyme expressed in E. coli was capable of releasing all of the polysaccharide from the enzyme, although the chains remained associated with the membrane. The recombinant enzyme was also able to reinitiate polysaccharide synthesis following polymer release by utilizing a lipid primer present in the membranes. At low concentrations of UDP-Glc and UDP-GlcUA (1 microm in the presence of Mg(2+) and 0.2 microm in Mn(2+)), novel glycolipids composed of repeating disaccharides with linkages consistent with type 3 polysaccharide were synthesized. As the concentration of the UDP-sugars was increased, there was a marked transition from glycolipid to polymer formation. At UDP-sugar concentrations of either 5 microm (with Mg(2+)) or 1.5 microm (with Mn(2+)), 80% of the incorporated sugar was in polymer form, and the size of the polymer increased dramatically as the concentration of UDP-sugars was increased. These results suggest a cooperative interaction between the UDP-precursor-binding site(s) and the nascent polysaccharide-binding site, resulting in a non-processive addition of sugars at the lower UDP-sugar concentrations and a processive reaction as the substrate concentrations increase.     

Depletion of UDP-Glucose and UDP-Galactose Using a Degron System Leads to Growth Cessation of Leishmania major

Interconversion of UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal) by the UDP-Glc 4´-epimerase intimately connects the biosynthesis of these two nucleotide sugars. Their de novo biosynthesis involves transformation of glucose-6-phosphate into glucose-1-phosphate by the phosphoglucomutase and subsequent activation into UDP-Glc by the specific UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (UGP). Besides UGP, Leishmania parasites express an uncommon UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase (USP) able to activate both galactose-1-phosphate and glucose-1-phosphate in vitro. Targeted gene deletion of UGP alone was previously shown to principally affect expression of lipophosphoglycan, resulting in a reduced virulence. Since our attempts to delete both UGP and USP failed, deletion of UGP was combined with conditional destabilisation of USP to control the biosynthesis of UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal. Stabilisation of the enzyme produced by a single USP allele was sufficient to maintain the steady-state pools of these two nucleotide sugars and preserve almost normal glycoinositolphospholipids galactosylation, but at the apparent expense of lipophosphoglycan biosynthesis. However, under destabilising conditions, the absence of both UGP and USP resulted in depletion of UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal and led to growth cessation and cell death, suggesting that either or both of these metabolites is/are essential.     

Non-Michaelian kinetics of rabbit muscle uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase

The kinetic properties of rabbit muscle uridine diphosphoglucose (UDP-Glc) pyrophosphorylase have been studied, in both directions, with respect to substrate saturation, product inhibition, and cation requirement for activity. The results demonstrate that UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase is a non-Michaelian enzyme: the synthetic reaction is characterized by a marked inhibition by glucose-1-phosphate (at concentrations higher than 0.3 mM) and by an hyperbolic saturation for UTP. In the reverse reaction, instead, the saturation function for UDP-Glc is hyperbolic and that for inorganic pyrophosphate is sigmoid, with a high Hill coefficient of (nH) 2.5. The study of the metal requirement indicates a distinctive ability of cations to stimulate the reactions of synthesis and degradation of the sugar nucleotide and a different stoichiometry of the metal chelates involved. The reaction mechanism is of the ordered-sequential type and the data of product inhibition allowed the identification of glucose-1-phosphate as the first substrate bound and UDP-Glc as the last product released. The inhibition pattern by UDP-Glc gives evidence for cooperativity also in the binding of this molecule.     

Identification of lysyl residues located at the substrate-binding site in UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato tuber: affinity labeling with uridine di- and triphosphopyridoxals

Uridine di- and triphosphopyridoxals were used to probe the substrate-binding site in potato tuber UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (EC 2.7.7.9). The enzyme was rapidly inactivated in time- and dose-dependent manners when incubated with either reagent followed by reduction with sodium borohydride. The inactivations were almost completely retarded by UDP-Glc and UTP but only slightly by alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate. The complete inactivation corresponded to the incorporation of about 0.9-1.0 mol of either reagent per mole of enzyme monomer. Both reagents appear to bind specifically to the UDP-Glc-(UTP)-binding site. Structural studies of the labeled enzymes revealed that the two reagents modified the identical set of five lysyl residues (Lys-263, Lys-329, Lys-367, Lys-409, and Lys-410), in which Lys-367 was most prominently modified. The ratios of the amounts of labels incorporated into these residues were similar for the two reagents. Furthermore, linear relationships were observed between the residual activities and the amounts of incorporation into each lysyl residue. We conclude that the five lysyl residues are located at or near the UDP-Glc(UTP)-binding site of potato tuber UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase and that the modification of these residues occurs in a mutually exclusive manner, leading to the inactivation of the enzyme.     

