Growth of Escherichia coli on glucosamine 6-phosphate: selection of a constitutive hexose phosphate transport system mutant.

Glucosamine 6-phosphate was found to be a substrate but not an inducer for the hexose phosphate transport system of Escherichia coli. Wild-type cells grow very poorly on glucosamine 6-phosphate. A mutant was selected that will grow rapidly on glucosamine 6-phosphate because it contains a constitutive hexose phosphate transport system.     

Comparative reactivity of carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate with the glucose-6-phosphatase of intact microsomes

The ability of glucose 6-phosphate and carbamyl phosphate to serve as substrates for glucose-6-phosphatase (D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase; EC 3.1.3.9) of intact and disrupted microsomes from rat liver was compared at pH 7.0. Results support carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate as effective substrates with both. Km values for carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate were greater with intact than with disrupted microsomes, but Vmax values were higher with the latter. The substrate translocase-catalytic unit concept of glucose-6-phosphatase function is thus confirmed. The Km values for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose and D-glucose were larger when determined with intact than with disrupted microsomes. This observation is consistent with the involvement of a translocase specific for hexose substrate as a rate-influencing determinant in phosphotransferase activity of glucose-6-phosphatase.     

Metabolism of D-mannose in Aerobacter aerogenes: evidence for a cyclic pathway

Kamel, M. Y. (Michigan State University, East Lansing), and R. L. Anderson. Metabolism of d-mannose in Aerobacter aerogenes: evidence for a cyclic pathway. J. Bacteriol. 92:1689-1697. 1966.-Evidence is presented which suggests a cyclic pathway for the constitutive utilization of d-mannose in extracts of Aerobacter aerogenes PRL-R3. d-Mannose is phosphorylated with d-glucose-6-phosphate to yield d-mannose-6-phosphate and d-glucose. d-Glucose-6-phosphate may be regenerated by isomerization of d-mannose-6-phosphate through d-fructose-6-phosphate, or by phosphorylation of d-glucose with adenosine-5'-triphosphate. The pathway involves the participation of four constitutive enzymes: d-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, d-mannose-6-phosphate isomerase, a stereospecific d-glucokinase, and a phosphotransferase which phosphorylates d-mannose with d-glucose-6-phosphate, acetyl phosphate, or carbamyl phosphate. The absence of d-mannokinase (adenosine-5'-triphosphate:d-mannose phosphotransferase) activity in extracts of this organism suggests that the pathway may be of functional significance. Also, the pathway accounts for an apparent 2-epimerization of d-mannose to d-glucose that was observed in extracts.     

Trehalose phosphate synthesis in Streptomyces hygroscopicus: purification of guanosine diphosphate D-glucose: D-glucose-6-phosphate 1-glucosyl-transferase

Guanosine diphosphate d-glucose:d-glucose-6-phosphate 1-glucosyl-transferase was purified approximately 100-fold from extracts of Streptomyces hygroscopicus. The purified enzyme catalyzed the transfer of glucose from guanosine diphosphate-d-glucose to glucose-6-phosphate to form trehalose phosphate and guanosine diphosphate. The enzyme was specific for these two substrates and was stimulated by the addition of magnesium ions. The product was characterized as alpha-alpha-trehalose-6-phosphate by its physical and chemical properties. The enzyme was present in a large number of Streptomyces species, suggesting that this group of organisms synthesized trehalose phosphate in a unique manner. This enzyme was not detected in fungi, since these organisms utilized uridine diphosphate-d-glucose as the glucosyl donor.     

