Biochemical studies of canine muscle phosphofructokinase deficiency

Skeletal muscle from four dogs with erythrocyte phosphofructokinase (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11) deficiency were studied in vitro. Muscle PFK activities were severely decreased to 1% of the normal mean. The residual activities had a high Km for fructose-6-phosphate (F6P). Anaerobic lactate production of PFK-deficient muscle was minimal with the addition of glycogen and hexose-monophosphates, but was normal with fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP). Muscle glycogen concentration was twice normal, indicating a glycogen storage disorder. Histochemical studies for muscle PFK activity showed no enzymatic staining with F6P as substrate. In two muscle biopsies from asymptomatic related dogs, intermediate PFK activities were found. These data characterize canine muscle PFK deficiency in vitro.     

Metabolic alterations mediated by 2-ketobutyrate in Escherichia coli K12

Summary We have previously proposed that 2-ketobutyrate is an alarmone in Escherichia coli. Circumstantial evidence suggested that the target of 2-ketobutyrate was the phosphoenol pyruvate: glycose phosphotransferase system (PTS). We demonstrate here that the phosphorylated metabolites of the glycolytic pathway experience a dramatic downshift upon addition of 2-ketobutyrate (or its analogues). In particular, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate and acetyl-CoA concentrations drop by a factor of 10, 3, 4, and 5 respectively. This result is consistent with (i) an inhibition of the PTS by 2-ketobutyrate, (ii) a control of metabolism by fructose-1,6-diphosphate. Since fructose-1,6-diphosphate is an activator of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase and of pyruvate kinase, the concentration of their common substrate, phosphoenol pyruvate, does not decrease in parallel.Abbreviations G1P glucose-1-phosphate - G6P glucose-6-phosphate - F6P fructose-6-phosphate - F1-6DP fructose-1,6-diphosphate - PEP phosphoenol pyruvate     

Do non-equilibrium reactions in the glucose-to-triose phosphate pathway exist in the liver?

The circadian changes in the contents of intermediates of the initial reactions of the glycolytic pathway in pigeon liver were studied. the concentrations of glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate and triose phosphates were found to change synchronously, being maximal at the dark time and minimal during the light daytime. The glycogen content in the liver decreased steadily between 12.00 and 09.00. The diurnal variations in the concentrations of metabolite pairs (glucose and glucose-6-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate and fructose-1.6-diphosphate, fructose-1.6-diphosphate and triose phosphates) appeared to correlate significantly. The results obtained suggest that in the liver at least there are no limiting i. e. physiologically non-equilibrium reactions in the carbohydrate metabolic pathway from glucose to triose phosphates.     

The pleiotypic response to amino acid deprivation is the result of interactions between components of the glycolysis and protein synthesis pathways.

Several diverse metabolic events become compromised when mammalian cells are made deficient in essential amino acids or when charging of their tRNA is blocked by amino acid analogs. This rapid general demise of cell function can be due to inhibition of phosphofructokinase (PFK) by uncharged tRNA. It has now been demonstrated that when tRNA is added to PFK in an assay dependent upon the reassociation of inactive, dissociated enzyme subunits, nanomolar concentrations cause complete inhibition. The model for control suggests that charged tRNA becomes associated with EF-1, which is specific for aminoacyl-tRNAs and is present in sufficiently high concentrations in cells to sequester that charged forms from an inhibitory role. Support for this model include: (1) the rapid onset of inhibition of glycolysis and glucose uptake upon amino acid deficiency; (2) the unique role of the product of PFK activity, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, in reactions of peptide chain initiation, particularly its role as a co-factor for purified eIF-2B, the GDP/GTP exchange factor; (3) the correlations of this interaction with the cellular and molecular lesions of insulin insufficiency; (4) the recognition that the anomalous role of high concentrations of cAMP as a stimulant of peptide chain initiation in energy depleted or gel-filtered cell lysates correlates with its stimulatory action on PFK as an analog for the positive effector, adenosine-5'-monophosphate; and (5) the role of fructose-1,6-diphosphate in the formation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, a substrate for synthesis of ribose-5-phosphate via the non-oxidative portion of the pentose phosphate pathway, which, as a precursor of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate, is essential for nucleic acid synthesis.     

