Phosphofructokinase from Dirofilaria immitis: effect of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and AMP on the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of the enzyme

The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2), 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase, was shown to be present in the heart worm, Dirofilaria immitis. The level of Fru-2,6-P2 was determined to be 4 +/- 0.3 nmol(g wet weight)-1 in the tissues of the filariid. Fru-2,6-P2 stimulated the activity of both the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of the D. immitis phosphofructokinase (PFK). The Kact values for Fru-2,6-P2 were 378 +/- 18 nM and 65 +/- 6 nM for the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms, respectively, at 1 mM fructose 6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) and 1 mM ATP at pH 6.8. AMP also stimulated the activity of both forms of the enzyme with Kact values of 230 +/- 10 microM and 37.3 +/- 6.1 microM for the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms, respectively. In the absence of any effectors, the S0.5 values for Fru-6-P were 17.4 mM and 11.0 mM for the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms, respectively, of the D. immitis PFK at 1 mM ATP, pH 6.8. These S0.5 values were lowered to 0.03 mM by the combined effects of saturating levels of Fru-2,6-P2 and AMP. A physiological assay was developed based on the level of metabolites in the parasite that influence the activity of PFK. This assay contained the known effectors of the PFK at concentrations approximating those found in the parasite. Under these conditions the KFru-6-P values were 153 microM and 60 microM for the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of the PFK, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Presence of a fructose-2,6-bisphosphate-insensitive pyrophosphate: fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase in the anaerobic protozoa Tritrichomonas foetus, Trichomonas vaginalis and Isotricha prostoma

Extracts of the anaerobic protozoa Tritrichomonas foetus, Trichomonas vaginalis and Isotricha prostoma contained a high activity (0.5-1 mumol min-1 (mg protein)-1) of pyrophosphate:fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase (PPi-PFK), but no detectable ATP: fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase. PPi-PFK from I. prostoma was purified close to homogeneity by adsorption on phospho-Ultrogel and elution with fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, and subsequent anion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme had an Mr of 95,000 as determined by gel filtration and consisted of subunits of Mr 48,000. PPi-PFK from I. prostoma and from T. foetus displayed hyperbolic kinetics with respect to their substrates and were not affected by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. In sharp contrast with what has been found in other eukaryotes, no evidence could be found for the presence of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate in the two trichomonads, in I. prostoma and in Entamoeba histolytica.     

Effects of Ca-Ionophore A23187 and Calmodulin Antagonists on Regulatory Mechanisms of Glycolysis and Cell Viability of NIH-3T3 Fibroblasts

We studied here, in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, the effect of the Ca²⁺-ionophore A23187 (which is known to increase intracellular-free Ca²⁺) on the control of glycolysis and cell viability and the action of calmodulin antagonists. Time-response studies with Ca²⁺-ionophore A23187 have revealed dual effects on the distribution of phosphofructokinase (PFK) (EC 2.7.1.11), the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, between the cytoskeletal and cytosolic (soluble) fractions of the cell. A short incubation (maximal effect after 7 min) caused an increase in cytoskeleton-bound PFK with a corresponding decrease in soluble activity. This leads to an enhancement of cytoskeletal glycolysis. A longer incubation with Ca²⁺-ionophore caused a reduction in both cytoskeletal and cytosolic PFK and cell death. Both the “physiological” and “pathological” phases of the Ca²⁺-induced changes in the distribution of PFK were prevented by treatment with three structurally different calmodulin antagonists, thioridazine, an antipsychotic phenothiazine, clotrimazole, from the group of antifungal azole derivatives that were recently recognized as calmodulin antagonists, and CGS 9343B, a more selective inhibitor of calmodulin activity. The longer incubation with Ca²⁺-ionophore also induced a decrease in the levels of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the two allosteric stimulatory signal molecules of glycolysis. All these pathological changes preceded the reduction in cell viability, and a strong correlation was found between the fall in ATP and cell death. All three calmodulin antagonists prevented the pathological reduction in the levels of the allosteric effectors, ATP and cell viability. These experiments may throw light on the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic action of calmodulin antagonists that we previously found in treatment of the proliferating melanoma cells, on the one hand, and skin injuries, on the other hand.     

