Presence Of Fructose 6-phosphate Research Articles

Filament Assembly by Phosphofructokinase-1, the Gatekeeper of Glycolysis

The cytoskeleton is conventionally viewed as being composed of three filamentous networks; microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. This view is challenged by the findings that metabolic enzymes can form filaments with structural functions. We report that phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), the first rate-limiting step of glycolysis, assembles into filaments in vitro and in cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that purified liver PFK1 is mainly tetrameric and occasionally formed short filaments in the absence of substrate. Adding the substrate fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) induced the assembly of predominantly long filaments measuring up to 250 nm. PFK1 filaments were less rigid than actin polymers, displaying right angles in contiguous assemblies. The filaments were composed of individual tetramers and had a uniform 11 nm width, resembling an organized addition of subunits forming polymers. Regulated assembly into filaments was also indicated by light scattering measurements that showed a rapid substrate-dependent increase in scattering followed by a stable plateau. Increased light scattering was blocked by excess ATP, which inhibits PFK1 activity. To further confirm activity-dependent filament assembly we generated an inactive but tetrameric liver PFK1 mutant, His199Tyr, and found that in the presence of F6P it does not form filaments, as determined by TEM, or show an increase in light scattering. To assess filament formation by PFK1 in cells, we expressed GFP-tagged PFK1 and used live-cell imaging to examine GFP-PFK1 dynamics. Confocal microscopy reveled that cytosolic PFK1 was recruited to the distal margin of lamellipodia that were devoid of mitochondria. TIRF microscopy reveled that GFP-PFK1 formed dynamic punctae. These data indicate that active but not inactive PFK1 assembles into tetramer-aligned filaments. The activity-dependent recruitment and assembly of PFK1 filaments at the plasma membrane could provide a scaffolding and structural framework for localized ATP production in lamellipodia that lack mitochondria.

Structural Basis for Regulation of Human Glucokinase by Glucokinase Regulatory Protein

Glucokinase (GCK) is responsible for maintaining glucose homeostasis in the human body. Dysfunction or misregulation of GCK causes hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and type 2 diabetes. In the liver, GCK is regulated by interaction with the glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP), a 68 kDa polypeptide that functions as a competitive inhibitor of glucose binding to GCK. Formation of the mammalian GCK-GKRP complex is stimulated by fructose 6-phosphate and antagonized by fructose 1-phosphate. Here we report the crystal structure of the mammalian GCK-GKRP complex in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate at a resolution of 3.50 Å. The interaction interface, which totals 2060 Å(2) of buried surface area, is characterized by a small number of polar contacts and substantial hydrophobic interactions. The structure of the complex reveals the molecular basis of disease states associated with impaired regulation of GCK by GKRP. It also offers insight into the modulation of complex stability by sugar phosphates. The atomic description of the mammalian GCK-GKRP complex provides a framework for the development of novel diabetes therapeutic agents that disrupt this critical macromolecular regulatory unit.

Electron microscopy analysis of mammalian phosphofructokinase reveals an unusual 3-dimensional structure with significant implications for enzyme function

Phosphofructokinase is a sophisticated allosteric enzyme that is fundamental for the control of glycolysis. The structure of the bacterial enzyme is well characterized. However, little is known about the structural organization of the more complex enzyme from mammals. We have obtained the structure of human muscle phosphofructokinase in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate at a resolution of 1.8 nm by electron microscopy (EM). Particles of the tetrameric enzyme corresponded to an elongated molecule (14.5 × 9 nm) arranged into 2 dimeric subdomains. Image analysis and 3-dimensional reconstruction showed the presence of a prominent channel in one of the dimers but not in the opposite one, revealing that they are in greatly different conformations. Fitting of bacterial structures into the EM model suggested disruption of the fructose 6-phosphate catalytic and the fructose 2,6-bisphophate allosteric sites in the cavity-containing dimer. Therefore, the reported structure might have major implications for the function of mammalian phosphofructokinase.

Illuminating the Dynamic Changes Associated with Heterotropic Allosteric Communication in Phosphofructokinase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Phosphofructokinase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (BsPFK) undergoes dynamic changes in its otherwise rigid structure upon binding of ligands, fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) in the active sites, and allosteric inhibitor phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) in the allosteric sites. PFK can exist in four distinct ligation states: Apo BsPFK, BsPFK-F6P, PEP-BsPFK, and PEP-BsPFK-F6P, however, the biophysical properties of each ligation state are poorly understood particularly with respect to their dynamic character. BsPFK is a homotetramer with four active sites and four allosteric sites, creating an intricate network of both homotropic and heterotropic interactions. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emanating from hybrid enzymes in which a single tryptophan was used to report local side-chain dynamics upon ligand binding to sites involved in a single heterotropic interaction. Tryptophan was positioned by constructing conservative tryptophan-shift mutant enzymes in which one of the sixteen native phenylalanine and tyrosine residues in each subunit was substituted with tryptophan and the native tryptophan was changed to tyrosine. The first site of interest was a phenylalanine at position 230. Fluorescence intensity and steady-state anisotropy measurements reveal no change in response to F6P binding, but a 10% increase in intensity and a slight increase in steady-state anisotropy for PEP alone. Time-resolved experiments indicated that rotational correlation time significantly increased (by greater than 1 ns) for the PEP-BsPFK and PEP-BsPFK-F6P ligation states, but only slightly increased in the presence of F6P alone when compared to the unligated state of BsPFK. These trends are opposite comparable measurements made with PFK from E. coli (EcPFK). These results may suggest a structural basis for the observation that allosteric communication in BsPFK is entropically dominated whereas it is enthalpically dominated in EcPFK. Funding is provided by NIH grant GM33216 and Welch Foundation grant A1543.

The Common P446L Polymorphism in GCKR Inversely Modulates Fasting Glucose and Triglyceride Levels and Reduces Type 2 Diabetes Risk in the DESIR Prospective General French Population

OBJECTIVE— Hepatic glucokinase (GCK) is a key regulator of glucose storage and disposal in the liver, where its activity is competitively modulated, with respect to glucose, by binding to glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate. Genome-wide association studies for type 2 diabetes identified GCKR as a potential locus for modulating triglyceride levels. We evaluated, in a general French population, the contribution of the GCKR rs1260326-P446L polymorphism to quantitative metabolic parameters and to dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia risk.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Genotype effects of rs1260326 were studied in 4,833 participants from the prospective DESIR (Data from an Epidemiological Study on the Insulin Resistance syndrome) cohort both at inclusion and using the measurements at follow-up.RESULTS— The minor T-allele of rs1260326 was strongly associated with lower fasting glucose (−1.43% per T-allele; P = 8 × 10−13) and fasting insulin levels (−4.23%; P = 3 × 10−7), lower homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (−5.69%; P = 1 × 10−8), and, conversely, higher triglyceride levels (3.41%; P = 1 × 10−4) during the 9-year study. These effects relate to a lower risk of hyperglycemia (odds ratio [OR] 0.79 [95% CI 0.70–0.88]; P = 4 × 10−5) and of incident cases during the study (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83 [0.74–0.95]; P = 0.005). Moreover, an additive effect of GCKR rs1260326(T) and GCK (−30G) alleles conferred lower fasting glycemia (P = 1 × 10−13), insulinemia (P = 5 × 10−6), and hyperglycemia risk (P = 1 × 10−6).CONCLUSIONS— GCKR-L446 carriers are protected against type 2 diabetes despite higher triglyceride levels and risk of dyslipidemia, which suggests a potential molecular mechanism by which these two components of the metabolic syndrome can be dissociated.

Estimation of binding constants for the substrate and activator of Rhodobacter sphaeroides adenosine 5 ′-diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase using affinity capillary electrophoresis