Purification and properties of the adenosine diphosphate-glucose and uridine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylases of Mycobacterium smegmatis: inhibition and activation of the adenosine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase

Crude extracts of Mycobacterium smegmatis catalyzed the synthesis of adenosine diphosphate-glucose (ADP-Glc), cytidine diphosphate-glucose, guanosine diphosphate-glucose (GDP-Glc), thymidine diphosphate-glucose (TDP-Glc), and uridine diphosphate-glucose (UDP-Glc). In these crude enzyme fractions, high concentrations of trehalose-P inhibited the ADP-Glc and GDP-Glc pyrophosphorylases but did not effect the UDP-Glc or TDP-Glc pyrophosphorylases. Both the ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase and the UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase were partially purified (about 140-fold and 60-fold, respectively), and their properties were compared. For the ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, the K(m) for adenosine triphosphate was 6 x 10(-4)m, whereas that for glucose-1-P was 8 x 10(-4)m. The optimal concentration of Mg(2+) was 1 x 10(-3)m, and the pH optimum was 8.5. For the UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, the K(m) for uridine triphosphate was 1 x 10(-3)m and for glucose-1-P was 2 x 10(-3)m. The optimal Mg(2+) concentration was 1 x 10(-3)m, and the pH optimum was about 8.0. The purified ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase was inhibited by fructose-6-P, fructose-1, 6-diphosphate, glucose-6-P, and phosphoenolpyruvate. On the other hand, trehalose, trehalose diphosphate, sodium pyruvate, and ribose-5-P did not effect the ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase. None of these compounds, including trehalose-P, had any effect on the UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase.     

Genetic transformation using Agrobacterium rhizogenes

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (EC 2.7.7.9) has been highly purified from the plant fraction of soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr. cv Williams) nodules. The purified enzyme gave a single polypeptide band following sodium docecyl sulphate polyacryla-mide gel electrophoresis, but was resolved into three bands of activity in non-denaturing gels. The enzyme appeared to be a monomer of molecular weight between 30 and 40 kDa. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase had optimum activity at pH 8.5 and displayed typical hyperbolic kinetics. The enzyme had a requirement for divalent metal ions, and was highly specific for the substrates pyrophosphate and UDP-glucose in the pyrophosphorolysis direction, and glucose-1-phosphate and UTP in the direction of UDP-glucose synthesis. The K_m values were 0.19 m M and 0.07 m M for pyrophosphate and UDP-glucose, respectively, and 0.23 m M and 0.11 m M for glucose-1-phosphate and UTP. The maximum velocity in the pyrophosphorolysis direction was almost double that for the reverse reaction. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase did not appear to be subject to a high degree of fine control, and activity in vivo may be regulated mainly by the availability of the substrates.     

Liver-specific increase of UTP and UDP-sugar concentrations in rats induced by dietary vitamin B6-deficiency and its relation to complex N-glycan structures of liver membrane-proteins

This is the first known report on the influence of vitamin B6-deficiency on the concentration of UDP-sugars and other uracil nucleotides in rats. Animals aged 3 weeks or 2 months were fed a vitamin B6-free diet for periods varying from 3 days to 7 weeks. Nucleotides were quantified by enzymatic-photometry and by SAX-high precision liquid chromatography. In 3 week-old rats, vitamin B6-deficiency resulted in an up to 6.3-fold increase in the concentrations of UTP, UDP, UMP and UDP-sugars and less of CTP in rat liver, while no changes were observed in older rats. In young rats, the concentration of uracil nucleotides started to increase after 1 week diet, with a maximum after 2 weeks. After 5 weeks, the concentrations returned to normal values. In heart, lungs, kidney and brain, concentrations were measured after 2 weeks diet in young rats. In contrast to liver, the heart muscle uracil nucleotide concentrations were decreased by 40%. In kidney, the sum of UTP, UDP and UMP showed a decrease of 40%, whereas UDP-sugars were increased 1.4-fold. In the lungs, nucleotide concentrations were mostly unaffected by vitamin B6-deficiency, despite a 70% increase of UDP-GA. In brain, UDP-Glc, UDP-Gal and the sum of CTP and CDP showed an increase of 30–50%. We became surprised that the increased UDP-sugar concentrations did not influence the structure of liver plasma membrane-N-glycans. Despite the 4 to 6-fold increase of UTP and UDP-sugars, no changes in the complexity or sialylation of these N-glycans could be detected. This study demonstrates that, especially in liver, pyridoxal phosphate is closely involved in the control of uracil nucleotides during a defined period of development. In contrast to in vitro experiments, in vivo N-glycan biosynthesis in liver is regulated by a more complex or higher mechanism than substrate concentrations. Agnes B. Renner and Kathrin Rieger contributed equally.     

Properties of uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase from Golgi apparatus of liver

Golgi apparatus isolated from cat liver contained UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase (UTP:alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.9) activity. The results of washing suggested that pyrophosphorylase was bound firmly to Golgi membranes. Moreover, the enzyme was activated by Triton X-100 in the same extent as galactosyltransferase, a typical Golgi apparatus enzyme. Two-substrate kinetic studies were performed with the enzymes from cytosol and Golgi fractions. The soluble enzyme showed an apparent 2.5-fold greater activity for the glucose 1-phosphate than for UTP, while pyrophosphorylase of Golgi apparatus had the same affinity for the two substrates. A random mechanism was observed with a direct dependence of apparent Michaelis constant values on the concentration of second substrate for soluble enzyme. In contrast, with Golgi enzyme one ligand had no effect on the binding of the other.     

