Pathway of thiamine pyrophosphate synthesis in Micrococcus denitrificans.

The pathway of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) biosynthesis, which is formed either from exogeneously added thiamine or from the pyrimidine and thiazole moieties of thiamine, in Micrococcus denitrificans was investigated. The following indirect evidence shows that thiamine pyrophosphokinase (EC 2.7.6.2) catalyzes the synthesis of TPP from thiamine: (i) [35S]thiamine incubated with cells of this microorganism was detected in the form of [35S]thiamine; (ii) thiamine gave a much faster rate of TPP synthesis than thiamine monophosphate (TMP) when determined with the extracts; and (iii) a partially purified preparation of the extracts can use thiamine, but not TMP, as the substrate. The activities of the four enzymes involved in TMP synthesis from pyrimidine and thiazole moieties of thiamine were detected in the extracts of M. denitrificans. The extracts contained a high activity of the phosphatase, probably specific for TMP. After M. denitrificans cells were grown on a minimal medium containing 3 mM adenosine, which causes derepression of de novo thiamine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, the activities of the four enzymes involved with TMP synthesis, the TMP phosphatase, and the thiamine pyrophosphokinase were enhanced two- to threefold. These results indicate that TPP is synthesized directly from thiamine without forming TMP as an intermediate and that de novo synthesis of TPP from the pyrimidine and thiazole moieties involves the formation of TMP, followed by hydrolysis to thiamine, which is then converted to TPP directly. Thus, the pathway of TPP synthesis from TMP synthesized de novo in M. denitrificans is different from that found in E. coli, in which TMP synthesized de novo is converted directly to TPP without producing thiamine.     

A positive regulatory gene, THI3, is required for thiamine metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have isolated a thiamine auxotrophic mutant carrying a recessive mutation which lacks the positive regulatory gene, THI3, which differs in the regulation of thiamine transport from the THI2 (PHO6) gene described previously (Y. Kawasaki, K. Nosaka, Y. Kaneko, H. Nishimura, and A. Iwashima, J. Bacteriol. 172:6145-6147, 1990) for expression of thiamine metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mutant (thi3) had a markedly reduced thiamine transport system as well as reduced activity of thiamine-repressible acid phosphatase and of several enzymes for thiamine synthesis from 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine and 4-methyl-5-beta-hydroxyethylthiazole. These results suggest that thiamine metabolism in S. cerevisiae is subject to two positive regulatory genes, THI2 (PHO6) and THI3. We have also isolated a hybrid plasmid, pTTR1, containing a 6.2-kb DNA fragment from an S. cerevisiae genomic library which complements thiamine auxotrophy in the thi3 mutant. This gene was localized on a 3.0-kb ClaI-BglII fragment in the subclone pTTR5. Complementation of the activities for thiamine metabolism in the thi3 mutant transformed by some plasmids with the THI3 gene was also examined.     

Involvement of thiaminase II encoded by the THI20 gene in thiamin salvage of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The physiological significance of thiaminase II, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of thiamin, has remained elusive for several decades. The C-terminal domains of THI20 family proteins (THI20/21/22) and the whole region of PET18 gene product of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are homologous to bacterial thiaminase II. On the other hand, the N-terminal domains of THI20 and THI21 encode 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine kinase and 2-methyl-4-amino-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine phosphate kinase involved in the thiamin synthetic pathway. In this study, it was first indicated that the C-terminal domains of the THI20 family and PET18 are not required for de novo thiamin synthesis in S. cerevisiae, using a quadruple deletion strain expressing the N-terminal domain of THI20. Biochemical analysis using cell-free extracts and recombinant proteins demonstrated that yeast thiaminase II activity is exclusively encoded by THI20. It appeared that Thi20p has an affinity for the pyrimidine moiety of thiamin, and HMP produced by the thiaminase II activity is immediately phosphorylated. Thi20p was found to participate in the formation of thiamin from two synthetic antagonists, pyrithiamin and oxythiamin, by hydrolyzing both antagonists and phosphorylating HMP to give HMP pyrophosphate. Furthermore, 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine, a presumed naturally occurring thiamin precursor, was effectively converted to HMP by incubation with Thi20p. It is proposed that the thiaminase II activity of Thi20p is involved in the thiamin salvage pathway by catalyzing the hydrolysis of HMP precursors in S. cerevisiae.     

