Regulation of the activity of Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase isolated from germinating maize (Zea mays L.) seeds by some metabolites

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) was isolated from maize seeds which were germinated for 20 h, using a procedure which included extraction of seed homogenate with Tris-HCl or sodium phosphate buffer, precipitation of the extract with ammonium sulphate, chromatography on DEAE cellulose, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Phosphate buffer was found to be less suitable than Tris-HCl buffer both for maize seed extraction and for further PEPC purification steps. The enzyme preparation obtained was electrophretically homogenous. PEPC activity was inhibited by both phosphate and malate. It values obtained at pH 8.1 which is the pH optimum of the reaction equelled to 42 mmoll^-1 for phosphate and to 13 mmoll^-1 for malate. PEPC isolated from germinating maize seeds was activated by glucose-6-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, ribulose-l,5-bisphosphate, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. The authors intend to elucidate the mechanism of PEPC activation by sugars by means of the application of a number of derivatives of the sugar phosphates, among which for example 2-deoxy-2-fluoro glucosephosphate also activated PEPC. Sugar phosphates activated PEPC isolated from germinating maize seeds in this order, with increasing effect: fructose-l,6-bisphosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, 2-deoxy-2-fluoro glucosephosphate, ribulose-l,5-bisphos-phate, fructose-2-6-bisphosphate.