Stimulation of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase by adenosine triphosphate and other nucleoside triphosphates.

1. Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase was protected from inactivation on heating at 55 degrees by the presence of 5-phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate. ATP, adenine, AMP or GMP had no protective effect on the activity of this enzyme. The presence of either 5-phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate or ATP did not protect adenine phosphoribosyltransferase against the loss of ATP stimulation obtained by heating at 55 degrees . 2. At pH5.3 and 6.0 adenine phosphoribosyltransferase was stimulated by a narrow range of ATP concentration (15-25mum). At pH6.5 and 7.0 maximum stimulation was obtained with 25-30mum-ATP, and at pH7.4, 8.2 and 8.85 maximum stimulation was obtained over a wide range of ATP concentrations (60-200mum). With extracts that had been heated for 30min. at 55 degrees no stimulation was observed at either pH5.3 or 7.4 with ATP concentrations up to 100mum. 3. Short periods of heating at 55 degrees (1, 2 or 5min.) increased the stimulation of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase obtained with various concentrations of ATP. 4. The addition of CTP, GTP, deoxy-GTP, deoxy-TTP or XTP to assay mixtures resulted in weak stimulation of adenine-phosphoribosyltransferase activity. 5. It is suggested that there are at least three different forms of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, each with a different affinity for ATP.