Action of the thiamine antagonist bacimethrin on thiamine biosynthesis

Bacimethrin is an analog of the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine (HMP) moiety of thiamine and inhibits the growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on a defined medium. Two classes of mutants that had increased bacimethrin resistance were isolated and characterized. Results showed that overexpression of the thi operon or specific lesions in thiD resulted in a bacimethrin-resistant phenotype. Phenotypic analyses of the thiD mutants suggested that they had a specific defect in one of the two kinase activities associated with this gene product and, further, that ThiD and not PdxK was primarily responsible for salvage of HMP from the medium.     

Modulation of thiamine metabolism in Zea mays seedlings under conditions of abiotic stress

The responses of plants to abiotic stress involve the up-regulation of numerous metabolic pathways, including several major routes that engage thiamine diphosphate (TDP)-dependent enzymes. This suggests that the metabolism of thiamine (vitamin B1) and its phosphate esters in plants may be modulated under various stress conditions. In the present study, Zea mays seedlings were used as a model system to analyse for any relation between the plant response to abiotic stress and the properties of thiamine biosynthesis and activation. Conditions of drought, high salt, and oxidative stress were induced by polyethylene glycol, sodium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The expected increases in the abscisic acid levels and in the activities of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were found under each stress condition. The total thiamine compound content in the maize seedling leaves increased under each stress condition applied, with the strongest effects on these levels observed under the oxidative stress treatment. This increase was also found to be associated with changes in the relative distribution of free thiamine, thiamine monophosphate (TMP), and TDP. Surprisingly, the activity of the thiamine synthesizing enzyme, TMP synthase, responded poorly to abiotic stress, in contrast to the significant enhancement found for the activities of the TDP synthesizing enzyme, thiamine pyrophosphokinase, and a number of the TDP/TMP phosphatases. Finally, a moderate increase in the activity of transketolase, one of the major TDP-dependent enzymes, was detectable under conditions of salt and oxidative stress. These findings suggest a role of thiamine metabolism in the plant response to environmental stress.     

Altered expression and activities of enzymes involved in thiamine diphosphate biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under oxidative and osmotic stress

Thiamine diphosphate (TDP) serves as a cofactor for enzymes engaged in pivotal carbohydrate metabolic pathways, which are known to be modulated under stress conditions to ensure the cell survival. Recent reports have proven a protective role of thiamine (vitamin B(1)) in the response of plants to abiotic stress. This work aimed at verifying a hypothesis that also baker's yeast, which can synthesize thiamine de novo similarly to plants and bacteria, adjust thiamine metabolism to adverse environmental conditions. Our analyses on the gene expression and enzymatic activity levels generally showed an increased production of thiamine biosynthesis enzymes (THI4 and THI6/THI6), a TDP synthesizing enzyme (THI80/THI80) and a TDP-requiring enzyme, transketolase (TKL1/TKL) by yeast subjected to oxidative (1 mM hydrogen peroxide) and osmotic (1 M sorbitol) stress. However, these effects differed in magnitude, depending on yeast growth phase and presence of thiamine in growth medium. A mutant thi4Δ with increased sensitivity to oxidative stress exhibited enhanced TDP biosynthesis as compared with the wild-type strain. Similar tendencies were observed in mutants yap1Δ and hog1Δ defective in the signaling pathways of the defense against oxidative and osmotic stress, respectively, suggesting that thiamine metabolism can partly compensate damages of yeast general defense systems.     