Demonstration of glycosomes (microbodies) in the Bodonid flagellate Trypanoplasma borelli (Protozoa, Kinetoplastida)

Homogenates of Trypanoplasma borelli were subjected to subcellular fractionation by sequential differential and isopycnic centrifugation in sucrose. Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the glycolytic enzymes, glucosephosphate isomerase and triosephosphate isomerase, as well as the peroxisomal marker enzyme catalase were mainly, or in part, associated with sedimentable particles that had a buoyant density in sucrose of 1.22 g cm-3. Moreover, triosephosphate isomerase exhibited latency, both in total homogenates and in the particulate fraction. Electron microscopy of thin sections of T. borelli revealed the presence of microbodies that gave a positive reaction for catalase. Pyruvate kinase behaved as a typical soluble enzyme. It was stimulated by micromolar concentrations of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and this stimulation was counteracted by inorganic phosphate in the millimolar range. The enzymes involved in the synthesis and degradation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, were both present in T. borelli and behaved as soluble enzymes. We conclude that in T. borelli the glycolytic pathway is compartmentalized in a way similar to that found in another Kinetoplastid family, the Trypanosomatidae, where seven glycolytic enzymes and two enzymes of glycerol metabolism are associated with glycosomes. Apparently the presence of glycosomes is a characteristic of all Kinetoplastida.     

Diagnosis of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency using leukocytes: normal leukocyte enzyme activity in three female patients

Summary In the past 5 years we have discovered 8 boys and 3 girls who suffer from fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency. Although they all showed the typical symptoms of the deficiency such as frequent vomiting, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, and hepatomegaly, the age at diagnosis varied from 2 months to 4 years. All the boys revealed the deficient enzyme activity in leukocytes but none of the girls. The liver biopsy was investigated in six patients to confirm the diagnosis. These results suggest the existence of tissue-specific isoenzymes for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase possibly with a different gene origin.Abbreviations FBP fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - FBPase fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase Dedicated to Prof. Dr. N. Zöllner on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Local anesthetics induce a decrease in the levels of glucose 1, 6-bisphosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and ATP, and in the viability of melanoma cells

Glycolysis is known to be the primary energy source in cancer cells. We investigated here the effect of local anesthetics, lidocaine and bupivacaine, on the levels of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the two stimulatory signal molecules of glycolysis, and on ATP levels and cell viability in B16 melanoma cells. We found that both drugs induced a significant, dose-dependent reduction in the levels of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate, fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate, ATP, and cell viability. Bupivacaine was more potent than lidocaine. The decrease in glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, induced by the local anesthetics, preceded the reduction in the viability of melanoma cells, indicating that these are early changes and not a result of cell death. Cell viability was reduced in a close correlation with the fall in ATP. These findings suggest that the fall in the levels of the two signal allosteric regulators of glycolysis, induced by the local anesthetics, is one of the mechanisms that causes a reduction in glycolysis and ATP levels, which eventually leads to melanoma cell death. These experiments suggest that local anesthetics, and especially bupivacaine, are most promising agents in the treatment of melanoma.     

Some kinetic properties of pyruvate kinase from Trypanosoma brucei.

We have studied the kinetics of the allosteric interactions of pyruvate kinase from Trypanosoma brucei. The kinetics for phosphoenolpyruvate depended strongly on the nature of the bivalent metal ions. Pyruvate kinase activated by Mg²⁺ had the highest catalytic activity, but also the highest S_0.5 for phosphoenolpyruvate, while the opposite was true for pyruvate kinase activated by Mn²⁺. The reaction rates of Mg²⁺ -pyruvate kinase and Mn²⁺ -pyruvate kinase were clearly allosteric with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate, while the kinetics with Co²⁺ -pyruvate kinase were hyperbolic. However, Co²⁺ -pyruvate kinase was still sensitive to heterotropic activation. Trypanosomal pyruvate kinase is unique in that the best activator was fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and 5-phosphorylribose 1-pyrophosphate were also strong heterotropic activators, which were much more effective than fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate. In the presence of the heterotropic activators, the sigmoidal kinetics with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate and the bivalent metal ions were modified as were the concentrations of phosphoenolpyruvate and the bivalent metal ions needed to attain the maximal activity. Maximal activities were not significantly changed with Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ as the activating metal ions. Moreover, with Co²⁺ and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate or ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate or 5-phosphorylribose 1-pyrophosphate, the maximal activity was significantly reduced. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and 5-phosphorylribose 1-pyrophosphate resembled fructose 2,6-bisphosphate rather than fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate in their action in that the K_0.5 values for the former 3 compounds increased when Mg²⁺ was replaced by Co²⁺, while the K_0.5 for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate increased.

