Influence of free Mg2+ on the kinetics of human erythrocyte phosphofructokinase

The influence of Mg2+ on the reaction catalyzed by human erythrocyte phosphofructokinase has been investigated using kinetic methods. The catalytic activity of PFK is dependent upon the presence of Mg2+ which constitutes with ATP the true Mg-ATP2- substrate. Free Mg2+ has no influence on the affinity of the enzyme for Mg-ATP2- substrate. Erythrocyte PFK is more inhibited by ATP4- and uncomplexed citrate than it is by Mg-ATP2- and Mg-citrate. Free Mg2+ relieves the MgATP2- and Mg-citrate inhibition under conditions where free ATP4-is negligible. We can assume that uncomplexed Mg2+ acts as positive effector by direct binding to the enzyme. These results emphasize the role of Mg2+ in the regulation of PFK activity in the erythrocyte.     

Erythrocyte phosphofructokinase in rat strains with genetically determined differences in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels

We have studied the erythrocyte enzyme phosphofructokinase (PFK) from two strains of Long-Evans rats with genetically determined differences in erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels. The DPG difference is due to two alleles at one locus. With one probable exception, the genotype at this locus is always associated with the hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoretic phenotype, due to a polymorphism at the ^III-globin locus. The enzyme PFK has been implicated in the DPG difference because glycolytic intermediate levels suggest that this enzyme has a higher in vivo activity in High-DPG strain rats, although the total PFK activity does not differ. We report here that partially purified erythrocyte PFK from Low-DPG strain cells is inhibited significantly more at physiological levels of DPG (P<0.01) than PFK from High-DPG strain erythrocytes. Citrate and adenosine triphosphate also inhibit the Low-DPG enzyme more than the High-DPG enzyme. Therefore, a structurally different PFK, with a greater sensitivity to inhibitors, may explain the lower DPG and ATP levels observed in Low-DPG strain animals. These data support a two-locus (Hb and PFK) hypothesis and provide a gene marker to study the underlying genetic and physiologic relationships of these loci.This investigation was supported in part by Grant AM 14898, National Research Service Award 5 F 32 AM 05418, and Biochemical Research Support Grant 5 S07 RR 05551 from the National Institutes of Health.     

D-乳酸高产菌菊糖芽胞乳杆菌Y2-8磷酸果糖激酶基因在大肠杆菌中的克隆和表达

以D-乳酸高产菌菊糖芽胞乳杆菌Y2-8基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR扩增得到960 bp的磷酸果糖激酶基因(pfk)。氨基酸序列比对分析表明,该磷酸果糖激酶(PFK)与其他乳酸菌PFK具有保守的底物结合位点,但是其变构效应物结合位点存在差异。将pfk基因克隆到表达载体pSE380上,获得重组菌E-pSE-pfk。进一步通过诱导条件的优化,重组菌的PFK比酶活达到4.89 U/mg,是优化前的4.79倍。采用低温诱导策略有助于实现菊糖芽胞乳杆菌pfk基因在大肠杆菌中可溶性表达。     

Citrate inhibition of rat-kidney cortex phosphofructokinase

The regulatory properties of citrate on the activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK) purified from rat-kidney cortex has been studied. Citrate produces increases in the K_0.5 for Fru-6-P and in the Hill coefficient as well as a decrease in the V_max of the reaction without affecting the kinetic parameters for ATP as substrate. ATP potentiates synergistically the effects of citrate as an inhibitor of the enzyme. Fru-2,6-P₂ and AMP at concentrations equal to K_a were not able to completely prevent citrate inhibition of the enzyme. Physiological concentrations of ATP and citrate produce a strong inhibition of renal PFK suggesting that may participate in the control of glycolysisin vivo.Abbreviations PFK 6-Phosphofructo-1-kinase (EC 2.7.1.11) - Fru-6-P Fructose 6-phosphate - Fru-2,6-P₂ Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate     

Studies of regulatory metabolism in Moniezia expansa: the role of phosphofructokinase (with a note on pyruvate kinase).

Some of the properties of a partially purified preparation of phosphofructokinase (PFK) from Moniezia expansa are described. PFK has a pH optimum between 7·4 and 8·0, and is activated by magnesium and divalent manganese ions. It exhibits sigmoid kinetics with fructose-6-phosphate, and ATP decreases the affinity of the enzyme for F6P. This inhibition is partially relieved by F6P, AMP and ammonium ions. GTP and ITP act as substrates for the PFK reaction but do not exert the same inhibitory effects. The effect of ATP on pyruvate kinase was also examined, and was found to inhibit both the activated and inactivated enzyme. Apparent K_m's for both enzymes are presented.Generally, PFK and pyruvate kinase from M. expansa show properties similar to the enzymes from mammalian sources. The presence of sigmoid kinetics for F6P and ATP at pH8 is, however, a significant departure from what is observed in PFK from mammalian sources. Possibilities exist in M. expansa for controls of metabolism similar to those found in mammalian tissues.     

Effects of potassium antimony tartrate on rat erythrocyte phosphofructokinase activity

In an earlier study, we observed a marked accumulation of antimony in erythrocytes of rats administered potassium antimony tartrate (Sb) in drinking water. This observation has raised concerns of possible adverse effects on the hematological systems. A study was therefore carried out to investigate the effects of Sb on phosphofructokinase (PFK), a rate-limiting enzyme of erythrocyte glycolysis. Preincubation of PFK with Sb caused a marked inhibition of the enzyme with 95% loss of activity at 5 mM. In comparison, 5 mM sodium arsenite, a known enzyme inhibitor, reduced PFK activity by only 38%. Increasing the concentrations of fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) or magnesium had no effects on the inhibitory potency of Sb. Varying the concentrations of ATP and Sb produced a complex effect on PFK activity. At 1 mM ATP, 0.2 mM Sb was required for 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) of PFK but only 0.05 mM Sb was required for the same inhibition when the concentration of ATP was reduced to 0.2 mM. Glutathione (2–10 mM) and hemoglobin (8–40 <μ > M) partially protected the enzyme from the Sb effect, with the protection being more effective at low antimony concentrations. When Sb was added to assay mixtures after initiation of a PFK reaction with physiological concentrations of ATP (0.2 mM) and F6P (0.1 mM), PFK activity was approximately 50% inhibited by 0.5 mM Sb and completely inhibited by 5 mM Sb. In contrast, glucose utilization in whole blood was only 16% lower over an 8 hour incubation period in the presence of 5 mM Sb. It is concluded that while PFK is markedly inhibited by Sb under in vitro assay conditions, glycolysis in erythrocytes is not significantly affected except at very high Sb concentrations. The weak effect of Sb on glycolysis in erythrocytes may be due in part to the protective effect of hemoglobin and, to a lesser extent, glutathione on PFK. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 12: 227–233, 1998     

Altered allosteric properties of cytoskeleton-bound phosphofructokinase in muscle from mice with X chromosome-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx).

Intracellular distribution of cytoskeleton-bound and soluble phosphofructokinase (PFK) (the rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis) in mdx dystrophic muscle was the same as in control nondystrophic muscle. However, the allosteric activity of both bound and soluble PFK was reduced in mdx muscle, accompanied by a decrease in ATP level. In contrast to normal muscle, the cytoskeleton-bound PFK in mdx muscle was sensitive to allosteric regulation, like the soluble enzyme. This change in the properties of cytoskeletal PFK in mdx mice may result from the absence of dystrophin, believed to reside in the cytoskeleton. The findings that cytoskeletal PFK in mdx muscle, although altered, remains bound to cytoskeleton may play a role in muscle structure and function and the mild clinical symptoms in mdx mice.     

球形芽胞杆菌C3-41磷酸果糖激酶的克隆、表达及基本生物活性

[目的]球形芽孢杆菌缺乏EMP、HMP、ED途径的关键酶,如磷酸果糖激酶等被认为是其不能以糖类物质进行生长的主要原因.杀蚊球形芽孢杆菌C3-41全基因组序列分析表明,在染色体DNA上存在的磷酸果糖激酶基因pfk,为了进一步分析球形芽孢杆菌糖酵解途径,进一步确定磷酸果糖激酶在糖酵解途径中的功能.[方法]通过pfk基因在球形芽孢杆菌菌株中的Southern-blot拷贝数鉴定,在C3-41pfk基因克隆的基础上进行pfk基因在大肠杆菌中的融合表达、序列分析和序列比对等方法进行研究.[结果]证明了球形芽孢杆菌pfk基因由960 bp核苷酸组成,表达42 kDa的PFK融合蛋白,有保守的底物结合域和ATP结合域,同时pfk基因重组表达质粒可以回复大肠杆菌pfk缺陷型菌株DFl020代谢糖的能力.[结论]杀蚊球形芽孢杆菌C3-41的pfk表达产物具有磷酸果糖激酶活性,为今后深入研究球形芽孢杆菌产能代谢机理奠定了基础.     

Role of Ser530, Arg292, and His662 in the allosteric behavior of rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase.

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P(2)) is a potent allosteric activator of the ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFK) in eukaryotes. Based on the sequence homology between rabbit muscle PFK and two bacterial PFKs and the crystal structures of the latter, Ser(530), Arg(292) and His(662) of the rabbit enzyme are implicated as binding sites for Fru-2,6-P(2). We report here the effects of three mutations, S530D, R292A, and H662A on the activation of rabbit muscle PFK by Fru-2,6-P(2). At pH 7.0 and the inhibitory concentrations of ATP, the native enzyme gives a classic sigmoidal response to changes in Fru-6-P concentration in the absence of Fru-2,6-P(2) and a nearly hyperbolic response in the presence of the activator. Under the same conditions, no activation was seen for S530D. On the other hand, H662A can be activated but requires a 10-fold or higher concentration of Fru-2,6-P(2). Limited activation was observed for mutant R292A. A model illustrating the sites for recognition of Fru-2,6-P(2) in rabbit muscle PFK as well as the mechanism of allosteric activation is proposed.     

Single point mutations in either gene encoding the subunits of the heterooctameric yeast phosphofructokinase abolish allosteric inhibition by ATP

Yeast phosphofructokinase is a heterooctameric enzyme subject to a complex allosteric regulation. A mutation in the PFK1 gene, encoding the larger -subunits, rendering the enzyme insensitive to allosteric inhibition by ATP was found to be caused by an exchange of proline 728 for a leucine residue. By in vitro mutagenesis, we introduced this mutation in either PFK1 or PFK2 and found that the exchange in either subunit drastically reduced the sensitivity of the holoenzyme to ATP inhibition. This was accompanied by a lack of allosteric activation by AMP, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, or ammonium and an increased resistance to heat inactivation. Yeast cells carrying either one mutation or both in conjunction did not display a strong phenotype when grown on fermentable carbon sources and did not show any significant changes in intermediary metabolites. Growth on non-fermentable carbon sources was clearly impaired. The strain carrying both mutant alleles was more sensitive to Congo Red than the wild-type strain or the single mutants indicating differences in cell wall composition. In addition, we found single pfk null mutants to be less viable than wild type at different storage temperatures and a pfk2 null mutant to be temperature-sensitive for growth at 37 degrees C. The latter mutant was shown to be respiration-dependent for growth on glucose.     

Phosphofructokinase of cultured and aged carrot-root slices

The properties of phosphofructokinase (PFK) of cultured and 'aged' carrot-root phloem and Jerusalem artichoke slices were studied. PFK activity was inhibited by ATP, citrate and phosphoenol-pyruvate, and the plots of activity vs. fructose-6-phosphate concentration gave a sigmoidal curve. Sensitivity of PFK to ATP was not changed by ageing.     

Phosphofructokinases from Escherichia coli. Purification and characterization of the nonallosteric isozyme.

The main phosphofructokinase of Escherichia coli (PFK I) is an extensively studied allosteric enzyme specified by the pfkA gene. A nonallosteric phosphofructokinase was reported (Fraenkel, D.G., Kotlarz, D., and Bluc, H. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4865-4866) in strains carrying the pfkB1 mutation, a suppressor of pfkA mutants, and very low levels of this enzyme have also been detected in strains not carrying the suppressor (i.e. pfkB+). The nonallosteric protein has now been prepared pure from three strains, one carrying pfkB1 and pfkA+, one carrying pfkB1 and completely deleted for pfkA, and one carrying pfkB+ and also deleted for pfkA. It is apparently the same enzyme (PFK II) in all three strains, which shows that pfkB1 is a mutation affecting the amount of a normally minor isozyme. PFK II is a tetramer of slightly larger subunit molecular weight than PFK I (36,000 and 34,000, respectively). No immunological cross-reactivity was detected between PFK II and PFK I. Unlike PFK I, PFK II does not show cooperative interactions with fructose-6-P, inhibition by P-enolpyruvate, or activation by ADP. Also unlike PFK I, PFK II is somewhat sensitive to inhibition by fructose-1,6-P2 and can use tagatose-6-P as substrate. Both enzymes can perform the reverse reaction, fructose-6-P + ATP from fructose-1,6-P2 + ADP in vitro, but not in vivo. The normal function of PFK II is not known.     

Downregulation of diaphragm electron transport chain and glycolytic enzyme gene expression in sepsis.

Cellular energy metabolism is altered in sepsis as a consequence of dysfunction of mitochondrial electron transport and glycolytic pathways. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether sepsis is associated with compensatory increases in gene expression of electron transport chain and glycolytic pathway proteins or, alternatively, whether gene expression decreases in sepsis, contributing to abnormalities in energy metabolism. Studies were performed using diaphragms from control and endotoxin-treated (8 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) rats; at 48 h after endotoxin administration, animals were killed. Microarrays and RNAse protection assays were used to assess the expression of several electron transport chain components (cytochrome-c oxidase subunits Cox 5A, Cox 5B, and Cox 6A, ATP synthase, and ATP synthase subunit 5B) and of the rate-limiting enzyme for glycolysis, phosphofructokinase (PFK). Western blotting was used to assess protein levels for these electron transport chain subunits and PFK. Activity assays were used to assess electron transport chain and phosphofructokinase function. We found that sepsis evoked 1) a downregulation of genes encoding all examined electron transport chain components (e.g., cytochrome-c oxidase 5A decreased 45 + 7%, P < 0.01) and PFK (P < 0.001), 2) reductions in protein levels for these electron transport chain subunits and PFK (P < 0.05 for each), and 3) decreases in mitochondrial state 3 respiration rates and phosphofructokinase enzyme activity (P < 0.01 for each comparison). We speculate that these sepsis-induced reductions in the expression of genes encoding critical electron transport and glycolytic proteins contribute to the development and persistence of sepsis-induced abnormalities in cellular energy metabolism.     

Identification of multiple forms of phosphofructokinase in ripening dwarf cavendish banana

The levels of six glycolytic intermediates and the activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK) were determined in Dwarf Cavendish banana at different stages of ripening between harvest and senescence. There was a 2.3-fold increase in the level of fructose- 1,6-diphosphate between the preclimacteric and climacteric peak stage. The PFK preparations from preclimacteric and climacteric peak stages were purified ca 15-fold using Blue-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The clectrophoretic studies with the enzyme preparations ofthese two stages ofripening indicated the presence of two forms of PFK at both stages of ripening.     

The Crystal Structure of ATP-bound Phosphofructokinase from Trypanosoma brucei Reveals Conformational Transitions Different from those of Other Phosphofructokinases

The crystal structure of the ATP-bound form of the tetrameric phosphofructokinase (PFK) from Trypanosoma brucei enables detailed comparisons to be made with the structures of the apoenzyme form of the same enzyme, as well as with those of bacterial ATP-dependent and PP_i-dependent PFKs. The active site of T. brucei PFK (which is strictly ATP-dependent but belongs to the PP_i-dependent family by sequence similarities) is a chimera of the two types of PFK. In particular, the active site of T. brucei PFK possesses amino acid residues and structural features characteristic of both types of PFK. Conformational changes upon ATP binding are observed that include the opening of the active site to accommodate the two substrates, MgATP and fructose 6-phosphate, and a dramatic ordering of the C-terminal helices, which act like reaching arms to hold the tetramer together. These conformational transitions are fundamentally different from those of other ATP-dependent PFKs. The substantial differences in structure and mechanism of T. brucei PFK compared with bacterial and mammalian PFKs give optimism for the discovery of species-specific drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by protist parasites of the trypanosomatid family.     

Decrease in cytoskeleton-bound phosphofructokinase in muscle induced by high intracellular calcium, serotonin and phospholipase A2 in vivo

1. Particulate (cytoskeleton-bound) and soluble phosphofructokinase (PFK), separated from rat muscle, exhibited different allosteric properties; in contrast to the soluble PFK, the bound enzyme was not sensitive to allosteric regulation. 2. Treatment of muscle with Ca2(+)-ionophore A23187, serotonin, or phospholipase A2, reduced the binding of PFK and aldolase. 3. The decrease in enzymes' binding was most probably mediated by the rise in free intracellular Ca2+ induced by these agents, as we found that direct addition of Ca2+ to the particulate fraction of muscle, caused solubilization of bound PFK and aldolase. 4. The reduction in binding of PFK and aldolase to cytoskeletal proteins, may have a deleterious effect on muscle function and structure, and may be involved in the mechanism of muscle damage in pathological conditions where accumulation of Ca2+ occurs.     