Enzymes that control the thiamine diphosphate pool in plant tissues. Properties of thiamine pyrophosphokinase and thiamine-(di)phosphate phosphatase purified from Zea mays seedlings

The pool of thiamine diphosphate (TDP), available for TDP-dependent enzymes involved in the major carbohydrate metabolic pathways, is controlled by two enzyme systems that act in the opposite directions. The thiamine pyrophosphokinase (TPK) activates thiamine into TDP and the numerous phosphatases perform the reverse two-step dephosphorylation of TDP to thiamine monophosphate (TMP) and then to free thiamine. Properties and a possible cooperation of those enzymes in higher plants have not been extensively studied. In this work, we characterize highly purified preparations of TPK and a TDP/TMP phosphatase isolated from 6-day Zea mays seedlings. TPK was the 29-kDa monomeric protein, with the optimal activity at pH 9.0, the K_m values of 12.4 μM and 4.7 mM for thiamine and ATP, respectively, and the V_max value of 360 pmol TDP min^?1 mg^?1 protein. The enzyme required magnesium ions, and the best phosphate donor was GTP. The purified phosphatase was the dimer of 24 kDa subunits, showed the optimal activity at pH 5.0 and had a rather broad substrate specificity, although TDP, but not TMP, was one of the preferable substrates. The K_m values for TDP and TMP were 36 μM and 49 μM, respectively, and the V_max value for TDP was significantly higher than for TMP (164 versus 60 nmoles min^?1 mg^?1 protein). The total activities of TPK and TDP phosphatases were similarly decreased when the seedlings were grown under the illumination, suggesting a coordinated regulation of both enzymes to stabilize the pool of the essential coenzyme.     

Purification and properties of cyclic AMP-independent glycogen synthase kinase 1 from rabbit skeletal muscle.

A cyclic AMP-independent casein (phosvitin) kinase eluted from a phosphocellulose column with 0.35 M KCl also possesses glycogen synthase kinase activity. This kinase, designated synthase kinase 1, is separable from other cyclic AMP-independent protein kinases, which also contain glycogen synthase kinase activity, by chromatography on a phosphocellulose column. This kinase was purified 15,000-fold from the crude extract. Synthase kinase activity co-purifies with casein and phosvitin kinase activities. Heat inactivation of these three kinase activities follow similar kinetics. It is suggested that these three kinase activities reside in a single protein. This kinase has a molecular weight of approximately 34,000 as determined by glycerol density gradient centrifugation and by gel filtration. The Km values for the synthase kinase-catalyzed reaction are 0.12 mg/ml (0.35 micronM) for synthase, 12 micronM for ATP, and 0.15 mM for Mg2+. The phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by the kinase results in the incorporation of 4 mol of phosphate/85,000 subunit; however, only two of the phosphate sites predominantly determine the glucose-6-P dependency of the synthase. Synthase kinase activity is sensitive to inhibition by NaCl or KCl at concentrations encountered during purification. Synthase kinase activity is insensitive to the allosteric effector (glucose-6-P) or substrate (UDP-glucose) of glycogen synthase at concentrations usually found under physiological condition.     

Biosynthesis of thiamine triphosphate and identification of thiamine diphosphate-binding proteins in the rat liver hyaloplasm

The nature of the thiamine diphosphate binding proteins from rat liver hyaloplasm was studied. When [14C]thiamine was used as a marker, a [14C]thiamine diphosphate-containing electrophoretically homogeneous protein preparation was isolated from the liver soluble fraction and classified as transketolase. No other non-enzymatic proteins which bind thiamine diphosphate and can serve as substrates in the reaction of thiamine diphosphate synthesis in the hyaloplasm were found. It was shown that the phosphate group is transferred by rat liver thiamine diphosphate kinase to the free (but not to the protein-bound) thiamine diphosphate as it was believed earlier.     

Mutations in the charged residues of the amino terminus of rat liver fructose 6-phosphate,2-kinase:Fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase: effects on regulation.