The effect of pH on the cooperativity of the reaction rate of pyruvate kinase from T. brucei towards phosphoenolpyruvate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was unique. At alkaline pH the positive cooperativity in the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate was abolished while the apparent affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate was not altered and the enzyme was still sensitive to heterotropic activation. Optimal catalysis occurred at pH 6.0. At acidic pH the velocity versus fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentration curve became sigmoidal and the activation constant increased. Between 15′C and 37′C, temperature did not influence the kinetic properties of Mg²⁺ -pyruvate kinase with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate.     

Localization of fructose 6-P,2-kinase:fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase to human chromosome X

The gene encoding human liver fructose 6-P,2-kinasefructose 2,6-bisphosphatase has been assigned to human chromosome X by Southern analysis of a panel of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid DNAs with a cDNA for this gene. A simple two-allele restriction fragment length polymorphism was found with the Fru-6-P,2-kinase:Fru-2,6-bisphosphatase probe; this will allow further localization of this gene by genetic linkage analysis.     

Two newly identified genomic mutations in a Japanese female patient with fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) (EC 3.1.3.11) catalyzes the splitting of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate into fructose 6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. FBPase deficiency is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder caused by distraction of the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 gene (FBP1) and features severely impaired gluconeogenesis. We studied a female patient with typical FBPase deficiency symptoms. The FBPase activity of her peripheral white blood cells was undetectable. Genetic analyses of FBP1 revealed her to be a compound-heterozygote of two new mutations F194S and P284R. Gene tracking in the family revealed the mother to be a heterozygote of F194S, and the father and a sister to be heterozygotes of P284R. As both Phe194 and Pro284 of FBPase are highly conserved in many species and close to crucial amino acid residues to FBPase functions, these mutations could be responsible for the loss of FBPase activities.     

Upregulation of heart PFK-2/FBPase-2 isozyme in skeletal muscle after persistent contraction

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P₂) is the most potent allosteric activator of liver 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase enzyme, which is crucial for glycolysis. It is present in skeletal muscle but its importance is controversial as a regulator of muscle glycolysis. This study aims to determine the role of Fru-2,6-P₂ in the control of muscle glycolysis during contraction. Muscle contraction was produced by chronic low-frequency stimulation of rabbit tibialis anterior for 24 h, followed by a rest period of 48 h. To determine muscle glycolysis adaptation, we applied a short functional electrostimulation test using the same system of low-frequency stimulation for 1, 3, and 10 s. The variation in concentration of lactate and pyruvate was used to calculate the flux along the glycolysis pathway and the Fru-1,6-P₂/Fru-6-P ratio permitted to analyze the 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase activation. Fru-2,6-P₂ levels increased over the 24 h of stimulation and remained elevated after the rest period, this being the only metabolite that kept the changes produced by chronic low-frequency stimulation during the rest. During the short functional electrostimulation test, the glycolytic pathway in stimulated and rested muscle was more active than in control muscle, which coincided with higher kinase activity of the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFK-2/FBPase-2) enzyme. Furthermore, we found a decrease in muscle, liver, and ubiquitous PFK-2/FBPase-2 isoform expression and an increase in heart isoform expression. For the first time, we demonstrate that a persistent increase in Fru-2,6-P₂ produced by a change in PFK-2/FBPase-2 isoform expression may play an important role in the regulation of muscle glycolysis during the first moments of exercise.     

Purification and properties of pyruvate kinase from Streptococcus sanguis and activator specificity of pyruvate kinase from oral streptococci.

It was found that pyruvate kinases with two different regulatory characteristics were distributed among oral streptococci. The pyruvate kinases of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, and Streptococcus bovis were activated by glucose 6-phosphate, whereas the enzymes of both Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mitis were activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) from S. sanguis NCTC 10904 was purified, giving a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 250,000 to 260,000 and consisted of four identical subunits. Whereas the pyruvate kinase from S. mutans was completely dependent on glucose 6-phosphate (K. Abbe and T. Yamada, J. Bacteriol. 149:299-305, 1982), the enzyme from S. sanguis was activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. In the presence of 0.5 mM fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the saturation curves for the substrates, phosphoenolpyruvate and ADP, were hyperbolic, and the Km values were 0.13 and 0.30 mM, respectively. Without fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, however, saturation curves for both substrates were sigmoidal. GDP, IDP, and UDP could replace ADP. Like the enzyme from S. mutans, the enzyme from S. sanguis required a divalent cation, Mg2+ or Mn2+, and a monovalent cation, K+ or NH4+, for activity, and it was strongly inhibited by Pi. When the concentration of Pi was increased, the half-saturating concentration and Hill coefficient for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate increased. The remarkable fluctuation of intracellular levels of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate observed in the cells growing under glucose limitation and nitrogen limitation implies that the intracellular concentration of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, in cooperation with that of Pi, may regulate pyruvate kinase activity in S. sanguis in vivo.     