Studies on specific elution of rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase with allosteric ligands]

The specific elution of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase (PFK) from DEAE-cellulose is studied in the linear gradient of different allosteric ligands. Citrate and fructose-6-phosphate elute PFK at concentrations of 1.0 and 2.5 mM respectively, i.e. without increasing the ionic strength of the starting buffer (similar to 0.12). The specificity of elution is confirmed by comparison of the ionic strength of these solutions with that of buffer eluting PFK in buffer gradient (mu=0.17) as well as by comparison with the eluting ability of other ligands. Fructose-1,6-diphosphate elutes PFK only at the concentration of 5.5 mM which corresponds to the ionic strength 0.17. MgATP and AMP are inefficient as specific eluents whereas ATP and ADP elute only a small part of PFK with concomitant substantial increase of the ionic strength (up to 0.17--0.18). These results are discussed in terms of a charge compensation mechanism as a result of the displacement of PFK conformers equilibrium under the influence of the allosteric ligands.     

Modification of the kinetics and regulatory properties of bovine hepatic fructose 1,6-diphosphatase with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

Treatment of purified fructose 1,6-diphosphatase from bovine liver (which is maximally active at neutral pH) with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate produces changes in the spectral, catalytic, and allosteric properties of the enzyme. After modification the Michaelis constants for fructose-1,6-diphosphate and Mg²⁺ are increased, and inhibition by AMP is decreased. Substrate inhibition is decreased, but not abolished; the curve is merely shifted toward higher substrate concentration. Fructose-1, 6-diphosphate protects against the increases in the K_m for fructose-1, 6-diphosphate and the K_m for Mg²⁺, and against the changes in substrate inhibition, but not against the changes in AMP inhibition. AMP protects against the changes in AMP inhibition and the increase in the K_m for magnesium, but does not prevent the changes in substrate inhibition or the increase in the K_m for fructose-1, 6-diphosphate. The pH curves in the modified enzyme are altered at high, but not at low, substrate concentration.     

Relationship between energy metabolism and growth

Summary A biphasic dependence of the exponential growth rate on the glucose concentration of the medium was observed in batch culture experiments for a strain of S. cerevisiae and one of its petit mutants. The data can be fitted to an equation of the Michaelis-Menten type with two sets of values of the growth parameters; the switch-over occurs at a glucose concentration of 4 mM. Another petit mutant did not show the biphasic character.Regulation of the energy metabolism in relation to the cell cycle is discussed. It is suggested that the observed shift in the growth parameters may be due to a change in the control point of glycolysis from phosphofructokinase to pyruvate kinase at higher glucose concentrations. This could reduce the duration of the G₁ phase by permitting a faster synthesis of reserve carbohydrates required as intracellular energy reservoirs for DNA synthesis.Nonstandard Abbreviations Used F6P fructose-6-phosphate - FDP fructose-1,6-diphosphate - G1P glucose-6-phosphate - PEP Phosphoenolpyruvate - PYR pyruvate Enzymes PFK phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) - PK phosphoenolpyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40)     

Allosteric regulation of glycerol kinase by enzyme IIIglc of the phosphotransferase system in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium.

The mechanism by which enzyme IIIglc of the bacterial phosphotransferase system regulates the activity of crystalline glycerol kinase from Escherichia coli has been studied, and the inhibitory effects have been compared with those produced by fructose-1,6-diphosphate. It was shown that the free, but not the phosphorylated, form of enzyme IIIglc inhibits the kinase. Mutants of Salmonella typhimurium were isolated which were resistant to inhibition by either enzyme IIIglc (glpKr mutants) or fructose-1,6-diphosphate (glpKi mutants), and each mutant type was shown to retain full sensitivity to inhibition by the other regulatory agent. Other mutants were fully or partially resistant to regulation by both agents. The two regulatory sites on the kinase are evidently distinct but must overlap or interact functionally. Kinetic analyses have revealed several mechanistic features of the regulatory interactions. (i) Inhibition by both allosteric regulatory agents is strongly pH dependent, with maximal inhibition occurring at ca. pH 6.5 under the assay conditions employed. (ii) Binding of enzyme IIIglc to glycerol kinase is also pH dependent, the Ki being near 4 microM at pH 6.0 but near 10 microM at pH 7.0. (iii) Whereas fructose-1,6-diphosphate inhibition apparently requires that the enzyme exist in a tetrameric state, both the dimer and the tetramer appear to be fully sensitive to enzyme IIIglc inhibition. (iv) Inhibition by enzyme IIIglc (like that by fructose-1,6-diphosphate) is noncompetitive with respect to both substrates. (v) The inhibitory responses of glycerol kinase to fructose-1, 6-diphosphate and enzyme IIIglc show features characteristic of positive cooperativity at low inhibitor concentration. (vi) Neither agent inhibits completely at high inhibitor concentration. (vii) Apparent negative cooperativity with respect to ATP binding is observed with purified E. coli glycerol kinase, with glycerol kinase in crude extracts of wild-type S. typhimurium cells, and with glpKr and glpKi mutant forms of glycerol kinase from S. typhimurium. These results serve to characterize the regulatory interactions which control the activity of glycerol kinase by fructose-1,6-diphosphate and by enzyme IIIglc of the phosphotransferase system.     

Fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activity in brown adipose tissue of the developing rat.

An enzyme activity capable of converting fructose-1,6-diphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate was demonstrated to present in crude tissue extracts from brown adipose tissue of the rat. Mg2+ was essential for the expression of activity. EDTA (0.5 mM) increased the activity by 30%. Fructose-1,6-diphosphate in concentrations of 1 and 10 mM inhibits activity by 30% and 60% respectively. A 65% inhibition was observed in the presence of 0.2 micrometer 5' AMP. The activity of the enzyme was measured in rat brown adipose tissue at different stages of development. It rises sharply between day 2 and day 6 and continues to increase reaching a maximum between 6 and 11 days. Thereafter the activity gradually declines to values observed prenatally. The normal developmental rise in activity could be prevented by chemical sympathectomy on day 2. This procedure had no effect when carried out on day 9. There was a significant increase in enzyme activity after cold adaptation. The possible physiological significance of this enzyme in brown adipose tissue is discussed.     

Phosphofrucktokinase and glucose catabolism of Mucor and Penicillium species.

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

Failure to corroborate claims that the developing endosperm of wheat (Triticum aestivum) contains significant activities of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

This work was done to test claims (Sangwan and Singh, Physiol. Plant. 73: 21–26) that the developing endosperm of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) contains a cytosolic and a plastidic fructose- 1,6-bisphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11; FBPase). Repetition of the procedure of Sangwan and Singh with extracts of developing endosperm of Triticum aestivum cv. Mercia produced two peaks of apparent FBPase activity on elution from DEAE-cellulose. Both peaks showed high activity of pyrophosphate:fructose-6-phos-phate 1-phosphotransferase [EC 2.7.1.90; PFK(PP_i)]. The apparent FBPase activity in both peaks was stimulated by 20 μ M fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and inhibited by antibodies to PFK(PP_i). Antibody to plastidic FBPase did not react positively in an immunoblot analysis with any protein of M_r comparable to that of known FBPase in either peak. It is argued that the ability of each peak to convert fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate was due to PFK(PP_i). and that there remains no substantiated evidence for the presence of a plastidic FBPase in the developing endosperm of wheat.     

Biochemical characterization of an active pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase from Treponema pallidum

An active pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase containing a six residue polyhistidine tag has been cloned from Treponema pallidum, and characterized biochemically. The phosphofructokinase has pH optima for activity of 8.0 for both the forward and reverse reactions. The apparent K(m) for pyrophosphate was 0.042 mM (V(max) of 141 U mg(-1) protein) and for fructose-6-phosphate, 0.529 mM. The apparent K(m) for the reverse reaction for fructose-1,6-diphosphate was 0.267 mM (V(max) of 42.4 U mg(-1) protein). The enzyme appears to be both a dimer and non-allosteric.     

Identification of multiple forms of phosphofructokinase in ripening dwarf cavendish banana

The levels of six glycolytic intermediates and the activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK) were determined in Dwarf Cavendish banana at different stages of ripening between harvest and senescence. There was a 2.3-fold increase in the level of fructose- 1,6-diphosphate between the preclimacteric and climacteric peak stage. The PFK preparations from preclimacteric and climacteric peak stages were purified ca 15-fold using Blue-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The clectrophoretic studies with the enzyme preparations ofthese two stages ofripening indicated the presence of two forms of PFK at both stages of ripening.     

In vivo regulation of glycolysis and characterization of sugar: phosphotransferase systems in Streptococcus lactis.

Two novel procedures have been used to regulate, in vivo, the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) from glycolysis in Streptococcus lactis ML3. In the first procedure, glucose metabolism was specifically inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate. Autoradiographic and enzymatic analyses showed that the cells contained glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, and triose phosphates.Dithiothreitol reversed the p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibition, and these intermediates were rapidly and quantitatively transformed into 3- and 2-phosphoglycerates plus PEP. The three intermediates were not further metabolized and constituted the intracellular PEP potential. The second procedure simply involved starvation of the organisms. The starved cells were devoid of glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose- 1,6-diphosphate, and triose phosphates but contained high levels of 3- and 2-phosphoglycerates and PEP (ca. 40 mM in total). The capacity to regulate PEP formation in vivo permitted the characterization of glucose and lactose phosphotransferase systems in physiologically intact cells. Evidence has been obtained for "feed forward" activation of pyruvate kinase in vivo by phosphorylated intermediates formed before the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction in the glycolytic sequence. The data suggest that pyruvate kinase (an allosteric enzyme) plays a key role in the regulation of glycolysis and phosphotransferase system functions in S. lactis ML3.     

