Comparative kinetic studies on the L-type pyruvate kinase from rat liver and the enzyme phosphorylated by cyclic 3', 5'-AMP-stimulated protein kinase.

The kinetics of rat liver L-type pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40), phosphorylated with cyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase from the same source, and the unphosphorylated enzyme have been compared. The effects of pH and various concentrations of substrates, Mg2+, K+ and modifiers were studied. In the absence of fructose 1, 6-diphosphate at pH 7.3, the phosphorylated pyruvate kinase appeared to have a lower affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate (K0.5=0.8 mM) than the unphosphorylated enzyme (K0.5=0.3 mM). The enzyme activity vs. phosphoenolpyruvate concentration curve was more sigmoidal for the phosphorylated enzyme with a Hill coefficient of 2.6 compared to 1.6 for the unphosphorylated enzyme. Fructose 1, 6-diphosphate increased the apparent affinity of both enzyme forms for phosphoenolpyruvate. At saturating concentrations of this activator, the kinetics of both enzyme forms were transformed to approximately the same hyperbolic curve, with a Hill coefficient of 1.0 and K0.5 of about 0.04 mM for phosphoenolpyruvate. The apparent affinity of the enzyme for fructose 1, 6-diphosphate was high at 0.2 mM phosphoenolpyruvate with a K0.5=0.06 muM for the unphosphorylated pyruvate kinase and 0.13 muM for the phosphorylated enzyme. However, in the presence of 0.5 mM alanine plus 1.5 mM ATP, a higher fructose 1, 6-diphosphate concentration was needed for activation, with K0.5 of 0.4 muM for the unphosphorylated enzyme and of 1.4 muM for the phosphorylated enzyme. The results obtained strongly indicate that phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase may also inhibit the enzyme in vivo. Such an inhibition should be important during gluconeogenesis.     

Regulation of pyruvate kinase from Propionibacterium shermanii

Pyruvate kinase from Propionibacterium shermanii was shown to be activated by glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) at non-saturating phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP) concentrations but other glycolytic and hexose monophosphate pathway intermediates and AMP were without effect. Half-maximal activation was obtained at 1 mM G-6-P. The presence of G-6-P decreased both the PEP_0.5V and ADP_0.5V values and the slope of the Hill plots for both substrates. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by ATP and inorganic phosphate (P_i) at all PEP concentrations. At non-saturating (0.5 mM) PEP, half-maximal inhibition was obtained at 1.8 mM ATP or 1.4 mM P_i. The inhibition by both P_i and ATP was largely overcome by 4 mM G-6-P. The specific activity of pyruvate kinase was considerably higher in lactate-, glucose- and glycerol-grown cultures than that of the enzyme catalysing the reverse reaction, pyruvate, phosphate dikinase. It is suggested that the activity of pyruvate kinase in vivo is determined by the balance between activators and inhibitors such that it is inhibited during gluconeogenesis while, during glycolysis, the inhibition is relieved by G-6-P.Abbreviations PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - G-6-P glucose-6-phosphate - P_i inorganic phosphate     

Regulation of the pyruvate kinase from Alcaligenes eutrophus H 16 in vitro and in vivo.

The biosynthesis of the enzyme pyruvate kinase (E.C. 2.7.1.40) of Alcaligenes eutrophus (Hydrogenomonas eutropha) H 16 was influenced by the carbon and energy source. After growth on gluconate the specific enzyme activity was high while acetate grown cells exhibited lower activities (340 and 55 mumoles/min-g protein, respectively). The pyruvate kinase from autotrophically grown cells was purified 110-fold. The enzyme was characterized by homotropic cooperative interactions with the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate, the activators AMP, ribose 5-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate and the inhibitor ortho-phosphate. In addition to phosphate ATP caused inhibition but in this case nonsigmoidal kinetics was obtained. The half maximal substrate saturation constant S0.5 for phosphoenolpyruvate in the absence of any effectors was 0.12 mM, in the presence of 1 mM ribose-5-phosphate 0.07 mM, and with 9 mM phosphate 0.67 mM. The corresponding Hill values were 0.96, 1.1 and 2.75. The ADP saturation curve was hyperbolic even in the presence of the effectors, the Km value was 0.14 mM ADP. When the known intracellular metabolite concentrations in A. eutrophus H 16 were compared with the regulatory sensitivity of the enzyme, it appeared that under the conditions in vivo the inhibition by ATP was more important than the regulation by the allosteric effectors.     