Effects of Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187 and calmodulin antagonists on regulatory mechanisms of glycolysis and cell viability of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts.

We studied here, in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, the effect of the Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187 (which is known to increase intracellular-free Ca(2+)) on the control of glycolysis and cell viability and the action of calmodulin antagonists. Time-response studies with Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187 have revealed dual effects on the distribution of phosphofructokinase (PFK) (EC 2.7.1.11), the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, between the cytoskeletal and cytosolic (soluble) fractions of the cell. A short incubation (maximal effect after 7 min) caused an increase in cytoskeleton-bound PFK with a corresponding decrease in soluble activity. This leads to an enhancement of cytoskeletal glycolysis. A longer incubation with Ca(2+)-ionophore caused a reduction in both cytoskeletal and cytosolic PFK and cell death. Both the "physiological" and "pathological" phases of the Ca(2+)-induced changes in the distribution of PFK were prevented by treatment with three structurally different calmodulin antagonists, thioridazine, an antipsychotic phenothiazine, clotrimazole, from the group of antifungal azole derivatives that were recently recognized as calmodulin antagonists, and CGS 9343B, a more selective inhibitor of calmodulin activity. The longer incubation with Ca(2+)-ionophore also induced a decrease in the levels of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the two allosteric stimulatory signal molecules of glycolysis. All these pathological changes preceded the reduction in cell viability, and a strong correlation was found between the fall in ATP and cell death. All three calmodulin antagonists prevented the pathological reduction in the levels of the allosteric effectors, ATP and cell viability. These experiments may throw light on the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic action of calmodulin antagonists that we previously found in treatment of the proliferating melanoma cells, on the one hand, and skin injuries, on the other hand.     

Identification of extragenic suppressors of the cif1 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The cif1 mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes inability to grow on glucose and related fermentable carbon sources. We have isolated two different suppressor mutations that allow growth on glucose of yeasts carrying the cif1 mutation. One of them, sci1-1, is recessive and caused inability to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources and to de-repress fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. The other suppressor mutation, SCI2-1, is dominant and diminished the capacity to phosphorylate glucose or fructose. The SCI2-1 mutation decreased sporulation efficiency by 70% in heterozygosis and by more than 90% in homozygosis. In a CIF1 background, cells carrying the mutation SCI2-1 accumulated trehalose during the logarithmic phase of growth and hyperaccumulated it during the stationary phase. Genetic tests showed that SCI2 was either allelic, or else closely linked, to HXK2. The concentrations of the glycolytic metabolites measured during growth on glucose in cells carrying the cif1 mutation and any of the suppressor mutations were similar to those of a wild-type. Both types of suppressor mutations restored the transient cAMP response to glucose to cif1 mutants.This paper is dedicated to Prof. J. R. Villanueva on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Characterization of pyruvate kinase of Trypanosoma brucei and its role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism

Pyruvate kinase from Trypanosoma brucei is a labile enzyme, losing its activity within several hours. In mixtures containing 50 mM triethanolamine buffer, pH 7.2, 25% glycerol and 0.5 mM inorganic phosphate the enzyme remained active and could be purified to homogeneity with a specific activity of 417 units mg-1 and a yield of 65%. The enzyme has an activation energy of 31.9 kJ mol-1. Magnesium and potassium ions are essential for activity. Cobalt or manganese ions replace Mg2+ but this leads to a decrease in maximal velocity. Potassium ions can be substituted by ammonium ions, while sodium ions behave as a competitive inhibitor with respect to both K+ and NH4+. All metal ions studied displayed sigmoidal kinetics. The enzyme is activated, with decreasing efficiency by fructose 2-phosphorothioate 6-phosphate, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate. They all display hyperbolic kinetics. Glycerate 2,3-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, CoASAc, oxalate, AMP, ADP, and ATP inhibit the enzyme. At substrate saturation PK was activated by Pi up to a concentration of 0.8 mM. At higher Pi concentrations the enzyme is inhibited. The enzyme is unaffected by most amino acids, only phenylalanine stimulates and tyrosine inhibits.     

Fructose-6-phosphate substrate cycling and glucose and insulin regulation of gluconeogenesis in vivo.