Amino and carboxyl termini of the bifunctional enzyme Fru 6-P, 2-kinase:Fru 2,6-bisphosphatase regulate the relative activities of the kinase/phosphatase. The N-terminus of the rat liver bifunctional enzyme is highly basic, containing a protein kinase A phosphorylation site that regulates these enzyme activities in a reciprocal manner. To determine the role of charged residues in the N-terminal peptide, mutant enzymes were constructed in which these residues were altered to residues carrying opposite charges, and the effect on the catalytic properties, thermal lability, and susceptibility to trypsin digestion and phosphorylation by protein kinase A was determined. Most of these mutations decreased k(cat)/K(ATP) and/or k(cat)/K(Fru) (6-P) of the kinase and increased k(cat)/K(Fru 2,6-P2) of the phosphatase. These mutant enzymes were more susceptible to trypsin digestion, phosphorylation by protein kinase A, and thermal inactivation. In general, the effect was greater with amino acid residues located more distant from the N-terminus. The resulting changes were not as large as observed with the phosphorylated enzyme. Mutation of Ser22 to Pro produced large changes in the kinetic properties comparable to those of phosphorylation, suggesting that the flexible region of the N-terminus containing five serines (Ser20 to S24) is essential for the enzyme activities. These results indicated that the charged residues as well as Ser20-Ser24 in the N-terminus of the liver Fru 6-P,2-kinase:Fru 2,6-Pase are essential in the allosteric regulation and probably involved in interactions with the catalytic domains that induce a conformation that has high Fru 6-P,2-kinase and low Fru 2,6-Pase activities. Any disruption of this N-terminal interaction results in inhibition of the kinase and activation of the phosphatase.     

Effect of thiamine on neuromuscular transmission in smooth muscles

Effects of thiamine, thiamine monophosphate (TMP), and thiamine diphosphate (TDP) on excitatory cholinergic and inhibitory noncholinergic nonadrenergic neuromuscular transmissions were studied in the smooth muscles of the gastric fundus and in the circular layer of the distal colon of the guinea pig, respectively. It was found that, when applied in the physiological concentration range, thiamine, TMP, and TDP evoked depolarization and an increase in strain in the smooth muscle strips, as well as an increase in the amplitude of inhibitory synaptic potentials and postinhibitory depolarization. The amplitude of the excitatory synaptic potentials increases in the presence of thiamine and TMP, and decreases in the presence of TDP. The results obtained suggest that thiamine and TMP, which are normally present in the extracellular medium, may modulate synaptic transmission, as well as the electrical and contractile activity of the smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 449–457, November–December, 1994.     

Differences between glycogen synthases from rat and rabbit skeletal muscle as indicated by phosphopeptide maps

Glycogen synthase I was purified from rat skeletal muscle. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the enzyme migrated as a major band with a subunit Mr of 85,000. The specific activity (24 units/mg protein), activity ratio (the activity in the absence of glucose-6-P divided by the activity in the presence of glucose-6-P X 100) (92 +/- 2) and phosphate content (0.6 mol/mol subunit) were similar to the enzyme from rabbit skeletal muscle. Phosphorylation and inactivation of rat muscle glycogen synthase by casein kinase I, casein kinase II (glycogen synthase kinase 5), glycogen synthase kinase 3 (kinase FA), glycogen synthase kinase 4, phosphorylase b kinase, and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were similar to those reported for rabbit muscle synthase. The greatest decrease in rat muscle glycogen synthase activity was seen after phosphorylation of the synthase by casein kinase I. Phosphopeptide maps of glycogen synthase were obtained by digesting the different 32P-labeled forms of glycogen synthase by CNBr, trypsin, or chymotrypsin. The CNBr peptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the tryptic and chymotryptic peptides were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. Although the rat and rabbit forms of synthase gave similar peptide maps, there were significant differences between the phosphopeptides derived from the N-terminal region of rabbit glycogen synthase and the corresponding peptides presumably derived from the N-terminal region of rat glycogen synthase. For CNBr peptides, the apparent Mr was 12,500 for rat and 12,000 for the rabbit. The tryptic peptides obtained from the two species had different retention times. A single chymotryptic peptide was produced from rat skeletal muscle glycogen synthase after phosphorylation by phosphorylase kinase whereas two peptides were obtained with the rabbit enzyme. These results indicate that the N-terminus of rabbit glycogen synthase, which contains four phosphorylatable residues (Kuret et al. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 151, 39-48), is different from the N-terminus of rat glycogen synthase.     

