Residues putatively involved in binding of ATP and glucose 6-phosphate to a mammalian hexokinase: site-directed mutation at analogous positions in the N- and C-terminal halves of the type I isozyme.

Despite extensive sequence similarity between the N- and C-terminal halves of the Type I isozyme of mammalian hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.1.1), they are functionally distinct, the C-terminal half being responsible for catalysis and the N-terminal half thought to play a regulatory role. We have examined the effects of several site-directed mutations on kinetic and regulatory properties of the rat Type I isozyme. Mutation of the C-terminal residues, Asp 532 to Asn, Arg 539 to Met, and Gly 896 or Gly 898 to Val, resulted in drastic loss of catalytic activity (< 10% of wild-type enzyme), consistent with previous suggestions that these residues are involved in binding of ATP. Mutation of the corresponding residues in the N-terminal half of the enzyme caused much less marked (> 50% of wild type), but significant, effects on activity which are presumed to result from subtle effects on conformation of the enzyme. Mutation of Lys 899 to Met resulted in an approximately 50% decrease in specific activity and an approximately fivefold increase in the Km for ATP, consistent with the view that Lys 899 participates in binding of ATP through electrostatic interactions with the phosphate sidechain. Cys residues corresponding to Cys 158 and Cys 606 of Type I hexokinase are found in other hexokinases that exhibit marked sensitivity to inhibition by the product, glucose 6-phosphate (Glc-6-P), but analogous residues are not found in hexokinases insensitive to Glc-6-P. However, this correlation appears to be coincidental since neither the mutation of Cys 158 or Cys 606 to Ala nor any of the other mutations examined abolished sensitivity of Type I hexokinase to inhibition by the Glc-6-P analog 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-P or to antagonism of this inhibition by P(i).