Comparison of kinetic and regulatory properties of high S0.5 form of AMP deaminase from chicken and pigeon liver with AMP deaminase from rat and ox liver

1. The high S0.5 form of AMP deaminase from avian liver was shown to display a two times lower S0.5 value than the single mammalian enzyme form. 2. Avian enzymes showed several fold higher affinity to the activator (ATP) but lower affinity to inhibitors (GTP and Pi) than the mammalian AMP deaminases. 3. GTP was shown to exert a biphasic: activating and inhibitory effect on all the enzymes tested, the chicken and pigeon enzymes being activated within a much broader range of effector concentration. 4. In the presence of 3 mM ATP the activity of avian enzymes was not affected by high GTP and Pi concentrations, in contrast to AMP diaminase from rat liver which was strongly inhibited by GTP under the same experimental conditions. 5. The differences of the regulatory properties described are discussed in terms of adjustment of avian liver AMP deaminase to a faster adenylates' catabolism and thus urate synthesis.