PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Babul

Publications and source records attributed to J Babul.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Phosphofructokinases from Escherichia coli. Purification and characterization of the nonallosteric isozyme.

The main phosphofructokinase of Escherichia coli (PFK I) is an extensively studied allosteric enzyme specified by the pfkA gene. A nonallosteric phosphofructokinase was reported (Fraenkel, D.G., Kotlarz, D., and Bluc, H. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4865-4866) in strains carrying the pfkB1 mutation, a suppressor of pfkA mutants, and very low levels of this enzyme have also been detected in strains not carrying the suppressor (i.e. pfkB+). The nonallosteric protein has now been prepared pure from three strains, one carrying pfkB1 and pfkA+, one carrying pfkB1 and completely deleted for pfkA, and one carrying pfkB+ and also deleted for pfkA. It is apparently the same enzyme (PFK II) in all three strains, which shows that pfkB1 is a mutation affecting the amount of a normally minor isozyme. PFK II is a tetramer of slightly larger subunit molecular weight than PFK I (36,000 and 34,000, respectively). No immunological cross-reactivity was detected between PFK II and PFK I. Unlike PFK I, PFK II does not show cooperative interactions with fructose-6-P, inhibition by P-enolpyruvate, or activation by ADP. Also unlike PFK I, PFK II is somewhat sensitive to inhibition by fructose-1,6-P2 and can use tagatose-6-P as substrate. Both enzymes can perform the reverse reaction, fructose-6-P + ATP from fructose-1,6-P2 + ADP in vitro, but not in vivo. The normal function of PFK II is not known.

Escherichia coli↗

Are the aerobic and anaerobic phosphofructokinases of Escherichia coli different?

Phosphofructokinase has been purified from Escherichia coli strain K-12 grown in a glucose-limited chemostat, both aerobically and anaerobically. The enzymes migrated together in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, had the same subunit size in denaturing (dodecylsulfate) gels (Mr approx. 34000) and the same kinetic characteristics as described earlier for E. coli phosphofructokinase [e.g. Blangy et al. (1968) J. Mol. Biol. 31, 13-35]: a sigmoid curve of velocity vs. fructose 6-phosphate concentration, activation by ADP, and inhibition by phosphoenolpyruvate. Findings [e.g. Doelle (1975) Eur. J. Biochem, 50, 335-342] of quite different enzymes in aerobic and anaerobic cells were not confirmed.

Aerobiosis↗

Stabilization of the globular structure of ferricytochrome c by chloride in acidic solvents.

Increasing concentrations of chloride were found to increase the resolution between two visible absorbance spectral transitions associated with acidification of ferricytochrome c. Analysis of a variety of spectral and viscosity measurements indicates that protonation of a single group having an apparent pK of 2.1 +/- 0.2 and an intrinsic pK of about 5.3 displaces the methionine ligand without significantly perturbing the native globular conformation. Analysis of methylated ferricytochrome c suggests that protonation of a carboxylate ion, most likely a heme propionate residue, is responsible for displacement of the methionine ligand. Addition of a proton to a second group having an apparent pK of 1.2 +/- 0.1 displaces the histidine ligand and unfolds the protein from a globular conformation into a random coil. It is most likely that the second protonation occurs on the imidazole ring of the histidine ligand itself. Chloride is proposed to perturb these transitions by ligation in the fifth coordination position of the heme ion. Such ligation stabilizes a globular conformation of ferricytochrome c at pH 0.0 and 25 degrees.

Animals↗

Rat liver hexokinases during development.

The four glucose-phosphorylating isozymes from rat liver were separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography at several ages during development. The isozymes exhibited a sequential mode of appearance. The isozymes A, B, and C reached maximal values of activity at days +1, +3, and +7, respectively, decaying afterwards to the low characteristic adult value. Isozyme D activity was detected in very low levels as early as day +3, rising from day +18 to reach constant adult values at day +30. A fraction of the glucose phosphorylating activity was found associated with particulate material in prenatal and newborn rats. From day +15 onwards, no particulate activity could be detected. The particulate activity was found to be composed of three low-Km isozymes as of the corresponding soluble fraction.

Aging↗