sn-Glycerol-3-phosphate transport in Salmonella typhimurium

Salmonella typhimurium contains a transport system for sn-glycerol-3-phosphate that is inducible by growth on glycerol and sn-glycerol-3-phosphate. In fully induced cells, the system exhibited an apparent Km of 50 microM and a Vmax of 2.2 nmol/min . 10(8) cells. The corresponding system in Escherichia coli exhibits, under comparable conditions, a Km of 14 microM and a Vmax of 2.2 nmol/min . 10(8) cells. Transport-defective mutants were isolated by selecting for resistance against the antibiotic fosfomycin. They mapped in glpT at 47 min in the S. typhimurium linkage map, 37% cotransducible with gyrA. In addition to the glpT-dependent system, S. typhimurium LT2 contains, like E. coli, a second, ugp-dependent transport system for sn-glycerol-3-phosphate that was derepressed by phosphate starvation. A S. typhimurium DNA bank containing EcoRI restriction fragments in phage lambda gt7 was used to clone the glpT gene in E. coli. Lysogens that were fully active in the transport of sn-glycerol-3-phosphate with a Km of 33 microM and a Vmax of 2.0 nmol/min . 10(8) cells were isolated in a delta glpT mutant of E. coli. The EcoRI fragment harboring glpT was 3.5 kilobases long and carried only part of glpQ, a gene distal to glpT but on the same operon. The fragment was subcloned in multicopy plasmid pACYC184. Strains carrying this hybrid plasmid produced large amounts of cytoplasmic membrane protein with an apparent molecular weight of 33,000, which was identified as the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate permease. Its properties were similar to the corresponding E. coli permease. The presence of the multicopy glpT hybrid plasmid had a strong influence on the synthesis or assembly of other cell envelope proteins of E. coli. For instance, the periplasmic ribose-binding protein was nearly absent. On the other hand, the quantity of an unidentified E. coli outer membrane protein usually present only in small amounts increased.     

New reaction sequences for the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway.

1. Reactions leading to the formation of 14C-labelled volatile compounds and compounds volatile under acid conditions were investigated in a system actively synthesizing hexose 6-phosphates from [U-14C]ribose 5-phosphate by reactions catalysed by enzymes prepared from acetone-dried powder of rat liver; no reactions involving 14C-labelled volatile compounds were detected. Similarly the fixation of 14C-labelled volatile compounds into hexose 6-phosphate could not be detected. 2. A complete carbon balance was made for the reactants, intermediates and products of the reactions involved in the conversion of ribose 5-phosphate into hexose 6-phosphate by enzymes of rat liver. Five additional intermediates of pentose 5-phosphate metabolism in liver were detected, namely D-manno-heptulose 7-phosphate, D-altro-heptulose 1,7-bisphosphate, D-glycero-D-ido-octulose 1,8-bisphosphate, D-glycero-D-altro-octulose 1,8-bisphosphate and D-arabinose 5-phosphate. 3. D-Arabinose 5-phosphate was found to be utilized by a rat liver enzyme preparation to produce both hexose 6-phosphate and triose phosphate. 4. D-Arabinose 5-phosphate was reversibly converted into other pentose 5-phosphates. Paper chromatographic and enzymic evidence indicated that the conversion involved an enzyme tentatively named arabinose phosphate 2-epimerase, which catalyses the following reaction: D-arabinose 5-P in equilibrium D-ribose-5-P. 5. A variety of rat tissues also utilized D-arabinose 5-phosphate to produce both hexose 6-phosphate and triose phosphate and at a rate comparable with that obtained with D-ribose 5-phosphate. 6. A new reaction sequence for the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in liver is proposed.     

Uptake of glycerol 3-phosphate and some of its analogs by the hexose phosphate transport system of Escherichia coli.

The hexose phosphate transport system transported glycerol 3-phosphate and its analogs 3,4-dihydroxybutyl-1-phosphonate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, and 3-hydroxy-4-oxobutyl-1-phosphonate.     

Novel pronounced reversible inhibition of phosphofructokinase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphoglucose isomerase by hexacyanoferrate (II).

At pH 6.8, pig kidney phosphofructokinase (PFK) is inhibited 90% by 1 mm hexacyanoferrate(II), in a reaction mixture containing 0.2 mm fructose 6-phosphate (F-6-P) and 1 mm ATP. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucose isomerase are inhibited 70% by 5 mm hexacyanoferrate(II), at a 0.2 mm concentration of their respective substrates. Unlike all previously reported inhibitions of glycolytic enzymes by hexacyanoferrate, this inhibition seems not to involve an oxidation of enzyme, substrate, or enzyme-substrate complex. It appears to be due to reversible binding of the hexacyanoferrate at, or near, the hexose phosphate binding site of each enzyme. These inhibition studies were carried out in 50 mm 2-mercaptoethanol, and spectral studies showed that these conditions ensured that all the hexacyanoferrate was in the reduced (II) state. The inhibition of PFK was competitive with respect to the substrate F-6-P. Some reaction between hexacyanoferrate(II) and the substrate could not be definitely ruled out, but such reactions cannot be the major basis for the inhibitions observed. Increasing the magnesium concentration did not overcome the PFK inhibition. For all three enzymes, addition of a high concentration of hexose phosphate substrate to an assay mixture containing highly inhibited enzyme resulted in removal of the inhibition. The inhibition was instantaneous, and there was no increase in inhibition with time of incubation with hexacyanoferrate(II). These results may provide an approach to active-site labeling of these three enzymes at their hexose phosphate binding sites. These results should also be of interest to other workers, especially those involved in oxidative phosphorylation studies, who use ferro- and ferricyanide as research tools. The effects from such experiments may, in some cases, be due to binding of these compounds at, or near, hexose phosphate binding sites in the system.     