Alterations of dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the brain of sea-run Baltic salmon suffering a thiamine deficiency-related disorder

Baltic salmon Salmo salar females displaying wiggling behaviour had significantly lower (P<0.05) hepatic and ovarian thiamine (vitamin B₁) concentrations than the normal females, confirming that they suffered from a thiamine deficiency. A significantly (P<0.05) increased monoaminergic activity was found in the telencephalon and the hypothalamus of the wiggling individuals as indicated by [5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)]: [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] and [3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC)]: [dopamine (DA)] ratios. The 5-HIAA concentrations of wiggling individuals were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the telencephalon and the hypothalamus compared to normal fish. Wiggling fish showed significantly (P<0.05) higher concentrations of the DA metabolite DOPAC in the hypothalamus and the brain stem compared to normal fish. Furthermore, the brain stem in wiggling fish contained significantly (P<0.05) less 5-HT than in normal individuals, which was also reflected in a significant (P<0.05) increase in the (5-HIAA): (5-HT) ratio. These results demonstrate an increased serotonergic and dopaminergic activity in wiggling compared to normal fish. The altered monoaminergic activity may be directly related to altered brain thiamine metabolism, but a general stress caused by thiamine deficiency and an inability to regulate swim bladder inflation may contribute. Furthermore, a changed brain monoaminergic activity may contribute to the behaviour characterizing wiggling fish.     

Reduced folate carrier transports thiamine monophosphate: an alternative route for thiamine delivery into mammalian cells

Although the reduced folate carrierRFC1 and the thiamine transporters THTR-1 and THTR-2 share ~40% oftheir identity in protein sequence, RFC1 does not transport thiamineand THTR-1 and THTR-2 do not transport folates. In the present study,we demonstrate that transport of thiamine monophosphate (TMP), animportant thiamine metabolite present in plasma and cerebrospinalfluid, is mediated by RFC1 in L1210 murine leukemia cells. Transport ofTMP was augmented by a factor of five in cells (R16) that overexpressRFC1 and was markedly inhibited by methotrexate, an RFC1 substrate, butnot by thiamine. At a near-physiological concentration (50 nM), TMP influx mediated by RFC1 in wild-type L1210 cells was ~50% ofthiamine influx mediated by thiamine transporter(s). Within 1 min, the majority of TMP transported into R16 cells was hydrolyzed to thiamine with a component metabolized to thiamine pyrophosphate, the active enzyme cofactor. These data suggest that RFC1 may be one of the alternative transport routes available for TMP in some tissues whenTHTR-1 is mutated in the autosomal recessive disorderthiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia.

     

Involvement of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in thiamine biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

purF mutants of Salmonella typhimurium are known to require a source of both purine and thiamine; however, exogenous pantothenate may be substituted for the thiamine requirement. We show here that the effect of pantothenate is prevented by blocks in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, gnd (encoding gluconate 6-phosphate [6-P] dehydrogenase) or zwf (encoding glucose 6-P dehydrogenase). We further show that the defects caused by these mutations can be overcome by increasing ribose 5-P, suggesting that ribose 5-P may play a role in the ability of pantothenate to substitute for thiamine.     

Observations on the biosynthesis of thiamine in yeast

1. Methods are described for the isolation of radioactively pure thiamine from yeast and its degradation on a small scale to its cyclic components. 2. A degradation of the pyrimidine ring and a thin-layer method for the separation of thiamine, its derivatives and pyrimidine and thiazole residues are described. 3. [(14)C]Formate is more effectively incorporated into the pyrimidine residue than into the thiazole residue, whereas the reverse is true with l-[Me-(14)C]methionine. 4. Experiments with [Me-(14)C,(35)S]methionine demonstrate that methionine provides an intact unit for the biosynthesis of the thiazole ring. 5. [6-(14)C]Orotic acid is insignificantly incorporated into the pyrimidine residue of thiamine. 6. Experiments with [1-(14)C]- and [2-(14)C]-acetate indicate that it is incorporated as a unit into the thiazole residue, but that only C-2 is incorporated into the pyrimidine residue. 7. l-[U-(14)C]Alanine is also effectively incorporated into the thiazole residue. 8. These results are discussed in relation to possible pathways of biosynthesis of the two ring components of the thiamine molecule.     