The question whether glucose or insulin regulates gluconeogenesis by effecting changes in the fructose-6-phosphate (F-6-P) substrate cycle (phosphofructokinase (PFK), fructose-1,6-diphosphatase (FDPase)) was investigated in vivo in fasted normal rats using [3-3H,U-14C]- or [3-3H,6-14C]glucose. The plasma glucose 3H/14C ratio was used as an index of substrate cycling because 3H loss from the liver hexose phosphate pool is limited by the activities of PFK and FDPase during gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, respectively. The 3H/14C ratio was corrected where necessary for glucose or insulin-induced changes in reincorporation of 14C from C-6 to C-1-3 of plasma glucose. A glucose infusion producing hyperglycemia and insulinemia was accompanied by decreased hepatic glucose production and diminished F-6-P substrate cycling, i.e., decreased FDPase activity. When insulin was infused along with glucose to produce high plasma insulin levels and avoid hypo- or hyperglycemia, the 3H/14C decay rate did not change, suggesting that the hormone does not influence basal rates of gluconeogenesis or PFK or FDPase activities. These in vivo results suggest that increased blood glucose levels inhibit gluconeogenesis and depress F-6-P substrate cycling. Whether these cycle changes constitute primary regulatory actions of glucose or occur secondarily to other metabolic events resulting from excess hexose (e.g., increased glycogen synthetase activity) cannot now be concluded.     

Determination of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in human lymphocytes is a potential laboratory test in diabetology

The conventional micromethod of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-P₂) determination is optimized for human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The F-2,6-P₂ content in lymphocytes of healthy subjects is 0.8±0.2 pmol/10⁶ cells or 6.7±1.1 pmol/mg protein. Preliminary findings show a decrease in the F-2,6-P₂ content in lymphocytes from patients with severe diabetes mellitus. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 9, pp. 341–344, September, 1996     

Effect of Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate on the Nephrotoxicity Induced by Cisplatin in Rats

Cisplatin is one of the most active cytotoxic agents in the treatment of cancer, but its clinical use is frequently limited by nephrotoxicity. The study presented here attempted to evaluate the effect of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate in the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally as a single dose: sodium chloride 0.9%, cisplatin (6 mg/kg), fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (500 mg/kg), and cisplatin plus fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (6 and 500 mg/kg, respectively). The use of cisplatin resulted in significant elevation of serum creatinine and urea. The group that received cisplatin plus fructose-1,6-bisphosphate presented a significantly lower level of creatinine and urea compared to the cisplatin group. Acute tubular necrosis was demonstrated in the animals that received cisplatin and a less severe one in the cisplatin plus fructose-1,6-bisphosphate group. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate has a protective effect over renal function and renal parenchyma in a rat experimental model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The anti-inflammatory effect of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate confirms its protective effect in cases of cellular injury.     

Anaerobic ATP provision,glycogenolysis and glycolysis in rat slow-twitch muscle during tetanic contractions

Rat soleus muscles were tetanically stimulated in situ with an occluded circulation to examine anaerobic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) provision and the regulation of glycolytic ATP production. Soleus muscles were stimulated for 30–60 s at 1 Hz with 100–200 ms trains (40–80 Hz). Muscles were sampled pre- and post-stimulation for measurements of pH, high energy phosphates and glycolytic intermediates. Total ATP provision by the slow oxidative fibres was 65–121 mol/g dry muscle and 27–35% of the amount produced by fast glycolytic fibres. Contributions to total ATP provision in the initial 30 contractions were: phosphocreatine, 71%; glycolysis, 28%; and endogenous ATP, 1%. Following 60 contractions the contributions were 45–54%, 44–51% and 2–4%, respectively. During the initial 30 contractions, glycogenolysis (phosphorylase activity) and glycolysis [phosphofructokinase (PFK) activity] were similar as glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) and fructose-6-phosphate (F-6-P) did not accumulate. Small accumulations of PFK deinhibitors inorganic phosphate, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine monophosphate and fructose-1,6-diphosphate appeared to account for the PFK activity. In the final 30 contractions, phosphorylase activity increased above PFK as G-6-P and F-6-P accumulated. PFK activity and glycolytic ATP production also increased despite increasing hydrogen ion concentration [H⁺]. During intense tetanic stimulation of soleus muscle, glycolytic ATP production is initially limited by a low glycogen phosphorylase activity. The activity of PFK increases during in situ contraction through the accumulation of deinhibitors, despite increasing [H⁺].     

Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate level and β-lactam formation in Penicillium chrysogenum

The rate of penicillin formation in the medium containing lactose as sole carbon source markedly decreased after addition of glucose but at the same time the growth rate of fungal mycelium increased. Significant correlation was found between the formation of penicillin and the intracellular concentration of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. It appears that penicillin production is influenced by the level of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate.