The regulation of mitochondrial-bound hexokinases in the liver

A functional coupling between bound hexokinase and the inner mitochondrial compartment has been shown. It is based structurally on the binding of hexokinase to a pore protein which is present in zones of contact between the two boundary membranes. The latter was observed by electron microscopic localization of antiporin and hexokinase at the mitochondrial surface. The four isoenzymes present in liver differ considerably in their activity after binding to the mitochondrial surface. This was found by binding studies using the four isoenzymes isolated from the supernatant. Isoenzyme IV did not bind at all. Isoenzymes I-III did bind and became activated: I, 5.9-fold; II, 39-fold; and III, 1.3-fold. These results suggest that the in vivo activity of hexokinase in the mitochondrial fraction is much larger than so far observed. Furthermore the binding of isoenzymes was differently affected by metabolites. Glucose-6-phosphate exclusively desorbed isoenzyme I from the mitochondrial membrane whereas free fatty acids predominantly liberated isoenzymes II and III. A reciprocal change of the levels of free fatty acids and glucose 6-phosphate in livers of starved rats therefore, can explain why exclusively mitochondrial-bound isoenzymes II and III decreased 10-fold while at the same time isoenzyme I increased.     

Regulation of mammalian hexokinase: regulatory differences between isoenzyme I and II

Mammalian hexokinase isoenzymes I and II have been shown to differ qualitatively in response to various modifiers. Although both enzymes are inhibited by glucose 6-phosphate, only isoenzyme II exhibits a slow response to the presence of this inhibitor. P_i decreases the affinity of glucose 6-phosphate for Sarcoma 37 hexokinase I, but has no effect on hexokinase II from the same cell. P_i overcomes all of the inhibition of red cell hexokinase by glucose-6-P and hence the two effectors act competitively. At pH 6.5, catecholamines increase the V of isoenzyme I of Sarcoma 37 and brain in the soluble and mitochondrial forms but do not activate these forms of tumor isoenzyme II. Citrate activates brain and tumor isoenzyme I when they are inhibited by tris(hydroxy-methyl)aminomethylethane sulfonate (TES) and ADP; however, tumor isoenzyme II is not activated.     

Isoenzymes of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from the plant fraction of soybean nodules

Two isoenzymes of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) have been separated from the plant fraction of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv Williams) nodules by a procedure involving (NH₄)₂SO₄ gradient fractionation, gel chromatography, chromatofocusing, and affinity chromatography. The isoenzymes, which have been termed glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases I and II, were specific for NADP⁺ and glucose 6-phosphate and had optimum activity at pH 8.5 and pH 8.1, respectively. Both isoenzymes were labile in the absence of NADP⁺. The apparent molecular weight of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases I and II at pH 8.3 was estimated by gel chromatography to be approximately 110,000 in the absence of NADP⁺ and double this size in the presence of NADP⁺. The apparent molecular weight did not increase when glucose 6-phosphate was added with NADP⁺ at pH 8.3. Both isoenzymes had very similar kinetic properties, displaying positive cooperativity in their interaction with NADP⁺ and negative cooperativity with glucose 6-phosphate. The isoenzymes had half-maximal activity at approximately 10 micromolar NADP⁺ and 70 to 100 micromolar glucose 6-phosphate. NADPH was a potent inhibitor of both of the soybean nodule glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases.     

Characterization of hexokinase isoenzyme types I and II in ascites tumor cells by an interaction with mitochondrial membrane

Summary A difference was observed in the intracellular distribution between type I and II hexokinases in Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid ascites tumor cells (ELD cells). Experiment of the rebinding to the mitochondria for either each or mixture of the partially purified preparations of the two types of hexokinase indicated that the accepting site on the mitochondrial membrane was common for both types. Mild treatment of the two isoenzymes with chymotrypsin resulted in loss of the binding ability to mitochondria without change in the catalytic activity. It was deduced from these results that the essential region in the two types of hexokinase to interact with mitochondria, which was cleaved by chymotrypsin, was the same or near-similar.Secondly, rebinding to and releasing from mitochondria were examined for the two hexokinase isoenzymes in the presence of various factors affecting the interaction between hexokinase and mitochondria, such as divalent cations, glucose 6-phosphate, and Pi. In the absence of divalent cations, about a half of the type I isoenzyme was bound to mitochondria, whereas almost no type II was bound. A difference was also seen between the two types in the concentration of divalent cations required for the saturation of the binding. A more marked difference was observed in the effect of Pi either alone or in combination with glucose 6-phosphate on the activity and binding ability of the two hexokinases. For type I isoenzyme, Pi relieved both inhibitory and releasing effects of glucose 6-phosphate. On the contrary, for type II, Pi had no such a modulating effect on the releasing action of glucose 6-phosphate, and had the inhibitory effect for itself on the enzyme activity.From these results, it is likely that the difference in the intracellular distribution between type I and II hexokinases in ELD cells is due to the difference in their catalytic regions in the reaction with these ligands, which would induce the structural change in the region responsible for the binding to mitochondria.     

The interaction of phosphorylated sugars with human hexokinase I

Glucose 6-phosphate as well as several other hexose mono- and diphosphates were found by kinetic studies to be competitive inhibitors of human hexokinase I (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) versus MgATP. Limited proteolysis by trypsin does not destroy the hexokinase activity but produces as well-defined peptide map when the digested enzyme is electrophoresed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. MgATP at subsaturating concentration protects hexokinase from trypsin digestion, while phosphorylated sugars, Mg2+, glucose and inorganic phosphate have no effect. Addition of glucose 6-phosphate to the MgATP-hexokinase complex at a concentration 100-times higher than its Ki was not able to reverse the MgATP-induced conformation of hexokinase, suggesting that the binding of glucose 6-phosphate and MgATP are not mutually exclusive. Similar evidence was also obtained by studies of the induced modifications of ultraviolet spectra of hexokinase by the binding of MgATP, glucose 6-phosphate and both compounds. Among a library of monoclonal antibodies produced against rat brain hexokinase I and that recognize human placenta hexokinase I, one (4A6) was found to be able to modify the Ki of glucose 6-phosphate (from 25 to 140 microM) for human hexokinase I. The same antibody also weakens the inhibition by all the other hexoses phosphate studied without affecting the apparent Km for MgATP (from 0.6 to 0.75 mM) or for glucose. These data support the view for the binding of glucose 6-phosphate at a regulatory site on the enzyme.     

Hexokinase isoenzymes from the Novikoff hepatoma. Purification, kinetic and structural characterization, with emphasis on hexokinase C.

The purification to homogeneity of hexokinases B and C from the cytosol of rat Novikoff hepatoma was achieved by a protocol using an initial chromatography on Blue 2-agarose to separate the isoenzymes from each other. After that step each hexokinase was subjected to chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyapatite and Sephacryl S-300, followed by re-chromatography on hydroxyapatite. The final preparations of hexokinases B and C had specific activities of 86 and 23.5 units/mg of protein respectively, and gave single bands on electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions or in SDS/polyacrylamide gels. Mr values of about 100,000 were found for both isoenzymes either by Sephacryl S-300 chromatography or by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Values of apparent Km for glucose and ATP of pure hexokinase B were similar to those reported for the enzyme from other sources. The apparent Km value for glucose of hexokinase C was 0.025 mM. Marked inhibition of hexokinase C by glucose concentrations above 0.2 mM was found. The effect was partially relieved by ATP concentrations above 1 mM and was independent of pH. Glucose 6-phosphate was inhibitory, but the Ki value (0.18 mM) is higher than those reported for other animal hexokinases. The amino acid composition of hexokinase C was found to be similar to those reported for hexokinases B and D. Also, an immune serum directed against hexokinase A was able, at low dilutions, to bind hexokinases B and C. An immune serum directed against hexokinase C was able, at low dilutions, to bind hexokinase B and also, but weakly, hexokinase A.     