Binding constants were determined for the activator fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) and substrate adenosine 5 ′-triphosphate (ATP) (in the presence and absence of F6P) to the recombinant wild-type (WT) Rhodobacter sphaeroides adenosine 5 ′-diphosphate-(ADP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADPGlc PPase) using affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE). In these binding studies, the capillary is initially injected with a plug of sample containing ADPGlc PPase and noninteracting standards. The sample is then subjected to increasing concentrations of F6P or ATP in the running buffer and electrophoresed. Analysis of the change in the migration times of ADPGlc PPase, relative to those of the noninteracting standards, as a function of the varying concentration of F6P or ATP yields a binding constant. The values obtained were in good agreement with kinetic parameters obtained from steady state activity assays. The method was extended to examine the F6P binding constants for the R33A and R22A enzymes and the ATP binding constants for the R8A enzyme in the presence and absence of F6P. The R33A enzyme has been shown by activity assays to be insensitive to F6P activation, indicating a defect in binding or in downstream transmission of the allosteric signal required for full activation. ACE indicated no apparent binding of F6P, supporting the former hypothesis. The R22A enzyme was shown by activity assays to have a ∼15-fold decrease in apparent affinity for F6P compared to that of WT while ACE indicated an affinity comparable to that of WT; potential reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. The R8A enzyme as measured by activity assays exhibits reduced fold-activation by F6P compared to that of WT but increased apparent affinity for ATP in the presence of F6P. The ACE results were in good agreement with the activity assay data, confirming the increased affinity for ATP in the presence of F6P. This method demonstrates the quantitative ability of ACE to study different binding sites/ligand interactions in allosteric enzymes.

The 10.8-Å structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphofructokinase determined by cryoelectron microscopy: localization of the putative fructose 6-phosphate binding sites

Phosphofructokinase plays a key role in the regulation of the glycolytic pathway and is responsible for the phosphorylation of fructose 6-phosphate to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Although the structure of the bacterial enzyme is well understood, the knowledge is still quite limited for higher organisms given the larger size and complexity of the eukaryotic enzymes. We have studied phosphofructokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate by cryoelectron microscopy and image analysis of single particles and obtained the structure at 10.8 Å resolution. This was achieved by optimizing the illumination conditions to obtain routinely 8-Å data from hydrated samples in an electron microscope equipped with an LaB 6 and by improving the image alignment techniques. The analysis of the structure has evidenced that the homology of the subunits at the sequence level has transcended to the structural level. By fitting the X-ray structure of the bacterial tetramer into each dimer of the yeast octamer the putative binding sites for fructose 6-phosphate were revealed. The data presented here in combination with molecular replacement techniques have served to provide the initial phases to solve the X-ray structure of the yeast phosphofructokinase.

Generation of catalytically active 6-phosphofructokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a cell-free system.

PFK1 and PFK2 coding for the subunits of 6-phosphofructokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were cloned into plasmids suitable for runoff transcription. In vitro translation products of both kinds of subunit were obtained using rabbit reticulocyte lysate as the synthesis and folding system. They were monitored by chemiluminescent Western-blot analysis. Folding and assembly of the alpha-subunit and beta-subunit of 6-phosphofructokinase were found to occur in the cell-free system resulting in an enzymatically active protein. The in vitro generated enzyme exhibits a folding state that is similar to that of the heterooctameric form of 6-phosphofructokinase in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, ATP and ammonium sulfate, as demonstrated by size-exclusion HPLC followed by ELISA.

The regulatory protein of liver glucokinase

Fructose, sorbitol and d-glyceraldehyde stimulate the rate of glucose phosphorylation in isolated hepatocytes. This effect is mediated by fructose 1-phosphate, which releases the inhibition exerted by a regulatory protein on liver glucokinase. In the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, the regulatory protein binds to, and inhibits, liver glucokinase. Fructose 1-phosphate antagonizes this inhibition by causing dissociation of the glucokinase-regulatory protein complex. Both phosphate esters act by binding to the regulatory protein, and by presumably causing changes in its conformation. The regulatory protein behaves as a fully competitive inhibitor. It inhibits liver glucokinase from various species, and rat islet glucokinase, but has no effect on hexokinases from mammalian tissues or from yeast, or on glucokinase from microorganisms. Kinetic studies indicate that the regulatory protein binds to glucokinase at a site distinct from the catalytic site. Several phosphate esters, mainly polyol-phosphates, were found to mimick the effect of fructose 6-phosphate. The most potent is sorbitol 6-phosphate, suggesting that fructose 6-phosphate is recognized by the regulatory protein in its open-chain configuration. Other phosphate esters and Pi have a fructose 1-phosphate-like effect. The stimulatory effect of fructose on glucose phosphorylation is observed not only in isolated hepatocytes but also in the livers of anesthetized rats. This suggests that fructose could be a nutritional signal causing an increase in the hepatic glucose uptake.

