Total conversion of glycogen synthase from the I- to the D-form by a cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle.

A newly discovered cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase, which catalyzes the total conversion of glycogen synthase from the I- to the D-form, has been isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. This enzyme, designated glycogen synthase kinase, is separable from cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase by column chromatography on phosphocellulose. Synthase kinase and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase are distinct in their specificity for protein substrates, the effects of cyclic AMP and the inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase on their activities, and the extent to which they phosphorylate I-form glycogen synthase. The phosphorylation of I-form enzyme by synthase kinase results in the incorporation of 4 mol of phosphate/85,000 subunit; however only two of the phosphate sites seem predominantly to determine glucose-6-P dependence. The resulting multiply phosphorylated enzyme, which is highly dependent on glucose-6 P for activity, has a phosphate content comparable to the D-form enzyme isolated from rabbit muscle.     

Effect of limited proteolysis on activity and phosphorylation of rabbit muscle glycogen synthetase.

Purified rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthetase, in both the glucose-6-phosphate (P)-dependent (phosphorylated) and the glucose-6-P-independent (dephosphorylated) forms, was subjected to limited proteolysis by trypsin. Both forms could be degraded from their original subunit molecular weight of 85,000 to 76,000 and subsequently to 68,000, as determined with acrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Degradation of the glucose-6-P-dependent form of the enzyme resulted in essentially no change in the activity when measured either in the presence or in the absence of glucose-6-P. Degradation of the glucose-6-P-independent form was associated with a progressive increase in glucose-6-P dependency. Phosphorylation of the glucose-6-P-independent form with the adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and subsequent digestion of the ³²P-labeled enzyme showed that the phosphate group was retained on these subunits. The protein kinase phosphorylated both the original subunit with molecular weight 85,000 and the partially digested subunit with molecular weight 76,000. Upon further digestion of the enzyme into a form having a subunit molecular weight of 68,000, the enzyme was unable to accept a phosphate group from ATP. By contrast with the phosphorylation reaction, the dephosphorylation reaction catalyzed by partially purified glycogen synthetase phosphatase is not stringent in terms of structural integrity of the synthetase. The phosphatase dephosphorylated the glucose-6-P-dependent form of glycogen synthetase equally well at various degrees of degradation.     

Isolation and characterization of multiple forms of maize leaf sucrose-phosphate synthase

Sucrose-phosphate synthase SPS; (EC 2.4.1.14) from maize (Zea mays L. cv. Pioneer 3184) leaves was partially purified and kinetically characterized. Maize SPS was activated by glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) due to an increase in Vmax and a decrease in the Km for UDP-glucose. The UDP-glucose saturation profile was biphasic; thus two Km values for UDP-glucose were calculated. Inhibition by inorganic phosphate was observed only in the presence of G-6-P. Chromatography of partially purified maize leaf extracts on hydroxyapatite resolved two forms of SPS activity, which differed in their affinity for UDP-glucose and in the degree of activation by G-6-P. SPS was partially purified from maize leaves that were harvested in the light and in the dark. The light enzyme had a higher specific activity than the enzyme isolated from dark harvested leaves, and this difference persisted during enzyme purification. The apparent molecular weight (Stokes radius) of the light enzyme was 547 kDa, which was greater than that of the dark enzyme (457 kDa). Light and dark SPS differed in their affinities for UDP-glucose in the absence G-6-P. Both the light and the dark SPS were activated by G-6-P; the Km for UDP-glucose of the light enzyme was lowered by G-6-P, while the Km for UDP-glucose for the dark enzyme remained unchanged. These results suggest that light activation involves a conformational change that results in differences in maximum velocity, substrate affinities and regulation by metabolites. Chromatography of either the light or dark SPS on hydroxyapatite yielded two peaks of enzyme activity, suggesting that the occurrence of the two activity peaks was not due to an interconversion of the light and dark forms.     

Effect of manganese(ous) and sulfate on activity of human placental glucose 6-phosphate-dependent form of glycogen synthase.

