| Abstract: | The inorganic pyrophosphate-requiring 6-phosphofructokinase of Entamoeba histolytica has been further investigated. The molecular weight of the enzyme is approximately 83,000 and its isoelectric point occurs at pH 5.8 to 6.0. The divalent cation requirement for reaction was explored. In the direction of fructose 6-phosphate formation half-maximal rate required 500 muM magnesium ion; in the direction of fructose bisphosphate formation 8 muM magnesium ion sufficed. ATP, PPi, polyphosphate, acetyl phosphate, or carbamyl phosphate cannot replace PPi as phosphate donor for the conversion of fructose 6-phosphate to fructose bisphosphate. In the direction of fructose 6-phosphate formation arsenate can replace orthophosphate. Isotope exchange studies indicate that little or no exchange occurs between Pi and PPi or between fructose 6-phosphate and fructose bisphosphate in the absence of a third substrate. These findings appear to rule out phosphoenzyme formation and a ping-pong reaction mechanism. PPi, Pi, and fructose bisphosphate are competitive inhibitors of fructose bisphosphate, PPi, and fructose 6-phosphate, respectively. This argues against an ordered mechanism and suggests a random mechanism. Fructose 6-phosphate and Pi were noncompetitive with respect to each other indicating the formation of a dead end complex. These product inhibition relationships are in accord with a Random Bi Bi mechanism. |