Distribution of hexokinase isoenzymes depending on a carbon source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

DEAE cellulose chromatography and agar gel electrophoresis of glucose-phosphorylating enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed the existence of glucokinase and two hexokinase isoenzymes ( designated as hexokinase I and II ). The distribution of hexokinase isoenzymes was dependent on a carbon source in the medium, while that of glucokinase was not dependent. The cells grown on 3 % ethanol as carbon source showed the isoenzyme pattern with predominant hexokinase I and a little hexokinase II. The isoenzyme pattern of the cells grown on 6 % glucose, which was differnt from that of the cells grown on ethanol, showed that hexokinase I and II were minor and major parts respectively. When the cells grown on 3 % ethanol were incubated on the medium containing 6 % glucose, hexokinase I was repressed and hexokinase II inducted. These facts suggest that two hexokinase isoenzymes, but not glucokinase, are adaptive enzyme.     

A large-scale purification of recombinant histone H1.5 from Escherichia coli

The conversion of glucose into glucose 6-phosphate (Glc 6-P)1 traps glucose in a chemical state in which it cannot leave the cell and hence commits glucose to metabolism. In human tissues there are at least three hexokinase isoenzymes responsible for hexose phosphorylation. These enzymes are constituted by a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of approximately 100 kDa. Among these isoenzymes, hexokinase type I is the most widely expressed in mammalian tissues and shows reversion of Glc 6-P inhibition by physiological levels of inorganic phosphate. In this work the hexokinase I from human brain was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, as a hexahistidine-tagged protein with the tag extending the C-terminal end. An average of 900 U per liter of culture was obtained. The expressed protein was one-step purified by metal chelate affinity chromatography performed in NTA-agarose column charged with Ni(2+) ions. In order to stabilize the enzymatic activity 0.5 M ammonium sulfate was added to elution buffer. The specific activity of purified hexokinase I was 67.8 U/mg. The recombinant enzyme shows kinetic properties in agreement with those described for the native enzyme, and thus it can be used for biophysical and biochemical investigation.     

Development of mitochondrial energy metabolism in rat brain

1. The development of pyruvate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase activity in rat brain mitochondria was studied. Whereas the citrate synthase activity starts to increase at about 8 days after birth, that of pyruvate dehydrogenase starts to increase at about 15 days. Measurements of the active proportion of pyruvate dehydrogenase during development were also made. 2. The ability of rat brain mitochondria to oxidize pyruvate follows a similar developmental pattern to that of the pyruvate dehydrogenase. However, the ability to oxidize 3-hydroxybutyrate shows a different developmental pattern (maximal at 20 days and declining by half in the adult), which is compatible with the developmental pattern of the ketone-body-utilizing enzymes. 3. The developmental pattern of both the soluble and the mitochondrially bound hexokinase of rat brain was studied. The total brain hexokinase activity increases markedly at about 15 days, which is mainly due to an increase in activity of the mitochondrially bound form, and reaches the adult situation (approx. 70% being mitochondrial) at about 30 days after birth. 4. The release of the mitochondrially bound hexokinase under different conditions by glucose 6-phosphate was studied. There was insignificant release of the bound hexokinase in media containing high KCl concentrations by glucose 6-phosphate, but in sucrose media half-maximal release of hexokinase was achieved by 70μm-glucose 6-phosphate 5. The production of glucose 6-phosphate by brain mitochondria in the presence of Mg²⁺+glucose was demonstrated, together with the inhibition of this by atractyloside. 6. The results are discussed with respect to the possible biological significance of the similar developmental patterns of pyruvate dehydrogenase and the mitochondrially bound kinases, particularly hexokinase, in the brain. It is suggested that this association may be a mechanism for maintaining an efficient and active aerobic glycolysis which is necessary for full neural expression.     

Glucose metabolism in the mucosa of the small intestine. Glycolysis in subcellular preparations from the cat and rat

1. Lactic acid formation in supernatant fractions of homogenates of cat or rat small-intestinal mucosa was measured under optimum conditions with glucose, fructose, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate or 3-phosphoglycerate as substrate. 2. Between 80 and 107% of the glycolytic activity of the homogenate was recovered in these particle-free preparations when glucose, fructose, glucose 6-phosphate or fructose 1,6-diphosphate was used as substrate. 3. Evidence was obtained that hexokinase and phosphofructokinase were the rate-limiting enzymes in the initial sequence of glycolytic reactions. The limitation of rate by hexokinase was much more pronounced in preparations from the cat than in those from the rat. 4. With subcellular preparations from cat or rat small intestine lactic acid was also formed from ribose 5-phosphate and at rates similar to those observed with glucose. 5. A higher rate of glycolysis was observed with glucose 6-phosphate as substrate with preparations from the proximal half of the small intestine of the rat as compared with the distal half. 6. Mucosal preparations from rats starved for 24-48hr. exhibited only about one-quarter of the glycolytic activity of those of fed control groups. The decreased rate of formation of lactic acid from either glucose or fructose was mainly due to a decrease in the activity of hexokinase(s). The activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and a number of other enzymes were not significantly decreased by starvation. 7. The results are discussed in relation to metabolic control of glycolysis in other mammalian tissues.     

Changes in enzymatic activities involved in glucose metabolism by acyl-CoAs in Trypanosoma cruzi

This study describes the effect of some saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids and acyl-CoA thioesters on Trypanosoma cruzi glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hexokinase activities. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was sensitive to the destabilizing effect provoked by free fatty acids, while hexokinase remained unaltered. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibition by free fatty acids was dependent on acid concentration and chain length. Both enzymes were inhibited when they were incubated with acyl-CoA thioesters. The acyl-CoA thioesters inhibited glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase at a lower concentration than the free fatty acids; the ligands glucose 6-phosphate and NADP+ afforded protection. The inhibition of hexokinase by acyl-CoAs was not reverted when the enzyme was incubated with ATP. The type of inhibition found with acyl-CoAs in relation to glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hexokinase suggests that this type inhibition may produce an in vivo modulation of these enzymatic activities.     

Hepatic glucose phosphorylating activities in perch (Perca fluviatilis) after different dietary treatments

Increased activity of hepatic glucose phosphorylation was observed in perch after feeding previously fasted fish. When a pellet diet containing 14% carbohydrate was given, most of the increased activity had a low affinity towards glucose (S0.5 = 19.5 mM) and resembled the mammalian glucokinase (Hexokinase IV or D) and the glucokinase-like activity previously observed in salmon liver. In addition, increased activity of a hexokinase with high affinity towards glucose (Km = 0.50 mM) was observed with the pellet diet. An increase in the activity of this hexokinase alone was observed when the fish were fed with filet of cod containing less than 0.2% carbohydrate. Perch with a very high hepatic glucokinase-like activity after eating the pellet diet had high activities of pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, indicating a high capacity of glycolysis and carbohydrate utilization. Simultaneously, the activity of glycogen phosphorylase was strongly reduced while the activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was not significantly changed. These observations were made with perch captured in the spawning season and brought to the laboratory. Assays of glucose phosphorylation in livers of perch eating the natural diet (insects) in the lake showed no glucokinase-like activity.     

Polyamines stimulate the binding of hexokinase type II to mitochondria

Spermine and spermidine enhanced the binding of hexokinase isoenzyme type II to mitochondria, both of which were prepared from Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid ascites tumor cells, at much lower concentrations than Mg2+. Chymotrypsin-treated hexokinase II could not bind to the mitochondrial membrane in the presence of either spermine or Mg2+, indicating that the effect of spermine is not a nonspecific action, since the treatment of chymotrypsin cleaves only the region essential for the binding without any significant effect of the catalytic activity. Both spermine and Mg2+ antagonized the glucose 6-phosphate-induced release of mitochondria-bound hexokinase, and promoted the binding of the solubilized hexokinase II even in the presence of glucose 6-phosphate. However, inhibition of the activity of soluble hexokinase by glucose 6-phosphate was not reversed by spermine and Mg2+. Hexokinase II rebound to mitochondria with spermine and Mg2+ produced glucose 6-phosphate using ATP generated inside the mitochondria, and no difference was observed between the spermine- and Mg2+-rebound systems. Significance of the binding of hexokinase to mitochondria, especially with polyamines, is discussed with reference to high glycolytic rate in tumor cells.     

Kinetic studies on microsomal glucose dehydrogenase in rat liver.

Glucose dehydrogenase from rat liver microsomes was found to react not only with glucose as a substrate but also with glucose 6-phosphate, 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate and galactose 6-phosphate. The relative maximum activity of this enzyme was 29% for glucose 6-phosphate, 99% for 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, and 25% for galactose 6-phosphate, compared with 100% for glucose with NADP. The enzyme could utilize either NAD or NADP as a coenzyme. Using polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis, we were able to detect several enzymatically active bands by incubation of the gels in a tetrazolium assay mixture. Each band had different Km values for the substrates (3.0 x 10(-5)M glucose 6-phosphate with NADP to 2.4M glucose with NAD) and for coenzymes (1.3 x 10(-6)M NAD with galactose 6-phosphate to 5.9 x 10(-5)M NAD with glucose). Though glucose 6-phosphate and galactose 6-phosphate reacted with glucose dehydrogenase, they inhibited the reaction of this enzyme only when either glucose or 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate was used as a substrate. The Ki values for glucose 6-phosphate with glucose as substrate were 4.0 x 10(-6)M with NAD, and 8.4 x 10(-6)M with NADP; for galactose 6-phosphate they were 6.7 x10(-6)M with NAD and 6.0 x 10(-6)M with NADP. The Ki values for glucose 6-phosphate with 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate as substrate were 6.3 x 10(-6)M with NAD and 8.9 x 10(-6)M with NADP; and for galactose 6-phosphate, 8.0 x 10(-6)M with NAD and 3.5 x 10(-6)M with NADP. Both NADH and NADPH inhibited glucose dehydrogenase when the corresponding oxidized coenzymes were used (Ki values: 8.0 x 10(-5)M by NADH and 9.1 x 10(-5)M by NADPH), while only NADPH inhibited cytoplasmic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Ki: 2.4 x 10(-5)M). The results indicate that glucose dehydrogenase cannot directly oxidize glucose in vivo, but it might play a similar role to glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The differences in the kinetics of glucose dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase show that glucose 6-phosphate and galactose 6-phosphate could be metabolized in quite different ways in the microsomes and cytoplasm of rat liver.     

Malarial parasite hexokinase and hexokinase-dependent glutathione reduction in the Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocyte

The metabolism of glucose in Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocytes is increased 50- to 100-fold. This is accomplished in part by parasite-directed synthesis of a protozoan hexokinase with unique kinetic, electrophoretic, and heat stability properties. The total hexokinase activity is increased approximately 25-fold over that of control uninfected erythrocytes of the same age from the same donor. The parasite hexokinase has a lower affinity for glucose than the mammalian enzyme (Km = 431 microM +/- 21 S.D. for the parasite enzyme versus 98 microM +/- 10 for the erythrocyte enzyme), but the Km for ATP and the Vmax for both glucose and ATP are similar. The NADPH-dependent reduction of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) requires the formation of glucose 6-phosphate which in turn is metabolized by the pentose shunt pathway in which NADPH is generated. Using glucose as the substrate, lysates of P. falciparum-infected normal erythrocytes demonstrated enhanced ability to reduce GSSG. The rate of GSSG reduction was proportional both to the parasitemia and the hexokinase activity of the lysates. However, infected glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient red cell lysates displayed a severely restricted ability to reduce GSSG under the same conditions. In conclusion, P. falciparum-infected red cells contain a parasite-encoded hexokinase with unique properties which initiates the large increase in glucose consumption. In normal infected red cells, reduction of GSSG is also dependent upon hexokinase activity, but in infected glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient red cells, the absence of this pentose shunt enzyme remains the rate-limiting step in GSSG reduction.     