The mechanism by which rat liver glucokinase is inhibited by the regulatory protein

The fructose-6-phosphate-sensitive and fructose-1-phosphate-sensitive protein that inhibits rat liver glucokinase [Van Schaftingen, E. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 179, 179-184] was purified close to homogeneity by a procedure involving poly(ethyleneglycol) precipitation, chromatography on anion-exchangers and hydroxylapatite, gel filtration and chromatography on Mono S, a cation exchanger. In the last chromatographic step, the regulatory protein coeluted with a 62 kDa peptide. From the elution volume of the gel-filtration column a molecular mass of 60 kDa was determined, allowing the conclusion that the regulator is a monomer. The decrease in the apparent affinity of glucokinase for glucose, which the regulator induced, disappeared upon separation of the two proteins. Furthermore, the regulator did not appear to catalyse the formation of a heat-stable or a trypsin-resistant inhibitor of glucokinase. Finally, the inhibition exerted by the regulatory protein reached a steady value 1-2 min after the addition of the regulator. These results indicate that the regulator does not act by causing a covalent modification of glucokinase nor by catalysing the formation of a low-molecular-mass inhibitor. Raising the concentration of glucokinase in the assay from 6 mU/ml to 120 mU/ml caused a 2.5-fold increase in the concentration of regulator required to half-maximally inhibit the enzyme. The apparent mass of glucokinase, as determined by centrifugation in isokinetic sucrose gradient, was 55 kDa, and this value was unaffected by the separate presence of fructose 6-phosphate or of the regulatory protein. However, the apparent mass of the enzyme increased to 105 kDa when glucokinase was centrifuged together with both fructose 6-phosphate and the regulatory protein, although not when fructose 1-phosphate was also present. Conversely, the presence of glucokinase increased the apparent molecular mass of the regulator in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate. From these results, it is concluded that the regulatory protein inhibits glucokinase by forming a complex with this enzyme in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, and that fructose 1-phosphate antagonises this inhibition by preventing the formation of the complex.

Intermediates on the reassociation pathway of phosphofructokinase I from Escherichia coli

The folding and association pathway of the allosteric phosphofructokinase from Escherichia coli has been investigated after complete denaturation of the protein in guanidine hydrochloride by spectroscopical methods, fluorescence and circular dichroism. Three successive processes can be observed during the renaturation of this protein. First, a fast reaction, detected by fluorescence, results in the formation of a (partially) structured monomer. Second, two monomers associate into a dimeric species. This step involves the shielding of the unique tryptophan residue, Trp 311, from the aqueous solvent, and it corresponds to the formation of the interface containing the effector binding site. The presence of ATP during renaturation increases the rate of formation of this dimeric species. The other ligands of the enzyme have no effect on this reaction as well as on the whole reactivation. Finally, the enzymatic activity is regained during the third slowest step. This last reaction is due to the association of two dimers into the native tetrameric structure. The presence of fructose 6-phosphate does not increase the rate of reactivation, even though this ligand strongly stabilizes the native enzyme against denaturation by bridging the interface corresponding to the active site. The self-assembly of phosphofructokinase from E. coli from its unfolded and separated chains follows a specific order in the formation of the interactions between subunits and involves a dimeric intermediate with a defined geometry.

Glucosamine synthetase from Escherichia coli: kinetic mechanism and inhibition by N3-fumaroyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic derivatives.

N3-(4-Methoxyfumaroyl)-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (FMDP; 1, R = OMe), a member of a new class of glutamine analogues, has been investigated as an inhibitor of pure Escherichia coli glucosamine synthetase. Product and dead-end inhibition studies indicate an ordered association to the enzyme with the sugar molecule binding prior to substrate or inhibitor. The inactivation exhibits pseudo-first-order kinetics, is irreversible, and occurs faster in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, a behavior previously reported [Chmara, H., Andruszkiewicz, R., & Borowski, E. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 870,357] for the partially purified enzyme from Salmonella typhimurium. The ratio kinact/Kirr of 5500 makes compound 1 (R = OMe) one of the most efficient inhibitors of glucosamine synthetase to date. Inhibition occurs with partial covalent incorporation of L-FMDP into glucosamine synthetase. In the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, enzyme inactivation with [2-3H]-DL-FMDP is associated with the incorporation of 0.75 equiv of inhibitor and with the modification of 0.78 thiol residue per enzyme subunit. This result is the first evidence for covalent entrapment of the entire inhibitor molecule following FMDP-mediated glucosamine synthetase inactivation. Preliminary inactivation with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, known to alkylate selectively the NH2-terminal cysteine residue, completely prevents radioactivity incorporation. Therefore, this inhibitor is postulated to covalently modify glucosamine synthetase through direct addition of the thiol nucleophile from the terminal cysteine residue to the Michael acceptor 1, so acting as an affinity label rather than a mechanism-based inhibitor.