The plastidic pentose phosphate translocator represents a link between the cytosolic and the plastidic pentose phosphate pathways in plants

Plastids are the site of the reductive and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathways, which both generate pentose phosphates as intermediates. A plastidic transporter from Arabidopsis has been identified that is able to transport, in exchange with inorganic phosphate or triose phosphates, xylulose 5-phosphate (Xul-5-P) and, to a lesser extent, also ribulose 5-phosphate, but does not accept ribose 5-phosphate or hexose phosphates as substrates. Under physiological conditions, Xul-5-P would be the preferred substrate. Therefore, the translocator was named Xul-5-P/phosphate translocator (XPT). The XPT shares only approximately 35% to 40% sequence identity with members of both the triose phosphate translocator and the phosphoenolpyruvate/phosphate translocator classes, but a higher identity of approximately 50% to glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocators. Therefore, it represents a fourth group of plastidic phosphate translocators. Database analysis revealed that plant cells contain, in addition to enzymes of the oxidative branch of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, ribose 5-phosphate isomerase and ribulose 5-phosphate epimerase in both the cytosol and the plastids, whereas the transketolase and transaldolase converting the produced pentose phosphates to triose phosphates and hexose phosphates are probably solely confined to plastids. It is assumed that the XPT function is to provide the plastidic pentose phosphate pathways with cytosolic carbon skeletons in the form of Xul-5-P, especially under conditions of a high demand for intermediates of the cycles.     

Glucose dehydrogenase (hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and the microsomal electron transport system. Evidence supporting their possible functional relationship.

The ability of a microsomal enzyme, glucose dehydrogenase (hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenease) to supply NADPH to the microsomal electron transport system, was investigated. Microsomes could perform oxidative demethylation of aminopyrine using microsomal glucose dehydrogenase in situ as an NADPH generator. This demethylation reaction had apparent Km values of 2.61 X 10(-5) M for NADP+, 4.93 X 10(-5) m for glucose 6-phosphate, and 2.14 X 10(-4) m for 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, a synthetic substrate for glucose dehydrogenase. Phenobarbital treatment enhanced this demethylation activity more markedly than glucose dehydrogenase activity itself. Latent activity of glucose dehydrogenase in intact microsomes could be detected by using inhibitors of microsomal electron transport, i.e. carbon monoxide and p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), and under anaerobic conditions. These observations indicate that in microsomes the NADPH generated by glucose dehydrogenase is immediately oxidized by NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, and that glucose dehydrogenase may be functioning to supply NADPH.     

Characterization of phosphate:hexose 6-phosphate antiport in membrane vesicles of Streptococcus lactis

Membrane vesicles of Streptococcus lactis were used to characterize a novel anion exchange involving phosphate and sugar 6-phosphates. For vesicles loaded with 50 mM phosphate at pH 7, homologous phosphate:phosphate exchange had a maximal rate of 130 nmol/min/mg of protein and a Kt of 0.21 mM external phosphate; among phosphate analogues tested, only arsenate replaced phosphate. Heterologous exchange was studied by 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate entry into phosphate-loaded vesicles; this reaction had a maximal velocity of 31 nmol/min/mg of protein and a Kt of 26 microM external substrate. Sugar phosphate moved intact during this exchange, since its entry led to loss of internal 32Pi without transfer of 32P to sugar phosphate. Inhibitions of phosphate exchange suggested that the preferred sugar phosphate substrates were (Kiapp): glucose, 2-deoxyglucose, and mannose 6-phosphates (approximately 20 microM) greater than fructose 6-phosphate (150 microM) greater than glucosamine 6-phosphate (420 microM) greater than alpha-methylglucoside 6-phosphate (740 microM). Stoichiometry for phosphate:2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate antiport was 2:1 at pH 7, and since initial rates of exchange were unaffected by charge carrying ionophores (gramicidin, valinomycin, a protonophore), this unequal stoichiometry indicated the electroneutral exchange of two monovalent phosphates for a single divalent sugar phosphate.     

