Electrophoretic characterization and subcellular distribution of hexokinase isoenzymes in red blood cells of rabbits.

The isoenzyme pattern of hexokinase in rabbit red cells (erythrocytes, fetal erythrocytes and reticulocytes) were determined by means of agarose gel and disc electrophoresis. One duplicated hexokinase (4a and 4b according to the IUPAC-nomenclature) was detected in rabbit erythrocytes as also described for human erythrocytes. Besides the isoenzymes 4a and 4b reticulocytes also contain hexokinase 2 and 3 like rabbit and rat liver. The high KM glucose phosphorylating enzyme, hexokinase 1 could be demonstrated only under specific conditions in the reticulocytes during the initial stage of the anemia. After the fractionation of reticulocyte homogenates the total hexokinase activity was recovered in the mitochondria and cytosol to nearly equal amounts as revealed by the distribution of markers. Hexokinase 2 and 3 were detectable in reticulocytes and in isolated mitochondria only after the addition of certain dissociating agents. In contrast to the tightly bound mitochondrial hexokinases 2 and 3 the type 4a and 4b are more loosely bound and exhibit a bilocal distribution between mitochondria and cytosol of reticulocytes.