Control of pyruvate kinase activity during glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in Propionibacterium shermanii

The concentrations of glycolytic intermediates and ATP and the activities of certain glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes were determined in Propionibacterium shermanii cultures grown on a fully defined medium with glucose, glycerol or lactate as energy source. On all three energy sources, enzyme activities were similar and pyruvate kinase was considerably more active than the gluconeogenic enzyme pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase, indicating the need for regulation of pyruvate kinase activity. The intracellular concentration of glucose 6-phosphate, a specific activator of pyruvate kinase in this organism, changed markedly according to both the nature and the concentration of the growth substrate: the concentration (7-10 mM) during growth with excess glucose or glycerol was higher than that (1-2 mM) during growth with lactate or at growth-limiting concentrations of glycerol or glucose. Other glycolytic intermediates, apart from pyruvate, were present at concentrations below 2 mM. Glucose 6-phosphate overcame inhibition of pyruvate kinase activity by ATP and inorganic phosphate. With 1 mM-ATP and more than 10 mM inorganic phosphate, a change in glucose 6-phosphate concentration from 1-2 mM was sufficient to switch pyruvate kinase from a strongly inhibited to a fully active state. The results provide a plausible mechanism for the regulation of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in P. shermanii.     

Regulation of the pyruvate kinase from Alcaligenes eutrophus H 16 in vitro and in vivo

The biosynthesis of the enzyme pyruvate kinase (E.C. 2.7.1.40) of Alcaligenes eutrophus (Hydrogenomonas eutropha) H 16 was influenced by the carbon and energy source. After growth on gluconate the specific enzyme activity was high while acetate grown cells exhibited lower activities (340 and 55 μmoles/min·g protein, respectively). The pyruvate kinase from autotrophically grown cells was purified 110-fold. The enzyme was characterized by homotropic cooperative interactions with the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate, the activators AMP, ribose-5-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate and the inhibitor ortho-phosphate. In addition to phosphate ATP caused inhibition but in this case non-sigmoidal kinetics was obtained. The half maximal substrate saturation constant S_0.5 for phosphoenolpyruvate in the absence of any effectors was 0.12 mM, in the presence of 1 mM ribose-5-phosphate 0.07 mM, and with 9 mM phosphate 0.67 mM. The corresponding Hill values were 0.96, 1.1 and 2.75. The ADP saturation curve was hyperbolic even in the presence of the effectors, the K _m value was 0.14 mM ADP. When the known intracellular metabolite concentrations in A. eutrophus H 16 were compared with the regulatory sensitivity of the enzyme, it appeared that under the conditions in vivo the inhibition by ATP was more important than the regulation by the allosteric effectors.     

Purification and properties of pyruvate kinase from Streptococcus mutans.

Pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) from Streptococcus mutans strain JC2 was purified, giving a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was 180,000 to 190,000, and the enzyme was considered to consist of four identical subunits. This enzyme was completely dependent on glucose 6-phosphate for activity, and the saturation curve for activation by glucose 6-phosphate was sigmoidal. In the presence of 0.5 mM glucose 6-phosphate, the saturation curves for the substrates phosphoenolpyruvate and ADP were hyperbolic, and the Km values were 0.22 and 0.39 mM, respectively. GDP, IDP, and UDP could replace ADP, and the Km for GDP (0.026 mM) was 0.067 of that for ADP. The enzyme required not only divalent cations, Mg2+ or Mn2+, but also monovalent cations, K+ or NH4+, for activity, and it was strongly inhibited by Pi. When the concentration of Pi was increased, the half-saturating concentration and Hill coefficient for glucose 6-phosphate increased. However, the enzyme was immediately inactivated in a solution without Pi. The intracellular concentration of glucose 6-phosphate, in cooperation with that of Pi, may regulate pyruvate kinase activity in S. mutans.     