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato tuber: purification and characterization

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato tuber was purified 243-fold to a nearly homogeneous state with a recovery of 30%. The purified enzyme utilized UDP-glucose, but not ADP-glucose, as the substrate, and was not activated by 3-phosphoglyceric acid. Product inhibition studies revealed the sequential binding of UDP-glucose and MgPPi and the sequential release of glucose-1-phosphate and MgUTP, in this order. Analyses of the effects of Mg2+ on the enzyme activity suggest that the MgPPi and MgUTP complexes are the actual substrates for the enzyme reaction, and that free UTP acts as an inhibitor. The enzyme exists probably as the monomer of an approximately 50-kDa polypeptide with a blocked amino terminus. For structural comparison, 29 peptides isolated from a tryptic digest of the S-carboxymethylated enzyme were sequenced. The results show that the potato tuber enzyme is homologous to UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from slime mold, but not to ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Escherichia coli, and provide structural evidence that UDP-glucose and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase are two different protein entities.     

Purification and properties of UDP-glucose (UDP-galactose) pyrophosphorylase from Bifidobacterium bifidum.

An enzyme having both UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal) pyrophosphorylase activities was purified to homogeneity from Bifidobacterium bifidum. The molecular weight of the enzyme was about 200,000 and it appeared to be composed of four identical subunits. The purified enzyme showed almost the same reactivity towards UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal, and showed about 10% of this activity towards UDP-xylose at 8 mM. The enzyme required magnesium ions for maximum activity. The apparent equilibrium constants were about 2.5 for UDP-Glc pyrophosphorolysis and 1.1 for UDP-Gal pyrophosphorolysis. The enzyme activities were inhibited by various nucleotides (product or substrate analogs). Some sugar phosphates, such as fructose 6-P, erythrose 4-P, and 3-phosphoglycerate, stimulated the activities. These properties are discussed in relation to the significance of the enzyme in galactose metabolism of B. bifidum.     

Uridine diphosphate glucose synthase from calf liver: determinants of enzyme activity in vitro.

The reaction catalyzed by calf liver uridine diphosphate glucose synthase (pyrophosphorylase) (EC 2.7.7.9; UTP + glucose 1-phosphate = UDP-glucose + PPi) is an example of an enzymic reaction in which a nucleoside triphosphate other than ATP is the immediate source of metabolic energy. Kinetic properties of the enzyme, acting in the direction of UCP-glucose formation were investigated in vitro. The reaction was inhibited by UDP-glucose (0.072), Pi (11), UDP (1.6), UDP-xylose (0.87), UDP-glucuronate (1.3), and UDP-galacturonate (0.95). The numbers in parentheses indicate the concentration (mM) required for half-maximal inhibition under the conditions used. Other compounds tested, including ATP, ADP, and AMP, had no effect. Over a range of concentrations of UTP (0.04-0.8 MM) and UDP-glucose (0.05-0.03 mM), the reaction rate was more dependent on the concentration ratio [UDP-glucose]/[UTP] than on the absolute concentration of either compound. Comparison of the kinetic properties in vitro with estimates of metabolite levels in vivo suggests that (1) the enzyme operates in a range far from its maximal rate, and (2) the concentrations of glucose 1-phosphate and Pi and the ratio [UDP-glucose]/[UTP] may be the most important determinants of UDP-glucose synthase activity.     

Synthesis and properties of 5-azido-UDP-glucose. Development of photoaffinity probes for nucleotide diphosphate sugar binding sites

A new active site directed photoaffinity probe, which is a model compound for studying nucleotide diphosphate sugar binding proteins, has been synthesized by coupling 5-azido-UTP and [32P]Glc-1-P using yeast UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase to produce [beta-32P]5-azidouridine 5'-diphosphoglucose (5N3UDP-Glc). This probe has photochemical properties similar to that of 5-azidoUTP (Evans, R. K., and Haley, B. E. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 269-276). The efficacy of 5N3UDP-Glc as an active site directed probe was demonstrated using yeast UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase. Saturation effects of photoinsertion were observed with an apparent Kd of 51 microM and the natural substrate, UDP-Glc, prevented photoinsertion of [beta-32P]5N3UDP-Glc with an apparent Kd of 87 microM. Prevention of photoinsertion was also seen with UTP and pyrophosphate with apparent Kd values less than 200 microM. UMP, UDP, ATP, and GTP were much less effective competitors. Selective photoinsertion was observed with several partially purified enzymes including UDP-Glc dehydrogenase, UDP-Gal-4-epimerase, Gal-1-P uridyltransferase, and phosphorylase a. The absence of nonselective photoinsertion into bulk proteins was demonstrated with crude homogenates of rabbit liver as well as with several UDP-Glc binding proteins. Of the six purified enzymes tested, only phosphoglucomutase has been shown to incorporate radiolabel from the photoprobe in the absence of UV irradiation. These results and a discussion of the utility of 5N3UDP-Glc for detecting UDP-Glc binding proteins and isolating active site peptides are presented.