The human placental glucose-6-P-dependent form of glycogen synthase, in the absence of glucose-6-P, can be activated by MnSO4. Separately, Mn2+ and SO4(2-) have no significant effect. In the presence of glucose-6-P, Mn2+ activates the enzyme, but SO4(2-) inhibits; MnSO4 synergetically increases the enzyme activity. Mn2+ reduces the Ka for glucose-6-P to one-tenth of the control value; SO4(2-) increases the Ka 5-fold; however, MnSO4 has no effect on Ka. MnSO4, like glucose-6-P, increases the Vmax of the enzyme in the presence of its substrate, UDP-glucose; it slightly increases the Km for UDP-glucose. In the presence of glucose-6-P, Mn2+ increases and SO4(2-) decreases the Vmax of the enzyme, but neither has an effect on the Km for UDP-glucose. At physiological concentrations of UDP-glucose and glucose-6-P, either Mn2+ or MnSO4 at concentrations less than 1 mM increases the enzyme activity as much as 8 mM glucose-6-P does. At physiological concentrations of UDP-glucose and glucose-6-P, Mn2+ or MnSO4 reverses the inhibition of the enzyme by ATP.     

Pyrophosphorylases in Solanum tuberosum (IV. Purification,Tissue Localization,and Physicochemical Properties of UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase)

The enzyme UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) from potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Norchip) tubers was purified 177-fold to near homogeneity and to a specific activity of 1099 international units/mg of protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 53 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. Immunological and activity assays detected UGPase at similar levels in potato stems, stolons, and tubers. Leaves and roots contained lower levels of UGPase activity and protein. Lineweaver-Burk plots for substrates inorganic pyrophosphate and UDP-glucose were linear in the pyrophosphorolytic direction, yielding Km values of 0.13 and 0.14 mM, respectively. However, Lineweaver-Burk plots for the substrates glucose-1-P and UTP were biphasic in nature when UGPase was assayed in the direction of UDP-glucose synthesis. At physiological substrate concentrations (i.e. from 0.05-0.20 mM), Km values of 0.08 mM (glucose-1-P) and 0.12mM (UTP) were obtained. When substrate concentrations increased above 0.20 mM, Km values increased to 0.68 mM (glucose-1-P) and 0.53 mM (UTP). These kinetic patterns of potato UGPase suggest a "negative cooperative effect" (A. Conway, D.E. Koshland, Jr. [1968] Biochemistry 7: 4011-4022) with respect to the substrates glucose-1-P and UTP. The biphasic substrate saturation curves were similar to the kinetics of the dimeric form of UGPase purified from Salmonella typhimurium (T. Nakae [1971] J Biol Chem 246: 4404-4411). The in vivo significance of the enzyme's "negative cooperativity" in the direction of UDP-glucose synthesis and potato sweetening is discussed.     

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.     

Interconversion of active and inactive forms of phosphorylase and glycogen synthetase in oocytes and embryos of the loach (Misgurnus fossilis L.)

Summary Glycogen synthetase (EC 2.4.1.11) from oocytes and embryos of the loach (Misgurnus fossilis L.) has been found only in the D-form. The intensive glycogen accumulation during oogenesis did not correspond with the glycogen synthetase interconversion in the I-form.In isolated oocytes and embryos of the loach insulin transforms glycogen synthetase into the form which is desensitized for ATP inhibition. Insulin treatment enhancesV _max without affecting theK _m (UDP-glucose) only with an excess of activator—glucose-6-P. Simultaneously insulin treatment converts the phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1.) into the latent form.

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Zusammenfassung Eine intensive Anreicherung des Glykogens bei der Oogenese des Schlammpeitzgers (Misgurnus fossilis L.) fällt mit der Umwandlung der Glykogensynthetase (EC 2.4.1.11) in die I-form (aktive) Form des Fermentes nicht zusammen. In den isolierten Oocyten und Embryonen des Schlammpeitzgers wandelt das Insulin die Glykogensynthetase in die Form um, die der Inhibition von ATP gegenüber desensibilisiert worden ist. Das Insulin erhöhtV _max nur bei Überschuß des Aktivators Glu-6-P, bleibt aber ohne Wirkung auf denK _m-Weit für UDP-glucose. Das Insulin wandelt jedoch die Phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) in die latente Form um.