Factors affecting the activity of pyruvate kinase of Acetobacter xylinum

1. Extracts of Acetobacter xylinum were found to contain the glycolytic enzymes involved in the conversion of triose phosphate into pyruvate. Pyruvate kinase had the lowest relative activity. Phosphofructokinase activity was not detected in the extracts. 2. Only slight differences in the activity of pyruvate kinase were observed between cells grown on glucose and those grown on intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. 3. Pyruvate kinase, partially purified from ultrasonic extracts by ammonium sulphate fractionation, required Mg(2+) ions for activity. It was not activated by K(+) or NH(4) (+) ions. 4. The plots representing the relationship between initial velocity and phosphoenolpyruvate concentration were sigmoidal, suggesting a co-operative effect for phosphoenolpyruvate. The Hill coefficient (n) for phosphoenolpyruvate was 2. The rate of the reaction changed with increasing ADP concentrations according to normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics. 5. The enzyme was inhibited by ATP (K(i)0.9x10(-3)m). The inhibition was competitive with regard to ADP but not with regard to phosphoenolpyruvate. It was not relieved by excess of Mg(2+) ions. 6. The possible relationship of the properties of pyruvate kinase to regulatory mechanisms for controlling gluconeogenesis and carbohydrate oxidation in A. xylinum is discussed.     

Purification and regulatory properties of phosphoribulokinase from Hydrogenomonas eutropha H 16

1. Phosphoribulokinase was purified 286-fold from extracts of autotrophically grown cells. 2. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 237000 and showed a pH optimum of 9.0 in both crude extracts and purified preparation. MgCl(2) was required for activity; full activation was obtained at 5mm-MgCl(2) and the K(m) was approx. 0.5mm. 3. The ATP-saturation curve was sigmoidal and the degree of positive co-operativity increased at higher MgCl(2) concentrations. The ATP-binding sites appeared to be non-interacting at low ribulose 5-phosphate concentrations. 4. Lineweaver-Burk plots for ribulose 5-phosphate showed abrupt transitions between apparently linear sections. The apparent K(m) and V(max.) values increased with increasing concentrations of ribulose phosphate. The transitions may be explained by a sequence of negative and positive co-operativity in the catalytic rate constants. 5. Phosphoribulokinase activity was inhibited by AMP and phosphoenolpyruvate and was activated by NADH. The presence of AMP or phosphoenolpyruvate increased s(0.5) (substrate concentration required for half-maximal velocity) for both ribulose 5-phosphate and ATP but V(max.) was not changed. The sigmoidicity of the ATP-saturation curve increased in the presence of AMP but was not affected by phosphoenolpyruvate. The transitions in the ribulose 5-phosphate-saturation curves were more abrupt in the presence of either inhibitor. NADH lowered the s(0.5) for both ribulose 5-phosphate and ATP. The activator did not affect the degree of positive co-operativity between ATP-binding sites, but the ribulose 5-phosphate-binding sites appeared to be non-interacting in its presence. 6. A sequence of positive and negative co-operativity in the interactions of AMP-binding sites was suggested by the Hill plots. In the presence of NADH (and phosphoenolpyruvate) the sensitivity to inhibition by AMP was less below a certain AMP concentration and increased above that concentration. 7. Examination of the interactions between ligands indicated that phosphoribulokinase can be regulated effectively by changes in effector concentrations similar to those reported to occur in vivo.     

Plastid and cytosolic phosphofructokinases from the developing endosperm of ricinus communis: II. Comparison of the kinetic and regulatory properties of the isoenzymes

A steady-state kinetic analysis of plastid phosphofructokinase at pH 8.2 is consistent with the enzyme having a sequential reaction mechanism. Cytosolic phosphofructokinase probably has a similar mechanism. At pH 7.0 plastid phosphofructokinase shows cooperative binding of fructose 6-phosphate and is inhibited by higher concentrations of ATP. In contrast cytosolic phosphofructokinase shows normal kinetics at both pH 8.2 and 7.0 with respect to fructose 6-phosphate and is not inhibited by ATP. In the case of plastid phosphofructokinase the affinity for fructose 6-phosphate increases as the pH is raised from 7 to 8.2 whereas cytosolic phosphofructokinase is affected in an opposite manner. Phosphate is the principal activator of plastid phosphofructokinase since the cooperative kinetics toward fructose 6-phosphate are shifted toward Michaelis-Menten kinetics by 1 mm sodium phosphate and this concentration of phosphate relieves the inhibition by ATP. Both isoenzymes are inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate, 2-phosphoglycerate, and 3-phosphoglycerate at pH 7.2. Plastid phosphofructokinase is most strongly inhibited by phosphoenol pyruvate with the I_0.5 value varying from 0.08 to 0.5 μm depending on substrate concentrations; phosphate reverses this inhibition. In contrast cytosolic phosphofructokinase is much less inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate with an I_0.5 approximately 1000-fold higher. Cytosolic phosphofructokinase is powerfully inhibited by 3-phosphoglycerate with an I_0.5 value of 60 μm and this appears to be the principal regulator of this isoenzyme. The two isoenzymes of phosphofructokinase in the endosperm appear, therefore, to be regulated differently. Plastid phosphofructokinase is inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate and ATP and is activated by phosphate; whereas the cytosolic enzyme is inhibited principally by 3-phosphoglycerate and this inhibition is only partially relieved by phosphate. Some of the differences reported previously for phosphofructokinases from different plant tissues may, therefore, be due to varying ratios of the cytosolic and plastid isoenzymes.     

Metabolic control of hepatic gluconeogenesis during exercise.

Prolonged exercise increased the concentrations of the hexose phosphates and phosphoenolpyruvate and depressed those of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, triose phosphates and pyruvate in the liver of the rat. Since exercise increases gluconeogenic flux, these changes in metabolite concentrations suggest that metabolic control is exerted, at least, at the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate/pyruvate substrate cycles. Exercise increased the maximal activities of glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate carboxylase in the liver, but there were no changes in those of glucokinase, 6-phosphofructokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Exercise changed the concentrations of several allosteric effectors of the glycolytic or gluconeogenic enzymes in liver; the concentrations of acetyl-CoA, ADP and AMP were increased, whereas those of ATP, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate were decreased. The effect of exercise on the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation state of pyruvate kinase was investigated by measuring the activities under conditions of saturating and subsaturating concentrations of substrate. The submaximal activity of pyruvate kinase (0.5 mM-phosphoenolpyruvate), expressed as percentage of Vmax., decreased in the exercised animals to less than half that found in the controls. These changes suggest that hepatic pyruvate kinase is less active during exercise, possibly owing to phosphorylation of the enzyme, and this may play a role in increasing the rate of gluconeogenesis.     

Kinetic properties of spermine synthase from bovine brain.

Phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) from a citric acid-producing strain of Aspergillus niger was partially purified by the application of affinity chromatography on Blue Dextran--Sepharose and the use of fructose 6-phosphate and glycerol as stabilizers in the working buffer. The resulting preparation was still impure, but free of enzyme activities interfering with kinetic investigations. Kinetic studies showed that the enzyme exhibits high co-operativity with fructose 6-phosphate, but shows Michaelis--Menten kinetics with ATP, which inhibits at concentrations higher than those for maximal activity. Citrate and phosphoenolpyruvate inhibit the enzyme; citrate increases the substrate (fructose 6-phosphate) concentration for half-maximal velocity, [S]0.5, and the Hill coefficient, h. The inhibition by citrate is counteracted by NH4+, AMP and phosphate. Among univalent cations tested only NH4+ activates by decreasing the [S]0.5 for fructose 6-phosphate and h, but has no effect on Vmax. AMP and ADP activate at low and inhibit at high concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate, thereby decreasing the [S]0.5 for fructose 6-phosphate. Phosphate has no effect in the absence of citrate. The results indicate that phosphofructokinase from A. niger is a distinct species of this enzyme, with some properties similar to those of the yeast enzyme and in some other properties resembling the mammalian enzyme. The results of determinations of activity at substrate and effector concentrations resembling the conditions that occur in vivo support the hypothesis that the apparent insensitivity of the enzyme to citrate during the accumulation of citric acid in the fungus is due to counteraction of citrate inhibition by NH4+.     