Inactivation and degradation of yeast glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase selectively modified by pyridoxal-5-phosphate

Modification by pyridoxal-5-phosphate of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces an inactivation effect, partially reversible by dilution in the presence of substrates. Spectroscopic analysis of the enzyme pyridoxal-5-phosphate complex reduced with NaBH4 provides the values expected for the binding of the aldehydic group to Lys residue. One Lys residue appears to be responsible for the observed enzyme inactivation, and the presence of the phosphate group is required for the effect. Besides the change of activity, the binding of pyridoxal-5-phosphate to the enzyme causes an increase in susceptibility to degradation by the intracellular yeast proteinase A at pH 7.6.     

Sorbitol-1-phosphate and sorbitol-6-phosphate in apricot leaves

Sorbitol-1-phosphate and sorbitol-6-phosphate were isolated from Prunus armeniaca leaves that had been labelled with ¹⁴C by photosynthesis in ¹⁴CO₂. Each hexitol phosphate was present at ca 7 μmol/kg fr. wt in the tissue and formed ca 4% of the hexose monophosphate fraction. ¹⁴C-specific activity measurements suggest that each hexitol monophosphate is formed from a hexose monophosphate, and that one or other could be an intermediate in photosynthesis of sorbitol from CO₂.     

Non-oxidative synthesis of pentose 5-phosphate from hexose 6-phosphate and triose phosphate by the L-type pentose pathway

1. Ribose 5-phosphate was non-oxidatively synthesized from glucose 6-phosphate and triose phosphate by an enzyme extract prepared from rat liver (RLEP). Analysis of the intermediates by GLC, ion-exchange chromatography and specific enzymatic analysis, revealed the presence of the following intermediates of the L-type pentose pathway: altro-heptulose 1,7-bisphosphate, arabinose 5-phosphate and D-glycero D-ido octulose 8-phosphate. 2. With either [1-14C] or [2-14C]glucose 6-phosphate as diagnostic substrates, the distribution of 14C in ribose 5-phosphate was determined. At early time intervals (0.5-8 hr), [1-14C]glucose 6-phosphate introduced 14C into C-1, C-3 and C-5 of ribose 5-phosphate, at 17 hr 14C was confined to C-1. With [2-14C]glucose 6-phosphate as substrate, 14C was confined to C-2, C-3 and C-5 of ribose 5-phosphate during early times (0.5-8 hr), while at 17 hr 14C was located in C-2. 3. The transketolase exchange reaction, [14C]ribose 5-phosphate + altro-heptulose 7-phosphate in equilibrium ribose 5-phosphate + [14C]altro-heptulose 7-phosphate, was demonstrated for the first time using purified transketolase, its activity was measured and it is proposed to play a major role in the relocation of 14C into C-3 and C-5 or ribose 5-phosphate during the prediction labelling experiments. 4. The coupled transketolase-transaldolase reactions, 2 fructose 6-phosphate in equilibrium altro-heptulose 7-phosphate + xylulose 5-phosphate and 2 altro-heptulose 7-phosphate in equilibrium fructose 6-phosphate + D-glycero D-altro octulose 8-phosphate were demonstrated with purified enzymes, but are concluded to play a minor role in the non-oxidative synthesis of pentose 5-phosphate and octulose phosphate by (RLEP). 5. The formation of gem diol and dimers of erythrose 4-phosphate is proposed to account in part for the failure to detect monomeric erythrose 4-phosphate in the carbon balance studies. 6. The equilibrium value for the pentose pathway acting by the reverse mode in vitro was measured and contrasted with the value for the pathway acting in the forward direction. The initial specific rates of the pentose pathway reactions in vitro for the reverse and forward directions are measured. 7. The study which includes carbon balance, time course changes and 14C prediction labelling experiments reports a comprehensive investigation of the mechanism of the pentose pathway acting reversibly.     