Purification of phosphofructokinase using transitionstate analogue affinity chromatography

A novel purification of phosphofructokinase has been achieved in a two step process using ion-exchange affinity chromatography and a transition-state analogue affinity column matrix. The procedure can be performed in one day, and gives a 25% yield of the starting material. The transition-state analogue chromatography is carried out using an ADP-agarose column in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, magnesium ions and nitrate ions. In the presence of nitrate ion plus substrate, phosphofructokinase binds immobilized ADP while other proteins pass through the column. Previous studies with creatine kinase have shown that the nitrate ion mimics the planar phosphate in the transition state resulting in a complex which is stable under the relatively high ionic strength of the column buffer. This permits the elution of phosphofructokinase in a single peak of high specific activity. This column typically results in a 20–30 fold increase in specific activity with only a small loss of activity.

Reaction of Ascaris suum phosphofructokinase with diethylpyrocarbonate. Inactivation and desensitization to allosteric modulation.

Reaction of the phosphofructokinase from Ascaris suum with the reagent, diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC), results in the loss of enzymatic activity. Treatment of the inactivated enzyme with hydroxylamine brings about the recovery of almost 80% of the original activity suggesting that the modified residues are histidines. Further evidence for the modification of histidines is that concomitant with the loss of activity, there is a change in A242 nm that corresponds to the derivatization of 5-6 histidines per subunit. There is no change in A278 nm during the derivatization process, thereby ruling out the modification of tyrosines by DEPC. Analyses of the first order inactivation rate constant for DEPC derivatization at different pH values resulted in the determination of a pKa of 6.4 +/- 0.1 for the group on the enzyme that reacts with DEPC. Derivatization of the enzyme with DEPC in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) protected the enzyme against inactivation by 80%. ATP or MgATP gave no protection against DEPC inactivation. When the Fru-6-P-protected enzyme was further reacted with DEPC in the absence of Fru-6-P, a total of 2 histidines were modified per subunit, and the derivatization of one of these could be correlated with activity loss. When the phosphofructokinase that had been derivatized by DEPC in the presence of Fru-6-P was assayed, it was found that it no longer exhibited allosteric properties and appeared to be desensitized to ATP inhibition. This loss of ATP inhibition could be correlated with the modification of 2 histidines per subunit by DEPC. The first order rate constant for desensitization was determined at different pH values and a pKa value of 7.0 +/- 0.2 was obtained for the group(s) responsible for the desensitization. Regulatory studies with the desensitized enzyme revealed that the enzyme was not stimulated by AMP, NH4+, K+, phosphate, sulfate, or hexose bisphosphates. It is concluded that histidine may be involved both in the active site and the ATP inhibitory site of the ascarid phosphofructokinase.