Metabolic regulation of pyruvate kinase isolated from autotrophically and heterotrophically grown Paracoccus denitrificans

Pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.1.40) was partially purified from both autotrophically and heterotrophycally grown Paracoccus denitrificans. The organism grown under heterotrophic conditions contains four times more pyruvate kinase than under autotrophic conditions. The enzyme isolated from both sources exhibited sigmoidal kinetics for both phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and ADP. The apparent M _m for ADP and PEP in the autotrophic enzyme were 0.63 mM ADP and 0.25 mM PEP. The effect of several low molecular weight metabolites on the pyruvate kinase activity was investigated. Ribose-5-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate and AMP stimulated the reaction at low ADP levels; this stimulation was brought about by an alteration in the apparent K _m for ADP. The pyruvate kinases differ in their response to adenine nucleotides, but both preparations seem to be under adenylate control. The results are discussed in relation to the role of pyruvate kinase as a regulatory enzyme in P. denitrificans grown under both autotrophic and heterotrophic conditions.Non-Common Abbreviations PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - R-5-P ribose-5-phosphate - G-6-P glucose-6-phosphate - F-6-P fructose-6-phosphate - 3-PGA 3-phosphoglycerate     

Phosphofrucktokinase and glucose catabolism of Mucor and Penicillium species.

The primary catabolic pathways in the fungi Penicillium notatum and P. duponti, and Mucor rouxii and M. miehei were examined by measuring the relative rate of 14CO2 production from different carbon atoms of specifically labelled glucose. It was found that these organisms dissimilate glucose predominantly via the Embden--Meyerhof pathway in conjunction with the tricarboxylic acid cycle and to a lesser extent by the pentose phosphate pathway. Phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) activity could not be detected initially in Penicillium species because of the interference from mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.17) and NADH oxidase (EC 1.6.99.3). A combination of differential centrifuging and a heat treatment of Penicillium cell-free extracts in the presence of fructose-6-phosphate removed the interfering enzymes. The kinetic characteristics of phosphofructokinase from P. notatum and M. rouxii are described. The enzyme presents highly cooperative kinetics for fructose-6-phosphate. The kinetics for ATP show no cooperativity and inhibition by excess ATP is observed. The addition of AMP activated the P. notatum enzyme, relieving ATP inhibition; slight inhibition by AMP was observed with the M. rouxii enzyme. In contrast M. rouxii pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) is activated 50-fold by fructose-1,6-diphosphate whereas pyruvate kinase from P. notatum and P. duponti were unaffected by fructose-1,6-diphosphate.     

Effects of various metabolic conditions and of the trivalent arsenical melarsen oxide on the intracellular levels of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and of glycolytic intermediates in Trypanosoma brucei

Upon differential centrifugation of cell-free extracts of Trypanosoma brucei, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase behaved as cytosolic enzymes. The two activities could be separated from each other by chromatography on both blue Sepharose and anion exchangers. 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase had a Km for both its substrates in the millimolar range. Its activity was dependent on the presence of inorganic phosphate and was inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate but not by citrate or glycerol 3-phosphate. The Km of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was 7 microM; this enzyme was inhibited by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Ki = 10 microM) and, less potently, by fructose 6-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate and glycerol 3-phosphate. Melarsen oxide inhibited 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (Ki less than 1 microM) and fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (Ki = 2 microM) much more potently than pyruvate kinase (Ki greater than 100 microM). The intracellular concentrations of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and hexose 6-phosphate were highest with glucose, intermediate with fructose and lowest with glycerol and dihydroxyacetone as glycolytic substrates. When added with glucose, salicylhydroxamic acid caused a decrease in the concentration of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, ATP, hexose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. These studies indicate that the concentration of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is mainly controlled by the concentration of the substrates of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase. The changes in the concentration of phosphoenolpyruvate were in agreement with the stimulatory effect of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate on pyruvate kinase. At micromolar concentrations, melarsen oxide blocked almost completely the formation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate induced by glucose, without changing the intracellular concentrations of ATP and of hexose 6-phosphates. At higher concentrations (3-10 microM), this drug caused cell lysis, a proportional decrease in the glycolytic flux, as well as an increase in the phosphoenolypyruvate concentrations which was restricted to the extracellular compartment. Similar changes were induced by digitonin. It is concluded that the lytic effect of melarsen oxide on the bloodstream form of T. brucei is not the result of an inhibition of pyruvate kinase.     

The internal pH and membrane potential of the insulin-secretory granule

1. Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with fructose at concentrations above 3 mM resulted in an apparent inhibition of pyruvate kinase assayed in crude extracts at sub-optimal phosphoenolpyruvate concentrations. 2. Fructose at concentrations below 3 mM caused an activation of the enzyme. 3. Increases in the hepatocyte contents of the positive effectors fructose 1.6-bisphosphate and fructose 1-phosphate were found at all concentrations of fructose up to 10mM. 4. Removal of the extrahepatocyte medium from the hepatocytes by washing resulted in an activation of the enzyme at all concentrations of fructose examined. 5. Inhibitors of the enzyme were shown to accumulate in the hepatocytes despite the depletion of ATP (a known negative effector) caused by higher concentrations of fructose. Indeed the inhibition of pyruvate kinase appeared to be correlated to the depletion of ATP. 6. Alanine (a known inhibitor) was shown to accumulate in hepatocytes as a consequence of incubation with fructose. 7. Allantoin and uric acid were shown to be inhibitors of a partially purified pyruvate kinase preparation assayed both in the presence and in the absence of fructose 1.6-bisphosphate. 8. Allantoin, but not uric acid, accumulated in the extrahepatocyte medium as a result of incubation of the cells with 10 mM-fructose.     

Properties of 1-phosphofructokinase from Pseudomonas putida.

The 1-phosphofructokinase (1-PFK, EC 2.7.1.56) from Pseudomonas putida was partially purified by a combination of (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography. In its kinetic properties, this enzyme resembled the 1-PFK's from other bacteria. With the substrates fructose-1-phosphate (F-1-P) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Michaelis-Menten kinetics were observed, the Km for one substrate being unaffected by a variation in the concentration of the other substrate. At pH 8.0, the Km values for F-1-P and ATP were 1.64 X 10(-4) M and 4.08 X 10(-4) M, respectively. At fixed concentrations of F-1-P and ATP, an increase in the Mg2+ resulted in sigmoidal kinetics. Activity was inhibited by ATP when the ratio of ATP:Mg2+ was greater than 0.5 suggesting that ATP:2 Mg2+ was the substrate and free ATP was inhibitory. Activity of 1-PFK was stimulated by K+ and to a lesser extent by NH4+ and Na+. The reaction rate was unaffected by 2 mM K2HPO4, pyruvate, phosphoenolpyruvate, adenosine monophosphate, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate, 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate, or citrate. The results indicated that the 1-PFK from P. putida was not allosterically regulated by a number of metabolites which may play an important role in the catabolism of D-fructose.     

Regulation of rat liver pyruvate kinase. The effect of preincubation, pH, copper ions, fructose 1,6-diphosphate and dietary changes on enzyme activity

1. Preincubation of partially purified rat liver L-type pyruvate kinase at 25 degrees for 10min. causes a marked increase in co-operativity with respect to both the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and the allosteric activator, fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. The results are consistent with the existence of two forms of liver L-type pyruvate kinase, designated forms L(A) and L(B). It is postulated that form L(A) has a low K(m) for phosphoenolpyruvate (about 0.1mm) and is not allosterically activated, whereas form L(B) is allosterically activated by fructose 1,6-diphosphate, exhibiting in the absence of the activator sigmoidal kinetics with half-maximal activity at about 1mm-phosphoenolpyruvate. In the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, form L(B) gives Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m) less than 0.1mm. It is further postulated that preincubation converts form L(A) into form L(B). 3. The influence of pH on the preincubation effect was studied. 4. The inhibition of pyruvate kinase by Cu(2+) was studied in detail. Though phosphoenolpyruvate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate readily protect the enzyme against Cu(2+) inhibition, little evidence of significant reversal of the inhibition by these compounds could be found. 5. The effects of starvation, fructose feeding and preincubation on the pyruvate kinase activity of crude homogenates of various tissues of the rat were also studied.     

The in situ assay of Candida albicans enzymes during yeast growth and germ-tube formation

Conditions are described for the preparation of permeabilized cells of Candida albicans. This method has been used for the in situ assay of enzymes in both yeast cells and germ-tube forming cells. A mixture of toluene/ethanol/Triton X-100 (1:4:0.2, by vol.) at 15% (v/v) and 8% (v/v) was optimal for the in situ assay of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in yeast and germ-tube forming cells, respectively. The concentration of toluene/ethanol/Triton X-100 required for optimal in situ activity of other enzymes was influenced by the cellular location of the enzyme, growth phase and morphology. The membrane-bound enzymes (chitin synthase, glucan synthase, ATPase), cytosolic enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, alkaline phosphatase, glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase and N-acetylglucosamine kinase) and wall enzymes (beta-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) were measured and compared to the activity obtained in cell extracts. The pattern of enzyme induction and the properties of the allosteric enzymes phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase were measured in situ. Pyruvate kinase in situ was homotropic for phosphoenolpyruvate with a Hill coefficient of 1.9 and a S0.5 of 0.6 mM, whereas in cell extracts, it had a Hill coefficient of 1.9 and a S0.5 of 1.0 mM. The Km for ATP was 1.6 mM in cell extracts and 1.8 mM in permeabilized cells. In situ phosphofructokinase was homotropic for fructose 6-phosphate (S0.5 of 2.3 mM, Hill coefficient of 4.0). The kinetic properties of pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase measured in situ or in vitro were similar for both yeast cells and germ-tube forming cells.     

Adipose-tissue pyruvate kinase. Properties and interconversion of two active forms

1. Extraction of rat epididymal adipose tissue with buffer containing EDTA yields a pyruvate kinase, provisionally called PyK-A, the properties of which resemble in several respects those of the allosteric pyruvate kinase of liver. These properties include co-operative interactions with phosphoenolpyruvate, Mg(2+), K(+), NH(4) (+) and ATP, and sensitivity to activation by fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. Extraction in the absence of EDTA yields predominantly a form, PyK-B, that shows both normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics with phosphoenolpyruvate, Mg(2+) and ATP, and co-operative interactions with K(+) and NH(4) (+); this form is insensitive towards fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 3. Both forms yield simple kinetics with ADP, though K(m) values differ in the two systems. In all cases where co-operativity has been demonstrated, Hill-plot n values are between 1.4 and 2.0. 4. The conversion of PyK-A into PyK-B is mediated specifically by fructose 1,6-diphosphate; the reverse reaction is occasioned by EDTA, ATP or citrate. It is thought that a bivalent cation may be involved in this interconversion. 5. Attempts at partial purification have revealed that the enzyme resembles the pyruvate kinase of skeletal muscle, rather than that of liver, in its solubility in ammonium sulphate and elution from DEAE-cellulose. 6. The relevance of these properties in the regulation of pyruvate kinase activity in vivo in adipose tissue is discussed.     

Studies on the kinetic effects of adenosine-3':5'-monophosphate-dependent phosphorylation of purified pig-liver pyruvate kinase type L.

The effect of cyclic-AMP-dependent phosphorylation on the activity of isolated pig liver pyruvate kinase was studied. It was found that the major kinetic effect of the phosphorylation was to reduce the affinity for the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate, K0.5 for this substrate increasing from 0.3 to 0.9 mM upon phosphorylation. The cooperative effect with phosphoenolpyruvate was enhanced, the Hill constant nH increasing concomitantly from 1.1 to 1.5. V was unaltered. The change in activity occurred in parallel with the phosphate incorporation, except during the initial part of the reaction, when inactivation was correspondingly slower. The affinity for the second substrate ADP was unchanged, with an apparent Km of 0.3 mM at saturating concentration of phosphoenolpyruvate. Likewise, the requirement for potassium was unaffected, whereas the phosphoenzyme required a higher concentration of magnesium ions for maximal activity, compared with the control enzyme. The inhibitory effect of the phosphorylation was counteracted by positive effectors, fructose 1,6-biphosphate in micromolar concentrations completely activated the phosphoenzyme, resulting in an enzyme with properties similar to the fructose 1,6-biphosphate-activated unphosphorylated enzyme, with K0.5 for phosphoenolpyruvate about 0.025 mM and with a Hill constant of 1.1. Hydrogen ions were also effective in activating the phosphoenzyme. Thus, when pH was lowered from 8 to 6.5 the inhibition due to phosphorylation was abolished. The phosphoenzyme was sensitive to further inhibition by negative effectors such as ATP and alanine. 2 mM ATP increased K0.5 for phosphoenolpyruvate to 1.5 mM and nH to 2.3. The corresponding values with alanine were 1.3 mM and 1.9. Phosphorylation is thought to be an additional mechanism of inhibition of the enzyme under gluconeogenetic conditions.