A survey for isoenzymes of glucosephosphate isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in C3-, C 4-and crassulacean-acid-metabolism plants, and green algae.

Two isoenzymes each of glucosephosphate isomerase (EC 5.3.1.9), phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.43) were separated by (NH4)2SO4 gradient solubilization and DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography from green leaves of the C3-plants spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), of the Crassulacean-acid-metabolism plants Crassula lycopodioides Lam., Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb. and Sedum rubrotinctum R.T. Clausen, and from the green algae Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardii. After isolation of cell organelles from spinach leaves by isopyenic centrifugation in sucrose gradients one of two isoenzymes of each of the four enzymes was found to be associated with whole chloroplasts while the other was restricted to the soluble cell fraction, implying the same intracellular distribution of these isoenzymes also in the other species.Among C4-plants, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were found in only one form in corn (Zea mays L.), sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and Coix lacrymajobi L., but as two isoenzymes in Atriplex spongiosa L. and Portulaca oleracea L. In corn, the two dehydrogenases were mainly associated with isolated mesophyll protoplasts while in Atriplex spongiosa they were of similar specific activity in both mesophyll protoplasts and bundle-sheath strands. In all five C4-plants three isoenzymes of glucosephosphate isomerase and phosphoglucomutase were found. In corn two were localized in the bundle-sheath strands and the third one in the mesophyll protoplasts. The amount of activity of the enzymes was similar in each of the two cell fractions. Apparently, C4 plants have isoenzymes not only in two cell compartments, but also in physiologically closely linked cell types such as mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells.