Kinetic evidence for interaction between aldolase and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

The possibility of interaction between purified rabbit muscle aldolase and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was studied by rapid kinetic methods, by analyzing the kinetics of the consecutive reaction catalyzed by the coupled enzyme system. The Km of the intermediary product, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, produced by aldolase was determined in the coupled reaction for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Its value corresponds to that of the aldehyde (active) form of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, although in the given conditions the aldehyde leads to diol interconversion is faster than the enzymic reaction catalyzed by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. We suggest that above a certain concentration of the enzymes the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate produced by aldolase gets direct access to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase without participating in the aldehyde leads to diol interconversion which otherwise would occur if the substrate were to mix with the bulk medium.     

Kinetic studies of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit muscle

Initial rate studies at pH 7.6 with three aldehydes, product inhibition patterns with NADH and dead-end inhibition with adenosine diphosphoribose show that the kinetic mechanism of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit muscle cannot be ordered, and support an enzyme-substitution mechanism. Deviations from Michaelis-Menten behaviour are consistent with negative interactions in the binding of NAD+ and instability of the species E(NAD)3 and E(NAD)4. Inhibition with large concentrations of phosphate and arsenate indicates competition for a binding site for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, and is not found with glyceraldehyde as substrate.     

Heterogeneity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from human brain

In an attempt to characterize enzymes from human brain capable of dehydrogenating short chain aliphatic aldehydes, four groups of enzymes which catalyze inorganic phosphate-dependent reversible dehydrogenation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate as well as short chain aldehydes have been purified and characterized. Three enzyme groups are visualized as multiple bands on isoelectric focusing: E6.6 (pI 6.65, 6.75, 6.85); E6.8 (pI 6.8, 6.9); E8.5 (pI 8.5, 8.6); one enzyme, E9.0, is seen as a single band pI 9.0. The subcellular localization of E6.8, E8.5 and E9.0 appears to be mitochondrial. The mitochondrial enzymes differ slightly in molecular weight: E6.8 is 142,000 with subunits of 36,000 and 38,000; E8.5 is 120,000 with a subunit weight of 29,500; E9.0 is 133,000 with a subunit of 33,000. The E8.5 and E9.0 enzymes also appear to contain Zr as part of their molecular structure. E6.6 (subcellular localization uncertain) is a dimer with a molecular weight of 98,000 and two subunits of 58,000 and 61,000. The specific activity with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate is: E6.6, 8.6 IU/mg; E6.8, 13 IU/mg; E8.5, 158 IU/mg; E9.0, 620 IU/mg. With glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and 1,3-diphosphoglyceric acid and Km values of all the enzymes are similar (10-40 microM), except for E6.8 whose Km for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is very sensitive to pH and is extremely low at pH 7.0 (2 microM), while being considerably higher than that for the other enzymes at pH 9.0 (170 microM). The molecular properties, Km values as well as high specific activity with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate identify E6.8, E8.5 and E9.0 as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (EC 1.2.1.12). The catalytic properties of E6.6 are similar to those of E6.8, E8.5 and E9.0, but its molecular properties are different, precluding definite identification.     

Sturgeon glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

The formation of binary complexes between sturgeon apoglyceralddhyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, coenzymes (NAD+ and NADH) and substrates (phosphate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate) has been studied spectrophotometrically and spectrofluorometrica-ly. Coenzyme binding to the apoenzyme can be characterized by several distinct spectroscopic properties: (a) the low intensity absorption band centered at 360 nm which is specific of NAD+ binding (Racker band); (b) the quenching of the enzyme fluorescence upon coenzyme binding; (c) the quenching of the fluorescence of the dihydronicotinamide moiety of the reduced coenzyme (NADH); (D) the hypochromicity and the red shift of the absorption band of NADH centered at 338 nm; (e) the coenzyme-induced difference spectra in the enzyme absorbance region. The analysis of these spectroscopic properties shows that up to four molecules of coenzyme are bound per molecule of enzyme tetramer. In every case, each successively bound coenzyme molecule contributes identically to the total observed change. Two classes of binding sites are apparent at lower temperatures for NAD+ Binding. Similarly, the binding of NADH seems to involve two distinct classes of binding sites. The excitation fluorescence spectra of NADH in the binary complex shows a component centered at 260 nm as in aqueous solution. This is consistent with a "folded" conformation of the reduced coenzyme in the binary complex, contradictory to crystallographic results. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Binding of phosphorylated substrates and orthophosphate induce similar difference spectra in the enzyme absorbance region. No anticooperativity is detectable in the binding of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. These results are discussed in light of recent crystallographic studies on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases.     

Inactivation of rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by koningic acid

Koningic acid, a sesquiterpene antibiotic, is a specific inhibitor of the enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12). In the presence of 3 mM of NAD+, koningic acid irreversibly inactivated the enzyme in a time-dependent manner. The pseudo-first-order rate constant for inactivation (kapp) was dependent on koningic acid concentration in saturate manner, indicating koningic acid and enzyme formed a reversible complex prior to the formation of an inactive, irreversible complex; the inactivation rate (k 3) was 5.5.10(-2) s-1, with a dissociation constant for inactivation (Kinact) of 1.6 microM. The inhibition was competitive against glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate with a Ki of 1.1 microM, where the Km for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate was 90 microM. Koningic acid inhibition was uncompetitive with respect to NAD+. The presence of NAD+ accelerated the inactivation. In its absence, the charcoal-treated NAD+-free enzyme showed a 220-fold decrease in apparent rate constant for inactivation, indicating that koningic acid sequentially binds to the enzyme next to NAD+. The enzyme, a tetramer, was inactivated when maximum two sulfhydryl groups, possibly cysteine residues at the active sites of the enzyme, were modified by the binding of koningic acid. These observations demonstrate that koningic acid is an active-site-directed inhibitor which reacts predominantly with the NAD+-enzyme complex.     

Quantitative cytochemical measurement of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity

Summary A system has been developed for the quantitative measurement of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in tissue sections. An obstacle to the histochemical study of this enzyme has been the fact that the substrate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, is very unstable. In the present system a stable compound, fructose 1, 6-diphosphate, is used as the primary substrate and the demonstration of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity depends on the conversion of this compound into the specific substrate by the aldolase present in the tissue. The characteristics of the dehydrogenase activity resulting from the addition of fructose 1, 6-diphosphate, resemble closely the known properties of purified glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Use of polyvinyl alcohol in the reaction medium prevents release of enzymes from the sections, as occurs in aqueous media. Although in this study intrinsic aldolase activity was found to be adequate for the rapid conversion of fructose 1, 6-diphosphate into the specific substrate for the dehydrogenase, the use of exogenous aldolase may be of particular advantage in assessing the integrity of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway.     

Role of the histidine 176 residue in glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as probed by site-directed mutagenesis

The catalytically essential amino acid, histidine 176, in the active site of Escherichia coli glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been replaced with an asparagine residue by site-directed mutagenesis. The role of histidine 176 as a chemical activator, enhancing the reactivity of the thiol group of cysteine 149, has been demonstrated, with iodoacetamide as a probe. The esterolytic properties of GAPDH, illustrated by the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate, have been also studied. The kinetic results favor a role for histidine 176 not only as a chemical activator of cysteine 149 but also as a hydrogen donor facilitating the formation of tetrahedral intermediates. These results support the hypothesis that histidine 176 plays a similar role during the oxidative phosphorylation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.     

Immobilized flounder muscle glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Summary Partially purified flounder muscle (Pseudopleuronectus americanus) glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was immobilized on cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose. The catalytic properties of the immobilized preparation were studied to determine if immobilization alters the kinetic properties of the native holoenzyme. The results indicate that the pH activity profile of immobilized glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase did not differ from that of the native enzyme. The Michaelis constants (Km) for NAD and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate were somewhat altered. The enzyme stability toward various inactivation treatments in the presence and absence of NAD was characterized and compared to that of he native enzyme. When either form of the enzyme was incubated with urea at concentrations greater than 2m, inactivation occurred very rapidly. Incubation in 0.1% trypsin for 60 minutes decreased the activity of immobilized glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase by 45% and of the native soluble enzyme by 70%. The immobilized enzyme also exhibited considerably more stability than the native soluble enzyme when exposed to a temperature of 50° or to 20 mm ATP. In all cases NAD either greatly reduced the rate of inactivation or completely protected the enzyme from inactivation.     