A rapid and sensitive radiometric assay procedure for thiamine pyrophosphokinase activity using anion-exchange paper discs

A radiochemical method for the direct measurement of thiamine pyrophosphokinase (ATP: thiamine pyrophosphotransferase, EC 2.7.6.2) activity was described earlier (1,2). It avoided the difficulties associated with assay systems based on the coenzyme nature of thiamine pyrophosphate in TPP-dependent¹ enzyme reactions using apopyruvate decarboxylase (3) (2-oxoacid carboxylase, EC 4.1.1.1) or apotransketolase (4) (sedoheptulose-7-phosphate: d-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate glycolaldehydetransferase, EC 2.2.1.1). Since the chromatographic isolation of TPP is time-consuming, a procedure for the rapid determination of thiamine pyrophosphokinase activity was desirable.The simplified method described here takes advantage of the anionic character of TPP. The assay is carried out with [¹⁴C]thiamine as substrate. After incubation with the enzyme in the presence of Mg²⁺-ATP, the reaction mixture is applied to a DEAE-cellulose paper disc. The disc is extensively washed with sodium acetate resulting in the quantitative elution of [¹⁴C]thiamine and partial retention of [¹⁴C]TPP. This is quantitatively measured using the liquid scintillation counting technique.A similar procedure has been described for the determination of glycerol kinase (ATP: glycerol phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.30) and hexokinase (ATP: d-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) activities (5).     

Vitamin B1 de novo synthesis in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depends on external provision of 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is an essential cofactor for several key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Mammals have to salvage this crucial nutrient from their diet to complement their deficiency of de novo synthesis. In contrast, bacteria, fungi, plants and, as reported here, Plasmodium falciparum, possess a vitamin B1 biosynthesis pathway. The plasmodial pathway identified consists of the three vitamin B1 biosynthetic enzymes 5-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-4-methylthiazole (THZ) kinase (ThiM), 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine (HMP)/HMP-P kinase (ThiD) and thiamine phosphate synthase (ThiE). Recombinant PfThiM and PfThiD proteins were biochemically characterised, revealing K(m)app values of 68 microM for THZ and 12 microM for HMP. Furthermore, the ability of PfThiE for generating vitamin B1 was analysed by a complementation assay with thiE-negative E. coli mutants. All three enzymes are expressed throughout the developmental blood stages, as shown by Northern blotting, which indicates the presence of the vitamin B1 biosynthesis enzymes. However, cultivation of the parasite in minimal medium showed a dependency on the provision of HMP or thiamine. These results demonstrate that the human malaria parasite P. falciparum possesses active vitamin B1 biosynthesis, which depends on external provision of thiamine precursors.     

Metabolism of glucose 1,6-P2. I. Enzymes involved in the synthesis of glucose 1,6-P2 in pig tissues

Pig tissues show four enzymatic activities of glucose 1,6-P2 synthesis: (A) 2 [glucose 1-P]----glucose 1,6-P2 + glucose; (B) glucose 1-P + ATP----glucose 1,6-P2 + ADP; (C) glucose 1-P + fructose 1,6-P2----glucose 1,6-P2 + fructose 6-P; (D) glucose 1-P + glycerate 1,3-P2----glucose 1,6-P2 + glycerate 3-P. Brain is the tissue with highest capability of glucose 1,6-P2 synthesis. With the exception of skeletal muscle, activity "D" represents the highest activity of glucose 1,6-P2 synthesis. In muscle, activity "B" is the major activity. The existence of a specific glucose 1,6-P2 synthase which catalyzes reaction "D" is confirmed. Two peaks of such an enzyme are isolated by ion-exchange chromatography. There is an enzyme which specifically catalyzes reaction "C", not previously described. There is a glucose 1-P kinase not identical to phosphofructokinase.