Evidence for a specific phosphoryl binding site in swine kidney phosphofructokinase.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK) from swine kidney was purified by a procedure which included affinity chromatography on Cibacron blue F3GA-Sepharose 4B and ATP-Sepharose 4B columns in order to examine its binding properties. The homogeneous enzyme was purified more than 3000-fold with a yield of 30% and it had a specific activity of 39.8 mumol/min/mg of protein at 25 degrees C. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was 360 000 and it contained 4 identical subunits of molecular weight 88 000. The principal catalytically reacting form of the enzyme had a S20,w of 13.7 S which corresponds to a molecular weight of 360 000 +/- 6 000. The initial velocity patterns in the forward and reverse directions suggested a sequential mechanism for the reaction. The Km values for fructose 6-phosphate, ATP, fructose, 1,6-bisP and ADP were 33 microM, 8.3 microM, 460 microM and 110 microM, respectively. The homogeneous native enzyme binds specifically to phosphoryl groups immobilized in cellulose phosphate columns. ATP and fructose 6-phosphate interacted with the enzyme and decreased its affinity for phosphoryl binding sites. Other metabolites including fructose 1,6-bisP, glucose 6-phosphate and various nucleotides, alone or in various combinations, were ineffective in promoting the dissociation of the enzyme. Allosteric effectors of the enzyme, such as citrate and AMP were also inactive. However, the cooperatively altered the concentration of ATP required to dissociate the enzyme from phosphoryl groups. The bound enzyme was enzymatically inactive. The enzyme was also inactivated when it was treated with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and reduced with sodium borohydride and the inactive enzyme no longer bound to cellulose phosphate. These effects were not observed when treatment with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was carried out in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate. These observations and the results of similar studies with swine kidney fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) show that both enzymes share the unique property of binding specifically to phosphoryl groups. FBPase interacts through its allosteric AMP binding site and PFK binds through its fructose 6-P binding site. This specific binding of both enzymes through these sites result in the inactivation of PFK and the desensitization of FBPase to allosteric inhibition by AMP. In the unbound state PFK may be active and FBPase can be inhibited by AMP. Taken collectively, these binding effects could play a role in the reciprocal regulation of these enzymes during gluconeogenesis in kidney.

A kinetic study of pyrophosphate: fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase from potato tubers. Application to a microassay of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate.

Pyrophosphate : fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase (PPi-PFK) has been purified 150-fold from potato tubers and the kinetic properties of the purified enzyme have been investigated both in the forward and the reverse direction. Saturation curves for fructose 6-phosphate and also for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate were sigmoidal whereas those for PPi and Pi were hyperbolic. In the presence of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, the affinity for fructose 6-phosphate and for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate were greatly increased and the kinetics became Michaëlian. The effect of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was increased by the presence of fructose 6-phosphate and decreased by the presence of Pi. Consequently, the Ka for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was as low as 5 nM for the forward reaction and reached 150 nM for the reverse reaction. On the basis of these properties, a procedure allowing one to measure fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in amounts lower than a picomole, is described.

Sulfhydryl groups of yeast phosphofructokinase-specific localization on beta subunits of fructose 6-phosphate binding sites as demonstrated by a differential chemical labeling study.

Yeast phosphofructokinase contains 83 +/- 2 cysteinyl residues/enzyme oligomer. On the basis of their reactivity toward 5,5-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), the accessible cysteinyl residues of the native enzyme may be classified into three groups. For titrations performed with N-ethylmaleimide, subdivisional classes of reactivity are evidenced. In each case, the 6 to 8 most reactive cysteines are not protected by fructose 6-phosphate from chemical labeling and do not seem involved in subsequent enzyme inactivation. Differential labeling studies as well as direct protection experiments in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, indicate that 12 -SH groups/enzyme oligomer (i.e. three -SH groups per binding site) are protected by the allosteric substrate from the chemical modification. Specific labeling by the differential method of the cysteinyl residues protected by fructose 6-phosphate and further separation of the two types of subunits constituting yeast phosphofructokinase, show that the substrate binding sites are localized exclusively on subunits of beta type. Thus, alpha subunits are not implicated directly in the catalytic mechanism of yeast phosphofructokinase reaction.

Structure of cross-linked rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase in solution.

Cross-linked rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase in the active tetrameric and octameric state was studied in solution by hydrodynamic methods and small angle x-ray scattering techniques. The translational diffusion coefficients were determined by means of inelastic light scattering and were found to be 3.60 (+/- 0.02) x 10(-7) cm2 . s-1 for the tetramer and 2.54 (+/- 0.15) x 10(-7) cm2 . s-1 for the octamer. From small angle x-ray scattering measurements the radius of gyration, the specific inner surface area, and the volume were determined for both enzyme forms, revealing that the octameric cross-linked form is approximately spherical, with a diameter of 120.0 A, whereas the tetrameric form is asymmetric having an axial ratio of 2. By comparison of the scattering curves with triaxial geometric bodies which are equivalent in scattering, the tetrameric enzyme is described as a rectangular prism, with overall dimensions of A = 131.0 A, B = 131.0 A, and C = 65.0 A, and the octameric form as that of a cube with A = B = C = 120.0 A. The shape of the protomer, having a radius of gyration of 24.8 A, in the tetramer and octamer is similar to that for the native tetramer at pH 10 in the presence of 5 mM fructose 6-phosphate or 15 mM fructose 1,6-bis-phosphate. From the different shapes of the scattering curves of the native phosphofructokinase at pH 7.5 in the presence of 15 mM ATP and of the cross-linked tetramer or octamer, it can be inferred that the shapes of the protomers are different: in the presence of ATP the protomers are elongated, having an axial ratio of 1.8 to 2.0; the cross-linked state reveals a spherical protomer of radius 33.0 A, similar to that of the native enzyme at pH 7.5 in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate or fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.