The catalytic direction of pyrophosphate:fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase in rice coleoptiles in anoxia

The catalytic direction of pyrophosphate:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFP; EC 2.7.1.90) in coleoptiles of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) seedlings subjected to anoxia stress is discussed. The stress greatly induced ethanol synthesis and increased activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; EC 1.1.1.1) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC; EC 4.1.1.1) in the coleoptiles, whereas the elevated PDC activity was much lower than the elevated ADH activity, suggesting that PDC may be one of the limiting factors for ethanolic fermentation in rice coleoptiles. Anoxic stress decreased concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) and glucose 6-phosphate, and increased concentration of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-bisP) in the coleoptiles. PFP activity in rice coleoptiles was low in an aerobic condition and increased during the stress, whereas no significant increase was found in ATP:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11) activity in stressed coleoptiles. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentration in rice coleoptiles was increased by the stress and pyrophosphate concentration was above the K_m for the forward direction of PFP and was sufficient to inhibit the reverse direction of PFP. Under stress conditions the potential of carbon flux from Fru-6-P toward ethanol through PFK may be much lower than the potential of carbon flux from pyruvate toward ethanol through PDC. These results suggest that PFP may play an important role in maintaining active glycolysis and ethanolic fermentation in rice coleoptiles in anoxia.     

The role of phosphofructokinase in glycolytic control in the facultative anaerobe Sipunculus nudus

Summary The involvement of phosphofructokinase (PFK) in glycolytic control was investigated in the marine peanut worm Sipunculus nudus. Different glycolytic rates prevailed at rest and during functional and environmental anaerobiosis: in active animals glycogen depletion was enhanced by a factor of 120; during hypoxic exposure the glycolytic flux increased only slightly. Determination of the mass action ratio (MAR) revealed PFK as a non-equilibrium enzyme in all three physiological situations. Duirng muscular activity the PFK reaction was shifted towards equilibrium; this might account for the observed increase in glycolytic rate under these conditions. PFK was purified from the body wall muscle of S. nudus. The enzyme was inhibited by physiological ATP concentrations and an acidic pH; adenosine monophosphate (AMP), inorganic phosphate (P_i), and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-P₂) served as activators. PFK activity, determined under simulated cellular conditions of rest and muscular work, agreed well with the glycolytic flux in the respective situations. However, under hypoxia PFK activity surpassed the glycolytic rate, indicating that PFK may not be rate-limiting under these conditions. The results suggest that glycolytic rate in S. nudus is mainly regulated by PFK during rest and activity. Under hypoxic conditions the regulatory function of PFK is less pronounced.Abbreviations ATP, ADP, AMP adenosine tri-, di-, monophosphate - DTT dithiothreitol - EDTA ethylene diaminetetra-acetic acid - F-6-P fructose-6-phosphate - F-1,6-P₂ fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - F-2,6-P₂ fructose-2,6-bisphosphate; bwm, body wall muscle; fresh mass, total body weight - G-6-P glucose-6-phosphate - H enthalpy change - K _a activation constant - K _eq equilibrium constant - K _i inhibition constant - K _m Michaelis constant - MAR mass action ratio - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - PFK phosphofructokinase - P_i inorganic phosphate - PLA phospho-l-arginine - SD standard deviation - TRIS, TRIS (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane - TRA triethanolamine hydrochloride - V _max maximal velocity     

Inhibition of bovine hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase by substrate analogs.