Covalent binding of 3-pyridinealdehyde nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and substrate to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phoshate:nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) forms a complex with 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD which survives precipitation with 7% perchloric acid. The molar ratio bound 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD to the enzyme is 2.5 to 2.9. Lactate, malate, and alcohol dehydrogenases do not form acid-precipitable complexes with 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD. 3-Pyridinealdehyde-deamino-NAD or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate also forms an acid-stable complex with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; however, NAD, 3-acetylpyridine-NAD, or thionicotinamide-NAD does not produce an acid-stable complex. Incubation of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, acetyl phosphate, iodoacetic acid, or iodosobenzoate inhibits the formation of the acid-stable complex with 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate or 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD also prevents carboxymethylation of the active site cysteine-149 by[14-C]iodoacetic acid. These studies indicate that the aldehyde group of 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD forms a thiohemiacetal linkage with cysteine-149 which is the substrate binding site for the dehydrogenase reaction. These findings may account for the fact that 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD strongly inhibits the dehydrogenase and esterase activities of 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD forms a thiohemiacetal linkage with cysteine-149 which is the substrate binding site for the dehydrogenase reaction. These findings may account for the fact that 3-pyridinealdehyde-NAD strongly inhibits the dehydrogenase and esterase activities of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase which require reduced cysteine-149. However, the analogue does not inhibit the acetyl phosphates activity of the enzyme for which the active site sulfhydryl residues must be oxidized.     

Evidence for absence of an interaction between purified 3-phosphoglycerate kinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

The possibility of a functional complex formation between glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12) and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (EC. 2.7.2.3), enzymes catalysing two consecutive reactions in glycolysis has been investigated. Kinetic analysis of the coupled enzymatic reaction did not reveal any kinetic sign of the assumed interaction up to 4 X 10(-6) M kinase and 10(-4) M dehydrogenase. Fluorescence anisotrophy of 10(-7) M or 2 X 10(-5) M glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase labeled with fluorescein isothiocynate did not change in the presence of non-labeled 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (up to 4 X 10(-5) M). The frontal gel chromatographic analysis of a mixture of the two enzymes (10(-4) M dehydrogenase) could not reveal any molecular species with the kinase activity having a molecular weight higher than that of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. Both types of physicochemical measurements were also performed in the presence of substrates of the kinase and gave the same results. The data seem to invalidate the hypothesis that there is a complex between purified pig muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase.     

Quantitative cytochemical measurement of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity.

A system has been developed for the quantitative measurment of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in tissue sections. An obstacle to the histochemical study of this enzyme has been the fact that the substrate, gylceraldehyde 3-phosphate, is very unstable. In the present system a stable compound, fructose 1, 6-diphosphate, is used as the primary substrate and the demonsatration of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity depends on the conversion of this compound into the specific substrate by the aldolase present in the tissue. The characteristics of the dehydrogenase activity resulting from the addition of fructose 1, 6-diphosphate, resemble closely the known properties of purified glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Use of polyvinyl alcohol in the reaction medium prevents release of enzymes from the sections, as occurs in aqueous media. Although in this study intrinsic aldolase activity was found to be adequate for the rapid conversion of fructose 1, 6-diphosphate into the specific substrate for the dehydrogenase, the use of exogenous aldolase may be of particular advantage in assessing the intergrity of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway.     

The glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and glycerate 3-phosphate shuttle and carbon dioxide assimilation in intact spinach chloroplasts

The regulation of CO(2) assimilation by intact spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts by exogenous NADP-linked nonreversible d-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.9) was investigated. This dehydrogenase mediated a glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate/glycerate 3-phosphate shuttle for the indirect transfer of NADPH from chloroplast to the external medium. The rate of NADPH formation in the medium reflected glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate efflux from the chloroplast. Increasing enzyme concentrations stimulated NADP reduction and, in turn, CO(2) fixation. Pyrophosphate increased CO(2) fixation by apparently inhibiting glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate efflux. Increasing the glycerate 3-phosphate concentration above 0.1 mm stimulated glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate efflux but inhibited CO(2) fixation. Addition of up to 0.5 mm orthophosphate enhanced both glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate efflux and CO(2) fixation while each was inhibited by higher orthophosphate concentrations. The mechanism by which the extent of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate efflux regulated the rate of CO(2) fixation in chloroplasts was discussed.     

Human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: mRNA levels and enzyme activity in developing muscle.

Analysis of human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA revealed that levels in adult skeletal muscle are 12-fold greater per microgram of polyadenylated RNA than in fetal skeletal muscle, whereas in cardiac muscle RNA levels were about equal in fetal and adult tissue. The mRNA levels correlate well with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activities. There was no evidence for fetus- or tissue-specific forms.     

Effect of the sodium/potassium ratio on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase interaction with red cell vesicles

Binding of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the membrane protein known as Band 6, causes shifts in the ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the substrate (Fossel, E.T. and Solomon, A.K. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 464, 82–92). We have studied the resonance shifts produced by varying the sodium/potassium ratio, at constant ionic strength, in order to examine the relationship between the cation transport system and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Alteration of the potassium concentration at the extracellular face of the vesicle affects the conformation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase at the cytoplasmic face, thus showing that a conformation change induced by a change in extracellular potassium can be transmitted across the membrane. Alterations of the sodium concentration at the cytoplasmic face also affect the enzyme conformation, whereas sodium changes at the extracellular face are without effect. In contrast, there is no sidedness difference in the effect of potassium concentrations. The half-values for these effects are like those for activation of the red cell (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase. We have also produced ionic concentration gradients across the vesicle similar to those Glynn and Lew ((1970) J. Physiol. London 207, 393–402) found to be effective in running the cation pump backwards to produce adenosine triphosphate in the human red cell. The sodium/potassium concentration dependence of this process in red cells is mimicked by ³¹P resonance shifts in the (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase/inside out vesicle) system. These experiments provide strong support for the existence of a functional linkage between the membrane (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase at the cytoplasmic face.     

Modification of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity by adsorption on phospholipid vesicles.

1. The adsorption of [14C]carboxymethylated glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to negatively charged liposomes of phsphatidic acid/phosphatidylcholine (3:7, w/w) was investigated. The apparent association constant at I/2 = 60, pH 7.6, was 0.4 X 10(6)M-1. Adsorption decreased as ionic strength and pH were increased. 2. In the presence of negatively charged liposomes, the Km value for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was increased and Vmax. decreased. In the presence of positively charged liposomes, the Km value for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate decreased and there was no significant change in Vmax. Addition of Triton X-100 abolished the effect of both positively and negatively charged liposomes on the kinetic properties of the enzyme.     

Pcal_0632, a phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis

Genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis contains an open reading frame, Pcal_0632, annotated as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, which is partially overlapped with phosphoglycerate kinase. In the phylogenetic tree, Pcal_0632 clustered with phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases characterized from hyperthermophilic archaea and exhibited highest identity of 54% with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Sulfolobus tokodaii. To examine biochemical function of the protein, Pcal_0632 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and the gene product was purified. The recombinant enzyme catalyzed the conversion of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and inorganic phosphate into 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate utilizing both NAD and NADP as cofactor with a marked preference for NADP. The enzyme was highly stable against temperature and denaturants. Half-life of the enzyme was 60 min at 100 °C. It retained more than 60% of its activity even after an incubation of 72 h at room temperature in the presence of 6 M urea. High thermostability and resistance against denaturants make Pcal_0632 a novel glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

     

Selectivity of 3-bromo-isoxazoline inhibitors between human and Plasmodium falciparum glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases

Compounds based on the 3-Br-isoxazoline scaffold fully inhibit glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Plasmodium falciparum by selectively alkylating all four catalytic cysteines of the tetramer. Here, we show that, under the same experimental conditions that led to a fast and complete inhibition of the protozoan enzyme, the human ortholog was only 25% inhibited, with the alkylation of a single catalytic cysteine within the tetramer. The partial alkylation seems to produce a slow conformational rearrangement that severely limits the accessibility of the remaining active sites to bulky 3-Br-isoxazoline derivatives, but not to the substrate or smaller alkylating agents.     