Carbon metabolism of chloroplasts in the dark: Oxidative pentose phosphate cycle versus glycolytic pathway

The conversion of U-labelled [¹⁴C]glucose-6-phosphate into other products by a soluble fraction of lysed spinach chloroplasts has been studied. It was found that both an oxidative pentose phosphate cycle and a glycolytic reaction sequence occur in this fraction. The formation of bisphosphates and of triose phosphates was ATP-dependent and occurred mainly via a glycolytic reaction sequence including a phosphofructokinase step. The conversion, of glucose-6-phosphate via the oxidative pentose phosphate cycle stopped with the formation of pentose monophosphates. This was found not to be because of a lack in transaldolase (or transketolase) activity, but because of the high concentration ratios of hexose monophosphate/pentose monophosphate used in our experiments for simulating the conditions in whole chloroplasts in the dark. Some regulatory properties of both the oxidative pentose phosphate cycle and of the glycolytic pathway were studied.Abbreviations DHAP dihydroxyacetone phosphate - GAP 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde - PGA 3-phosphoglycerate - HMP hexose monophosphates - including F6P fructose-6-phosphate - G6P glucose-6-phosphate - GIP glucose-1-phosphate - 6-PGL phosphogluconate - PMP pentose monophosphates - including R5P ribose-5-phosphate - Ru5P ribulose-5-phosphate - X5P xylulose-5-phosphate - E4P erythrose-4-phosphate - S7P sedoheptulose-7-phosphate - FBP fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - SBP sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate - RuBP ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate     

Ligand interactions of the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor. Comparison with the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor

The interactions of the bovine cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor with monovalent and divalent ligands have been studied by equilibrium dialysis. This receptor appears to be a homodimer or a tetramer. Each mole of receptor monomer bound 1.2 mol of the monovalent ligands, mannose 6-phosphate and pentamannose phosphate with Kd values of 8 X 10(-6) M and 6 X 10(-6) M, respectively and 0.5 mol of the divalent ligand, a high mannose oligosaccharide with two phosphomonoesters, with a Kd of 2 X 10(-7) M. When Mn2+ was replaced by EDTA in the dialysis buffer, the Kd for pentamannose phosphate was 2.5 X 10(-5) M. By measuring the affinity of the cation-dependent and cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptors for a variety of mannose 6-phosphate analogs, we conclude that the 6-phosphate and the 2-hydroxyl of mannose 6-phosphate each contribute approximately 4-5 kcal/mol of Gibb's free energy to the binding reaction. Neither receptor appears to interact substantially with the anomeric oxygen of mannose 6-phosphate. The receptors differ in that the cation-dependent receptor displays no detectable affinity for N-acetylglucosamine 1'-(alpha-D-methylmannopyranose 6-monophosphate) whereas this ligand binds to the cation-independent receptor with a poor, but readily measurable Kd of about 0.1 mM. The spacing of the mannose 6-phosphate-binding sites relative to each other may also differ for the two receptors.     

3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli. Model of binding of phosphoenolpyruvate and D-arabinose-5-phosphate

The crystal structure of 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase (KDOPS) from Escherichia coli was determined by molecular replacement using coordinates given to us by Radaev and co-workers prior to publication. The KDOPS crystals reported by Radaev et al. were grown in the presence of 1.4 M (NH(4))(2)SO(4) and 0.4 M (K/H)(3)PO(4). They are in the cubic space group I23 (a=228.6 A) with a tetramer in the asymmetric unit; the structure has been refined with data to 2.4 A. Our crystals of E. coli KDOPS, grown in 24 % (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500 in the presence of the substrates, 2-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and d-arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P), are also in space group I23 (a=118.2 A), with one subunit in the asymmetric unit.The medium of crystallization, 1.8 M SO(4)/PO(4) versus 24 % PEG, does not significantly affect the conformation of KDOPS. The inter-monomer contacts in both structures are the same. The beta(8)/alpha(8) loop (residues 246 to 251) situated near the entrance to the active site is not seen in the 229 A structure but can be traced in the 118 A structure.Most significantly, Radaev et al. interpreted two SO(4)/PO(4) sites in the 229 A structure as marking the phosphate positions of the substrates, PEP and A5P, after the precedent of DAHPS. In the 118 A structure the inner of these two SO(4)/PO(4) peaks is present at the same position as in the 229 A structure of KDOPS. The outer phosphate peak in the 118 A KDOPS is 3.7 A from the outer SO(4)/PO(4) peak in the 229 A structure and is within hydrogen bonding distance of Arg63 of the same subunit and Arg120 of another subunit. Based on the precedent of the d-erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P) modeled in the active site of DAHPS, we have modeled PEP and A5P in KDOPS and compared the coordination of PEP and A5P in KDOPS with that of PEP and E4P in DAHPS.     

