Human erythrocyte phosphoglycerate mutase: Evidence for normal catalysis in the absence of added 2,3-bisphospho-D-glycerate

Kinetic analyses indicate that human erythrocyte phosphoglycerate mutase catalyzes the normal, reversible isomerization of D-glycerate-3-P and D-glycerate-2-P in the absence of added D-glycerate-2,3-P₂. The reaction is impeded, however, by a potent inhibitor which occurs as a natural component of commericial D-glycerate-3-P. Inhibition may be overcome through substrate purification or by adding D-glycerate-2,3-P₂ to the reaction medium containing the contaminant. In surmounting the inhibition, bisphosphoglycerate performs as a non-essential activator and not as a cofactor. The latter concept is corroborated by the observation that D-glycerate-2,3-P₂ has absolutely no influence on mutase catalysis conducted in the presence of pure substrate. The data presented here and elsewhere, however, suggest that the red cell enzyme is readily phosphorylated by mono- as well as bisphosphoglycerate. Additional findings show that at concentrations in excess of 3mM, D-glycerate-3-P accelerates phosphoglycerate mutase catalysis in the absence of cofactor, suggesting that the mutase molecule possesses a normal catalytic site and an allosteric activator site.