Energy metabolism of spermatozoa. V. The Embden-Myerhof pathway of glycolysis: activities of pathway enzymes in hypotonically treated rabbit epididymal spermatozoa.

Seven enzymes of the Embden-Myerhof pathway of glycolysis were assayed in hypotonically treated epididymal sperm from mature rabbits. These were: fructose-biphosphate aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase, glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, 3-phosphoglyceromutase, enolase, pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase. These enzymes were firmly enough bound to the cell structure to resist removal by washing after hypotonic treatment and had maximal activities comparable to, or greater than, the rate of mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation, so that rapid oxygen uptake was observed with intermediates of the glycolytic pathway. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase in a typical preparation of hypotonically treated cells was 5.3 mumoles/minute x 10(9) cells at 25 degrees C for pyruvate reduction in the hypotonically treated cells and 4.8 mumoles/minute x 10(9) cells in the thrice-washed hypotonically treated cells. The Km for pyruvate was 1.4 mM while that for lactate was 4.4 mM. By contrast, the maximal activity of pyruvate oxidation by mitochondria was 0.10 microgram atom of oxygen/minute x 10(9) cells, corresponding to 0.020 mumole of pyruvate/minute x 10(9) cells, and the Km for pyruvate was 5 microM. These enzyme parameters favor high lactate production from glucose in aerobic glycolysis.