     

Kinetic properties of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from lamb kidney cortex

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is the key regulatory enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway and one of the products of this enzyme; NADPH has a critical role in the defence system against the free radicals. In this study, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from lamb kidney cortex kinetic properties is examined. The purification procedure is composed of two steps after ultracentrifugation for rapid and easy purification: 2', 5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity and DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow anion exchange chromatography. Previously, we used this procedure for the purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from bovine lens. The double reciprocal plots and product inhibition studies showed that the enzyme obeys 'Ordered Bi Bi' mechanism: K(m NADP+)K(m G-6-P) and K(i G-6-P) (dissociation constant of the enzyme--G-6-P complex) were found to be 0.018 +/- 0.002, 0.039 +/- 0.006 and 0.029 +/- 0.005 mM, respectively, by using nonlinear regression analysis. The enzyme was stable at 4 degrees C for a week.     

Microsomal membrane permeability and the hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase system. Interactions of the system with D-mannose 6-phosphate and D-mannose.

We have proposed that glucose-6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9) is a two-component system consisting of (a) a glucose-6-P-specific transporter which mediates the movement of the hexose phosphate from the cytosol to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (or cisternae of the isolated microsomal vesicle), and (b) a nonspecific phosphohydrolase-phosphotransferase localized on the luminal surface of the membrane (Arion, W.J., Wallin, B.K., Lange, A.J., and Ballas, L.M. (1975) Mol. Cell. Biochem. 6, 75-83). Additional support for this model has been obtained by studying the interactions of D-mannose-6-P and D-mannose with the enzyme of untreated (i.e. intact) and taurocholate-disrupted microsomes. An exact correspondence was shown between the mannose-6-P phosphohydrolase activity at low substrate concentrations and the permeability of the microsomal membrane to EDTA. The state of intactness of the membrane influenced the kinetics of mannose inhibition of glucose-6-P hydrolysis; uncompetitive and noncompetitive inhibitions were observed for intact and disrupted microsomes, respectively. The apparent Km for glucose-6-P was smaller with intact preparations at mannose concentrations above 0.3 M. Mannose significantly inhibited total glucose-6-P utilization by intact microsomes, whereas D-glucose had a stimulatory effect. Both hexoses markedly enhanced the rate of glucose-6-P utilization by disrupted microsomes. The actions of mannose on the glucose-6-phosphatase of intact microsomes fully support the postulated transport model. They are predictable consequences of the synthesis and accumulation of mannose-6-P in the cisternae of microsomal vesicles which possess a nonspecific, multifunctional enzyme on the inner surface and a limiting membrane permeable to D-glucose, D-mannose, glucose-6-P, but impermeable to mannose-6-P. The latency of the mannose-6-P phosphohydrolase activity is proposed as a reliable, quantitative index of microsomal membrane integrity. The inherent limitations of the use of EDTA permeability for this purpose are discussed.     

Cellulose synthesis by extracts of Acanthamoeba castellanii during encystment. Stimulation of the incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-(14C)glucose into alkali-soluble and insoluble beta-glucans by glucose 6-phosphate and related compounds.

1. The activity of a particulate enzyme prepared from encysting cells of Acanthamoeba castellanii (Neff), previously shown to catalyze the incorporation of glucose from UDP-[14C]glucose into both alkali-soluble and alkali-insoluble beta-(1 leads to 4) glucans, was stimulated several fold by glucose-6-phosphate and several related compounds. 2. Incorporation was observed when [14C]glucose-6-P was incubated with the particles in the presence of UDP-glucose. The results of product analysis by partial acid hydrolysis indicated that glucose-6-P stimulates the formation of both alkali-soluble and alkali-insoluble beta-(1 leads to 4) glucans from UDP-[14C]glucose and was itself incorporated into an alkali-insoluble beta-(1 leads to 4)glucan. 3. When particles incubated with UDP-[14C]glucose and glucose-6-P were reisolated and then reincubated with unlabeled UDP-glucose and glucose-6-P, a loss of counts from the alkali-soluble fraction was detected along with a corresponding rise in the radioactivity of the alkali-insoluble fraction. This suggests that the alkali-soluble beta-glucan was converted to an alkali-insoluble product and possibly may be an intermediate stage in cellulose synthesis.     

Purification and properties of the glucose-6-phosphate-dependent form of human placental glycogen synthase.