Intracellular hexose-6-phosphate:phosphohydrolase from Streptococcus lactis: purification, properties, and function.

An intracellular hexose 6-phosphate:phosphohydrolase (EC 3.1.3.2) has been purified from Streptococcus lactis K1. Polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme revealed one major activity staining protein and one minor inactive band. The Mr determined by gel permeation chromatography was 36,500, but sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a single polypeptide of apparent Mr 60,000. The enzyme exhibited a marked preference for hexose 6-phosphates, and the rate of substrate hydrolysis (at 5 mM concentration) decreased in the order, galactose 6-phosphate greater than 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate greater than fructose 6-phosphate greater than mannose 6-phosphate greater than glucose 6-phosphate. Hexose 1-phosphates, p-nitrophenylphosphate, pyrophosphate, and nucleotides were not hydrolyzed at a significant rate. In addition, the glycolytic intermediates comprising the intracellular phosphoenolpyruvate potential in the starved cells (phosphoenolpyruvate and 2- and 3-phosphoglyceric acids) were not substrates for the phosphatase. Throughout the isolation, the hexose 6-phosphate:phosphohydrolase was stabilized by Mn2+ ion, and the purified enzyme was dependent upon Mn2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, or Co2+ for activation. Other divalent metal ions including Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, and Ni2+ were unable to activate the enzyme, and the first four cations were potent inhibitors. Enzymatic hydrolysis of 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate was inhibited by fluoride when Mg2+ was included in the assay, but only slight inhibition occurred in the presence of Mn2+, Fe2+, or Co2+. The inhibitory effect of Mg2+ plus fluoride was specifically and completely reversed by Fe2+ ion. The hexose 6-phosphate:phosphohydrolase catalyzes the in vivo hydrolysis of 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate in stage II of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent futile cycle in S. lactis (J. Thompson and B. M. Chassy, J. Bacteriol. 151:1454-1465, 1982).     

Localization of Phosphoglucose Isomerase in Escherichia coli and Its Relation to the Induction of the Hexose Phosphate Transport System

The localization of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) was studied in relation to the induction of hexose phosphate uptake in Escherichia coli. The uptake system is induced only by extracellular glucose-6-phosphate (G6P); there is no induction by intracellular G6P. Fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) is an indirect inducer, and isomerization of F6P to G6P must occur before induction. PGI has been considered to be an internal enzyme; therefore, uptake of F6P by noninduced cells and leakage of the G6P formed would be required for induction. In this study, it was concluded that part of the PGI activity is located in the cell surface because: (i) uninduced, intact cells are able to convert F6P to G6P, whereas the activity of G6P dehydrogenase is not detectable; (ii) when cells are subjected to osmotic shock, about 10% of the PGI activity is found in the shock fluid; and (iii) sorbitol-6-phosphate (S6P) inhibits both PGI activity of whole cells and the induction of hexose phosphate transport system by F6P. S6P was not taken by intact cells. The data indicate that the isomerization of F6P to G6P can take place on the cell surface, and this explains the indirect induction of hexose phosphate transport by F6P.     

Malate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, key markers for studying the genetic diversity of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Abstract Cell-free extracts of strains belonging to the 5 serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans were screened for several enzymes. Enzymes representative of the pentose phosphate pathway/hexose monophosphate shunt and the TCA cycle were present. Of these glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were the most readily detected and stable. MDH and G6PDH retained more than 50% of their activities at alkaline pHs (10–11) for up to 6 h and 3 h at 25°C, respectively, while at pH 6.5, 50% of their activities were lost within 2–3 h. The K _m for malate oxidation catalysed by MDH was 5.8×10⁻⁴ M while that for glucose-6-phosphate oxidation was 2.0×10⁻⁴ M. The pH optima for MDH and G6PDH oxidation activities were 10 and 9.5, respectively. Among the 5 designated serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans three groups were delineated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis using MDH and G6PDH.