The preparation of nylon-tube-supported hexokinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the use of the co-immobilized enzymes in the automated determination of glucose.

Triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate was used to O-alkylate nylon-tube thus producing the imidate salt of the nylon which was further made to react with 1,6-diaminohexane. 2. Hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) were immobilized on the amino-substituted nylon tube through glutaraldeyde and bisimidates. 3. The effect of varying the conditions of O-alkylation and the amount of enzyme immobilized on the activity of nylon tube-hexokinase derivatives was determined. 4. The effect of varying the amount of enzyme immobilized on the activity of nylon-tube-glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase derivatives was determined. 5. The thermal stability of nylon-tube-hexokinase and nylon-tube-glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase derivatives was studied. 6. Different ratios of hexokinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were co-immobilized on nylon tube, and the rate of conversion of glucose into 6-phosphogluconolactone was compared with the individual activities of the immobilized enzymes. 7. Hexokinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase co-immobilized on nylon tube were used in the automated analysis of glucose.     

Effects of kainate on glucose metabolising enzymes in the brain

Hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were studied in brain regions after intraventricular injection of kainic acid. Hexokinase activity was decreased by 10-15% in various regions while glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity remained unaltered. Soluble hexokinase activity, which remained the smaller fraction of total hexokinase activity, showed slightly more dramatic decreases of 15-35% compared to normal activities in brain regions. This decrease of hexokinase activity in the cytosolic compartment could partly account for the kainate-induced decreases seen in glucose metabolism.     

Phosphorylation of D-glucosamine by rat liver glucokinase.

D-Glucosamine was found to be phosphorylated by a rat liver extract in the presence of a high concentration of glucose, which was formerly believed to be a strong competitive inhibitor of this reaction. Results suggested that glucosamine may be phosphorylated by high Km hexokinase, i.e. glucokinase [EC 2.7.1.2]. The enzyme involved was separated from specific N-acetyl-D-glucosamine kinase [EC 2.7.1.59]. The phosphorylation was not inhibited by a physiological level of glucose or glucose 6-phosphate, which strongly inhibited low Km hexokinase. The apparent Km of glucokinase for glucosamine was estimated as 8 mM, which is ten times that of low Km hexokinase.     

Glucose conversion by multiple pathways in brain extract: theoretical and experimental analysis

Experimental and model studies were performed to characterize the flux of glucose metabolism and the sharing of glucose-6-phosphate (Glu6P) by the upper parts of glycolytic and pentosephosphate pathways in the brain extract. A mathematical model based upon the kinetic equations of the individual enzymes was evaluated to fit the experimental data. Glucose is converted to glucose-6-phosphate by hexokinase that controls almost exclusively the glucose metabolism. Experiments showed that this crossroad-metabolite was shared between glycolysis and pentosephosphate pathway in the brain extract in a ratio of 1.5:1. This ratio was favorable to the pentosephosphate pathway by the addition of high excess of exogenous glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, standardly used for the activity assay of hexokinase, but still a significant part (17+/-3%) of the common intermediate was converted into the direction of glycolysis. Stimulation of glucose-6-phosphate formation via moderate (30-50%) increase of hexokinase activity by adding exogenous hexokinase or tubulin resulted in the slight increase of the relative flux into direction of glycolysis. The model correctly described all of these observations. However, when the activity of hexokinase was doubled with exogenous enzyme, significantly less glucose-6-phosphate was converted into direction of glycolysis than predicted. This discrepancy shows that the system did not behave in this case as an ideal one, which could be due to the formation of distinct pools for the intermediate.     

Activities of enzymes of the oxidative and the reductive pentose phosphate pathways in heterocysts of a blue-green alga

Preparations of heterocysts of Anabaena cylindrica Lemm. had 7- to 8-fold higher activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, 2-fold more hexokinase activity, and 0.02 to 0.06 times as much ribulose diphosphate carboxylase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities as did whole filaments per milligram soluble protein in cell-free extracts. Time courses of solubilization of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity indicated that heterocysts contain 74 to 80% of the total activity of this enzyme in filaments.