Purified bovine hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, which exhibits maximal activity at neutral pH, is competitively inhibited by several analogs of its substrate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate. These include glucose 1,6-diphosphate (Ki = 9.4 X 10(-5) M), hexitol 1,6-diphosphate (Ki = 2.3 X 10(-4) M), and 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 1,6-diphosphate (Ki = 3.3 X 10(-8) M), and 2,5-anhydro-D-glucitol 1,6-diphosphate (Ki = 5.5 X 10(-7) M). The Ki values for both 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 1,6-diphosphate and 2,5-anhydro-D-glucitol 1,6-diphosphate are lower than the Km of 1.4 X 10(-6) M for fructose 1,6-diphosphate. Since 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 1,6-diphosphate is an analog of the beta anomer of fructose 1,6-diphosphate and 2,5-anhydro-D-glucitol 1,6-diphosphate is an analog of the alpha anomer, the lower Ki for the mannitol analog may indicate that the beta anomer of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, which predominates in solution, is the true substrate. The substrate analog 1,5-pentanediol diphosphate inhibits slightly (K0.5 = 5 X 10(-3) M), but 1,4-cyclohexyldiol diphosphate does not. The Ki for product inhibition by sodium phosphate is 9.4 X 10(-3) M. 2,5-Anhydro-D-mannitol 1,6-diphosphate and alpha-D-glucose 1,6-diphosphate are substrates at pH 9.0, but not at pH 6.5.     

Fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase and acid hexose phosphatase of Escherichia coli

Fraenkel, D. G. (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, N.Y.), and B. L. Horecker. Fructose-1,6-diphosphatase and acid hexose phosphatase of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 90:837-842. 1965.-The conversion of fructose-1,6-diphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate (fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activity) is essential for growth of Escherichia coli on glycerol, acetate, or succinate, but is unnecessary for growth on hexoses or pentoses. It has sometimes been assumed that fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activity is due to a nonspecific acid hexose phosphatase. We have now obtained a number of one-step mutants which have lost the ability to grow on glycerol, succinate, or acetate, but which grow normally on hexoses; these mutants are deficient in a fructose-1,6-diphosphatase which can be assayed spectrophotometrically in the presence of Mg(++) and low concentrations of substrate. These mutants still possess the nonspecific acid hexose phosphatase, which does not require Mg(++) and is active only at much higher concentrations of fructose-1,6-diphosphate. Evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that the newly described activity is the physiological fructose-1,6-diphosphatase. The acid hexose phosphatase is a different enzyme whose function remains unknown.     

Catalytic properties of phosphoglucomutase from pea chloroplasts.

Electrophoretically homogeneous phosphoglucomutase (PGM) with specific activity of 3.6 units/mg protein was isolated from pea (Pisum sativum L.) chloroplasts. The molecular mass of this PGM determined by gel-filtration is 125 +/- 4 kD. According to SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of subunits is 65 +/- 3 kD. The Km for glucose-1-phosphate is 18.0 +/- 0.5 microM, and for glucose-1, 6-diphosphate it is 33 +/- 0.7 microM. At glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-1,6-diphosphate concentrations above 0.5 and 0.2 mM, respectively, substrate inhibition is observed. The enzyme has optimum activity at pH 7.9 and 35 degrees C. Mg2+ activates the PGM. Mn2+ activates the enzyme at concentrations below 0.2 mM, while higher concentrations have an inhibitory effect. The activity of the PGM is affected by 6-phosphogluconate, fructose-6-phosphate, NAD+, ATP, ADP, citrate, and isocitrate.     

Phosphofructokinases from Escherichia coli. Purification and characterization of the nonallosteric isozyme.

The main phosphofructokinase of Escherichia coli (PFK I) is an extensively studied allosteric enzyme specified by the pfkA gene. A nonallosteric phosphofructokinase was reported (Fraenkel, D.G., Kotlarz, D., and Bluc, H. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4865-4866) in strains carrying the pfkB1 mutation, a suppressor of pfkA mutants, and very low levels of this enzyme have also been detected in strains not carrying the suppressor (i.e. pfkB+). The nonallosteric protein has now been prepared pure from three strains, one carrying pfkB1 and pfkA+, one carrying pfkB1 and completely deleted for pfkA, and one carrying pfkB+ and also deleted for pfkA. It is apparently the same enzyme (PFK II) in all three strains, which shows that pfkB1 is a mutation affecting the amount of a normally minor isozyme. PFK II is a tetramer of slightly larger subunit molecular weight than PFK I (36,000 and 34,000, respectively). No immunological cross-reactivity was detected between PFK II and PFK I. Unlike PFK I, PFK II does not show cooperative interactions with fructose-6-P, inhibition by P-enolpyruvate, or activation by ADP. Also unlike PFK I, PFK II is somewhat sensitive to inhibition by fructose-1,6-P2 and can use tagatose-6-P as substrate. Both enzymes can perform the reverse reaction, fructose-6-P + ATP from fructose-1,6-P2 + ADP in vitro, but not in vivo. The normal function of PFK II is not known.