Evolution of the allosteric ligand sites of mammalian phosphofructo-1-kinase

Mammalian phosphofructokinase (PFK) has evolved by a process of tandem gene duplication and fusion to yield a protein that is more than double the size of prokaryotic PFKs. On the basis of complete conservation of active site residues in the N-terminal half of the eukaryotic enzyme with those of the bacterial PFKs, one assumes that the active site of the eukaryotic PFK is located in the N-terminal half. Again using sequence comparisons, the four allosteric ligand sites of mammalian PFK have been thought to arise from the duplicated catalytic and regulatory sites of the ancestral PFK. Previous site-directed mutagenesis studies [Li et al. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 16407-16412; Chang and Kemp (2002) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 290, 670-675] have identified the origins of the citrate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate sites. Here, site-directed mutagenesis of two arginine residues (Arg-433 and Arg-429) of mouse phosphofructokinase is used to identify the ATP inhibitory site, and, by inference, the AMP/ADP site. Mutation of the residues to alanine reduced ATP inhibition in the case of Arg-429 and eliminated ATP inhibition in the instance of Arg-433. The Arg-433 mutant could be inhibited by citrate, and that inhibition could be reversed by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and cyclic AMP, a high-affinity ligand for the AMP/ADP binding site. It is concluded that the two inhibitors, ATP and citrate, of mammalian PFK interact with sites that have evolved from the duplicated phosphoenolpyruvate/ADP allosteric site of the ancestral PFK. The two sites for activators, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and AMP or ADP, have evolved from the catalytic site of the ancestral precursor.     

Pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase from pollen: properties and possible roles in sugar metabolism

To evaluate the role of pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFP. EC 2.7.1.90) in the sugar metabolism of pollen. its occurrence and properties were studied in pollen grains of several plants including camellia ( Camellia japonica L.). In all pollen samples, PFP was strongly activated by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6BP), and the activity of F2,6BP-activated PFP was higher than that of phosphofructokinase (PFK. EC 2.7.1.11). PFP partially purified from camellia pollen required Mg²⁺ for activity with an optimum at 1 m M . and was almost unaflected by a variety of metabolites at 1 m M . Its molecular mass was around 220 kDa, and apparent K_m values for F6P, PP_i. F1, 6BP and P_i were 294, 4, 20 and 580 u M , respectively. The levels of F2.6BP. PP_i and F6P in camellia pollen were sufficent to support the forward reaction by PFP, and PFP, was 20- to 40-fold more active than PFK during pollen growth. These results suggest that pollen PFP plays a role in glycolysis but not gluconeogenesis. and the possible relevance of this to pollen tube growth is discussed.     

Induction of PPi-dependent phosphofructokinase by phosphate starvation in seedlings of Brassica nigra

Activity of PPi-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFP) was monitored in Brassica nigra seedlings grown under nutrient-sufficient or phosphate (Pi)-starved conditions. Roots, stems and leaves of 50 d Pi-deficient seedlings displayed 4.0-, 3.7- and 2.3-fold greater PFP activity, respectively, than did nutrient sufficient controls. This induction was based primarily upon an increased susceptibility of PFP from the Pi-starved tissues to activation by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. The ratio of PFP to ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFK) was approximately 2:1 and 1:1 in the various organs of 50 d Pi-starved and Pi-fed plants, respectively. Immunoblots probed with anti-(potato PFP) immune serum revealed that the induction of PFP in Pi-starved B. nigra was coincident with an elevation in the amount of PFP α-subunit in the leaves as well as an increase in the α:β subunit ratio in the stems and roots. Induction of PFP in the various tissues was also accompanied by an appreciable decline in intracellular Pi level, decreased soluble protein content, and elevated phosphoenolpyruvate phosphatase activity. Time course studies revealed that these responses to Pi stress were significantly delayed in the leaves as compared to the roots and stems suggesting that Pi may be preferentially sequestered to the leaves during Pi starvation. These data also provide further evidence that B. nigra PFP is an adaptive enzyme that may function during Pi deprivation as: (1) a glycolytic bypass to PFK; and (2) a ‘Pi-recycling system’ that converts esterified-P to Pi that would be rapidly reassimilated into the metabolism of the Pi-deficient cells.