Glycogen synthase in the glucose-6-phosphate (glucose-6-P)-dependent form was purified over 10,000-fold from an extract of term human placenta. The purified enzyme shows a single protein band on polyacry1amide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme activity in the presence of glucose-6-P is increased by the single addition of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Mn²⁺ and is reduced by the addition of either sulfate or phosphate. Addition of either Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Mn²⁺ relieves the inhibition by sulfate or phosphate. The enzyme activity in the absence of glucose 6-P is greatly increased by the addition of MnSO₄, CoSO₄, and NiSO₄ and is increased to a lesser extent by MgSO₄, CaSO₄, and FeSO₄. The activation of the glucose-6-P-dependent form of the enzyme by these metal sulfates in the absence of glucose-6-P has never been reported. MnSO₄, which shows homotropic cooperativity, is the best activator among the various metal sulfates tested. The human placental glucose-6-P-dependent form of glycogen synthase (D form) can be converted to the glucose-6-P-independent form (I form) of the enzyme by incubating the partially purified glycogen synthase, which is copurified with synthase phosphatase, with Mn²⁺. This conversion can be reversed by the addition of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. The synthase D to synthase I converting system from human placenta is unique in its stringent requirement for Mn²⁺.     

The kinetics of intact microsome glucose-6-phosphatase are sigmoid at physiologic glucose 6-phosphate concentrations

The kinetics of rat liver glucose-6-phosphatase (D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.9) were studied with intact and detergent-disrupted microsomes from normal and diabetic rats. Glucose-6-P concentrations employed (12 microM to 1.0 mM) spanned the physiologic range. With the enzyme of intact microsomes from both groups, plots of v versus [glucose-6-P] were sigmoid. Hanes plots (i.e. [glucose-6-P]/v versus [glucose-6-P]) were biphasic (concave upwards). A Hill coefficient of 1.45 was determined with substrate concentrations between 12 and 133 microM. Disruption of microsomal integrity abolished these departures from classic kinetic behavior, indicating that sigmoidicity may result from cooperative interaction of glucose-6-P with the glucose-6-phosphatase system at the substrate translocase specific for glucose-6-P. With the enzyme from normal rats the [glucose-6-P] at which the enzyme was maximally sensitive to variations in [glucose-6-P] (which we term "Smax"), determined from plots of dv/d [glucose-6-P] versus [glucose-6-P], was in the physiologic range. The Smax of 0.13 mM corresponded well with the normal steady-state hepatic [glucose-6-P] of 0.16 mM, consistent with glucose-6-phosphatase's function as a regulatory enzyme. With the diabetic enzyme, in contrast, values were 0.30 and 0.07 mM for the Smax and steady-state level, respectively. We suggest that the decreasing sensitivity of glucose-6-phosphatase activity to progressively diminishing glucose-6-P concentration, inherent in its sigmoid kinetics, constitutes a mechanism for the preservation of a residual pool of glucose-6-P for other hepatic metabolic functions in the presence of elevated concentrations of glucose-6-phosphatase such as in diabetes.     

Purification and characterization of a cAMP- and Ca2+-calmodulin-independent glycogen synthase kinase from porcine renal cortex

We recently reported the partial purification of a cAMP-independent and Ca2+-calmodulin-independent glycogen synthase kinase from porcine renal cortex (Schlender, K. K., Beebe, S. J., and Reimann, E. M. (1981) Cold Spring Harbor Conf. Cell Proliferation, 389-400). Subsequent purification indicated that the enzyme preparation consisted of at least three forms of glycogen synthase kinase which could be resolved by ATP gradient elution from aminoethylphosphate-agarose (AEP-agarose). The predominant form of glycogen synthase kinase, which eluted from AEP-agarose between 2 and 6 mM ATP, was purified approximately 800-fold and is designated GSK-A1. It had a molecular weight of 45,000-50,000 as determined by gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. It catalyzed the transfer of 1 mol of 32P/mol of synthase subunit into a low molecular weight (10,000) CNBr peptide which was tentatively identified as Ser-7 (site 2) by high performance liquid chromatography. This phosphorylation decreased the activity ratio (activity in the absence of glucose-6-P divided by activity in the presence of 7.2 mM glucose-6-P) from 0.95 to about 0.55. GSK-A1 appeared to be specific for and had low s0.5 values for both substrates, ATP (13 microM) and glycogen synthase (0.3-0.4 microM). The enzyme could not use GTP as the phosphate donor. GSK-A1 was not affected by the protein kinase inhibitor, cAMP, cGMP, Ca2+-calmodulin, EGTA, or trifluoperazine and had a broad pH optimum (pH 7.0-8.5). A second form, GSK-A2, was eluted from AEP-agarose between 7 and 9 mM ATP. GSK-A2 could transfer a 2nd mol of 32P/mol of synthase subunit and decreased the activity ratio to 0.30. The interrelation among these multiple forms is not clear, but the data suggest that multiple kinases are required to form the highly inactivated glycogen synthase in renal tissues.     