Effect of substrates and effectors on the reversible inactivation of pig spleen phosphofructokinase by adenosine triphosphate.

1. To investigate the mechanism of the reversible inactivation of pig spleen phosphofructokinase by ATP, the effect of order of addition of reactants (substrates, effectors and enzyme solution) was studied by preincubating the enzyme before assay with various combinations of its substrates and effectors. 2. Preincubation of the enzyme with MgATP or ATP at pH7.0 before addition of fructose 6-phosphate caused a rapid and much greater inhibition of activity than that observed when the reaction (carried out at identical substrate concentrations) was initiated with enzyme. 3. The rapid inhibition caused by preincubation with ATP, together with the sigmoidal response to fructose 6-phosphate and activation by AMP, were all blocked by prior photo-oxidation of the enzyme with Methylene Blue, which selectively destroys the inhibitory binding site for ATP [Ahlfors & Mansour (1969) J. Biol. Chem.244, 1247-1251]. 4. Fructose 6-phosphate, but not Mg(2+), protected phosphofructokinase from inhibition during preincubation with ATP in a manner that was sigmoidally dependent on the fructose 6-phosphate concentration. 5. Mg(2+), by protecting the enzyme from the inhibitory effect of preincubation at low pH (7.0) and by preventing its activation during preincubation with fructose 6-phosphate, demonstrated both a weak activating effect in the absence of the other substrates and a stronger inhibitory effect in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate. 6. Positive effectors (K(+), NH(4) (+), AMP and aspartate) protected the enzyme from inhibition during preincubation with MgATP in proportion to their potency as activators, but citrate potentiated the ATP inhibition. P(i) significantly slowed the inactivation process without itself acting as a positive effector. 7. The non-linear dependence of the initial rate of the unmodified enzyme on protein concentration (associated with increased positive homotropic co-operativity to fructose 6-phosphate) was intensified by preincubation with ATP and abolished by photo-oxidation. 8. The results are interpreted in terms of an association-dissociation model which postulates that protonation, at low pH, of a photo-oxidation-sensitive inhibitory site for ATP allows more rapid dissociation of an active tetramer to an inactive dimeric species.

Spin-labelled phosphofructokinase. A simple and direct approach to the study of allosteric equilibria under near-physiological conditions.

Rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase, spin-labelled at its most reactive thiol group, has an electron spin resonance spectrum which is very sensitive to the binding of substrates and allosteric effectors. The spectral changes have been interpreted in terms of a concerted allosteric transition between two conformational states with non-exclusive binding of effectors. On this basis MgATP, fructose 6-phosphate plus ATP, and NH+4ions behave as potent positive effectors, inorganic phosphate, sulphate, AMP, fructose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate are less potent activators, and free ATP and H+ions are negative effectors, in agreement with the kinetic behaviour, but citrate behaves anomalously. In addition, the allosteric equilibrium can be displaced towards the inhibited state by selectively modifying two further thiol groups. Strong positive cooperativity occurs under suitable conditions with ATP, metal-ATP and fructose 6-phosphate. Biphasic changes of conformation, attributed to binding at the catalytic and inhibitory sites, have been observed in titrations with ATP. The differentiation of the two ATP binding sites arises in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate because of a distinct concerted effect on conformation between the two substrates at the active site. A similar effect occurs between ATP and citrate. Other heterotropic effects are more consistent with simple models; phosphates favour the binding, and reduce the cooperativity, of fructose 6-phosphate and metal-ATP, whereas excess ATP and H+ ions antagonise the binding and increase the cooperativity of fructose 6-phosphate. The observations are related to existing kinetic and binding studies where possible. Anomalous features of the behaviour suggest that the model should be regarded only as a first approximation.