Interaction of muscle glycogen phosphorylase with pyridoxal 5'-methylenephosphonate

Rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) was reconstituted with pyridoxal 5′-methylenephosphonate with ca. 25% restoration of enzymatic activity. The modified enzyme has very similar chemical and physical properties to native phosphorylase including UV and fluorescence spectra, quaternary structure, high energy of activation in the reconstitution reaction, optimum pH and susceptibility to phosphorylase kinase in the b to a conversion. While V_max is reduced to ca. one-fifth, affinities for the substrate glucose 1-P and the effector AMP are increased. This is the first analog of pyridoxal 5′-P modified in the 5′-position found to restore catalytic activity to apophosphorylase.