The phosphohydrolase component of the hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system is a 36.5-kilodalton polypeptide

The phosphohydrolase component of the microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system has been identified as a 36.5-kDa polypeptide by 32P-labeling of the phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate formed during steady-state hydrolysis. A 36.5-kDa polypeptide was labeled when disrupted rat hepatic microsomes were incubated with three different 32P-labeled substrates for the enzyme (glucose-6-P, mannose-6-P, and PPi) and the reaction terminated with trichloroacetic acid. Labeling of the phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate with [32P]glucose-6-P was blocked by several well-characterized competitive inhibitors of glucose-6-phosphatase activity (e.g. Al(F)-4 and Pi) and by thermal inactivation, and labeling was not seen following incubations with 32Pi and [U-14C]glucose-6-P. In agreement with steady-state dictates, the amount of [32P]phosphoryl intermediate was directly and quantitatively proportional to the steady-state glucose-6-phosphatase activity measured under a variety of conditions in both intact and disrupted hepatic microsomes. The labeled 36.5-kDa polypeptide was specifically immunostained by antiserum raised in sheep against the partially purified rat hepatic enzyme, and the antiserum quantitatively immunoprecipitated glucose-6-phosphatase activity from cholate-solubilized rat hepatic microsomes. [32P]Glucose-6-P also labeled a similar-sized polypeptide in hepatic microsomes from sheep, rabbit, guinea pig, and mouse and rat renal microsomes. The glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme appears to be a minor protein of the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum, comprising about 0.1% of the total microsomal membrane proteins. The centrifugation of sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized membrane proteins was found to be a crucial step in the resolution of radiolabeled microsomal proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

The molecular architecture of glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase

Glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, also referred to as UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase or UGPase, catalyzes the formation of UDP-glucose from glucose-1-phosphate and UTP. Not surprisingly, given the central role of UDP-glucose in glycogen synthesis and in the production of glycolipids, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans, the enzyme is ubiquitous in nature. Interestingly, however, the prokaryotic and eukaryotic forms of the enzyme are unrelated in amino acid sequence and structure. Here we describe the cloning and structural analysis to 1.9 A resolution of the UGPase from Escherichia coli. The protein is a tetramer with 222 point group symmetry. Each subunit of the tetramer is dominated by an eight-stranded mixed beta-sheet. There are two additional layers of beta-sheet (two and three strands) and 10 alpha-helices. The overall fold of the molecule is remarkably similar to that observed for glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase in complex with its product, dTDP-glucose. On the basis of this similarity, a UDP-glucose moiety has been positioned into the active site of UGPase. This protein/product model predicts that the side chains of Gln 109 and Asp 137, respectively, serve to anchor the uracil ring and the ribose of UDP-glucose to the protein. The beta-phosphoryl group of the product is predicted to lie within hydrogen bonding distance to the epsilon-nitrogen of Lys 202 whereas the carboxylate group of Glu 201 is predicted to bridge the 2'- and 3'-hydroxyl groups of the glucosyl moiety. Details concerning the overall structure of UGPase and a comparison with glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase are presented.     

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.     

The importance of membrane integrity in kinetic characterizations of the microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system

The transport model of glucose-6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9) was recently challenged by a report that detergent treatment had no effect on the presteady state kinetics of glucose-6-P hydrolysis catalyzed at 0 degree C by the enzyme in liver microsomes previously frozen in 0.25 M mannitol (Zakim, D., and Edmondson, D. E. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 1145-1148). The lack of response to detergent is shown to be the expected consequence of the conditions used in the presteady state measurements. First, when the assay temperature was reduced from 30 to 0 degree C the depression in the glucose-6-P phosphohydrolase activity of intact microsomes (i.e. the system) was much greater than that of fully disrupted microsomes (i.e. enzyme). This indicates that temperature influences transport much more than hydrolysis of glucose-6-P. As a result, the contribution of a small fraction of enzyme associated with disrupted structures is markedly exaggerated, so it becomes the predominant hydrolytic activity before detergent treatment. Second, freezing microsomes in 0.25 M mannitol caused such extensive disruption that all of the activity manifest at 0 degree C could be attributed to enzyme in disrupted structures. The present findings underscore the importance of assessing the state of intactness of "untreated" microsomes and quantifying the contribution of the disrupted component in kinetic analyses of the glucose-6-phosphatase system. The proposition that the detergent-induced changes in the kinetic properties of glucose 6-phosphatase represent removal of constraints imposed on the enzyme by the membrane environment rather than increased access of enzyme to substrate is critically analyzed.     

Regulation of glycogen synthetase. Specificity and stoichiometry of phosphorylation of the skeletal muscle enzyme by cyclic 3':5'-AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Complete conversion of skeletal muscle glycogen synthetase from the I form to the D form requires incorporation of 2 mol of phosphate per enzyme subunit (90,000 g). Incubation of sythetase I with low concentrations of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (10 units/ml) and ATP (0.1 to 0.3 mM) plus magnesium acetate (10 mM) results in incorporation within 1/2 hour of 1 mol of phosphate persubunit concomitant with a decrease in the synthetase activity ratio (minus glucose-6-P/plus glucose-6-P) from 0.85 to 0.25. Further incubation for 6 hours does not greatly increase the phosphate content of the synthetase or promote conversion to the D form. This level of phosphorylation is not increased by raising the concentration of protein kinase to 150 units/ml and is not influenced by the presence of glucose-6-P, UDP-glucose, or glycogen. However, at protein kinase concentrations of 10,000 to 30,000 units/ml a second mol of phosphate is incorporated per subunit, and the sythetase activity ratio decreases to 0.05 or less. In addition to the 2 mol of phosphate persubunit which are required for formation of sythetase D, further phosphorylation can be observed which is not associated with changes in synthetase activity. This phosphorylation occurs at a slow rate, is increased by raising the ATP concentration to 2 to 4mM, and is not blocked by the heat-stable protein inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. These data indicate that skeletal muscle glycogen synthetase contains multiple phosphorylation sites only two of which are involved in the synthetase I to D conversion.     

Rat liver cytoplasmic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Steady-state kinetic properties and circular dichroism.

Steady-state kinetic studies including initial velocity, NADPH product inhibition, dead-end inhibition, and combined dead-end and product inhibition measurements with purified rat liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase indicate a sequential and obligatory addition of substrates in the order of NADP+, glucose-6-P for the catalytic pathway at pH 8.0. Although instability of 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone precluded product inhibition experiments which might directly exclude an enzyme-6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone complex, the absence of an enzyme-glucose-6-P complex suggests that the enzyme-lactone product is unlikely and the release of products is also ordered, with NADPH released last. Consideration of the kinetic constants (Ka = 2.0 muM, Kiq = 13 muM) and cellular concentration of the substrates and products suggests extensive inhibition of the enzyme in vivo and control by the NADPH/NADP+ ratios. Circular dichroism spectra of the enzyme in 20 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C indicate 51% helix and 33% pleated sheet structures which is considerably different from results (14% helix) with yeast enzymes.     

Purification and properties of the cytoplasmic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from pea leaves

A method involving affinity chromatography on the yellow dye Remazol Brilliant Gelb GL to highly purify the cytoplasmic isoenzyme of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from pea shoots is described. Purification is at least 6000-fold. The specific activity of the purified enzyme is 185 mumol NADP reduced/min per mg protein. The preparation was free from any contamination of chloroplastic isoenzyme. The purified enzyme retains its activity in the presence of reducing agents which, in contrast, inactivate the chloroplast enzyme. The state of activity of the cytoplasmic and the chloroplastic isoenzyme in illuminated or darkened pea leaves was investigated using specific antibodies. While upon illumination the chloroplastic isoenzyme was inactivated by 80 to 90%, we could not find any change in activity of the cytoplasmic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. ATP, ADP, NAD, NADH, and various sugar phosphates do not inhibit the enzyme activity. Only NADPH is a strong competitive inhibitor with respect to NADP, suggesting that the enzyme is regulated by feedback inhibition by one of its products. Mg2+ ions have no influence on the activity of the enzyme. The molecular weight has found to be 240,000 for the native enzyme and 60,000 for the subunit. Throughout the purification procedure the enzyme was very unstable unless NADP was present in the buffer.