Binding of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to microtubules

The interaction of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with microtubules has been studied by measurement of the amount of enzyme which co-assembles with in vitro reconstituted microtubules. The binding of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to microtubules is a saturable process; the maximum binding capacity is about 0.1 mole of enzyme bound per mole of assembled tubulin. Half saturation of microtubule binding sites is obtained at a concentration of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase of about 0.5 µM Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (between 0.1 and 2 µM) induces a concentration-dependent increase a) in the turbidity of the microtubule suspension without alteration of the net amount of polymer formed and b) in the amount of microtubule protein polymers after cold microtubule disassembly. There is a linear relationship between the intensity of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase-induced effects and the amount of microtubule-bound enzyme. The specificity of the association of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to microtubules has been documented by copolymerization experiments. Assembly-disassembly cycles of purified microtubules in the presence of a crude liver soluble fraction results in the selective extraction of a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 35 000 identified as the monomer of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase by peptide mapping and immunoblotting.In conclusion, microtubules possess a limited number of binding sites for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The binding of the glycolytic enzyme to microtubules shows a considerable specificity and is associated with alterations of assembly and disassembly characteristics of microtubules.Abbreviations Mes 2(N-morpholinoethane) sulfonic acid - EGTA ethylene glycol bis (-aminoethyl-ester)N,N,N,N tetraacetic acid - EDTA thylene diamine tetraacetic acid     

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from human erythrocyte membranes. Kinetic mechanism and competitive substrate inhibition by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPD) was isolated from human erythrocyte ghosts by a simple procedure utilizing ammonium sulfate precipitation and affinity chromatography on NAD⁺-Sepharose 4B. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 98 units/mg protein. The kinetic mechanism of GAPD was studied by product and deadend inhibition using NADH, α-glycerophosphate, nitrate, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. The results indicated that the human erythrocyte GAPD-catalyzed reaction follows an ordered ter bi mechanism characterized by the sequential addition of NAD⁺, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP), and phosphate to the enzyme and the sequential release of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate and NADH from the enzyme. This contrasts with the mechanism (rapid equilibrium random ter bi) proposed by Oguchi (1970, J. Biochem. (Tokyo)68, 427–439) who based his conclusion on the initial rate data alone. Since the Michaelis-Menten kinetics were not applicable to this enzyme because of the competitive substrate inhibition by GAP, we devised a new kinetic approach for determining the parameters of the GAPD-catalyzed reaction. Results of this study indicate that the GAPD-catalyzed reaction is regulated by both ATP and GAP. We propose that GAP acts as an “amplifier” for the feedback inhibition effect of ATP. We discuss the effect this may have played in causing controversy over the regulatory role of this enzyme in glycolysis.     

Evidence for a substrate assisted conformational transformation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase exhibits half-site reactivity, the structural origin of which is obscure. Thermal inactivation kinetics, employed here as a probe for site-site heterogeneity in solution, show that green gram glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (in the absence and presence of phosphate and NAD+) loses activity in two distinct phases, each of which accounts for half of the initial activity. In the presence of substrate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate the relative amplitude of the slow phase increases, and at 0.06 mM glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate the time-course of inactivation corresponds to a single exponential decay. The data are consistent with a suggestion that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase may exist in two interconvertible conformations of different symmetry characteristics (C2 in equilibrium D2). The lower symmetry conformation (C2) predominates in the apoenzyme and in the presence of phosphate and NAD+. The higher symmetry conformation (D2) is stabilised by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.