Kinetic competence of a phosphoryl enzyme intermediate in the glucose-1,6-p2 synthase-catalyzed reaction. Purification, properties, and kinetic studies.

Glucose-1,6-P2 synthase of beef brain which catalyzes the formation of glucose-1,6-P2 and glycerate-3-P from glycerate-1,3-P2 and glucose-1-P has been purified 700-fold with an overall recovery of 19%. The purification procedure involves an ammonium sulfate fractionation of the crude extract, DE52 and hydroxylapatite column chromatography and isoelectric focusing. The isolated enzyme appears to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Its molecular weight is estimated to be about 70,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 which agrees with the value obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. A phosphoryl enzyme intermediate in the catalytic reaction is indicated by the following evidence: glycerate-1,3-P2[1-32P] labels the enzyme. The label is removed by acceptor substrates such as glucose-1-P. Using a rapid quenching device at 23 degrees and pH 8.0, the first order rate constant for phosphorylation of the enzyme is 20 s-1, compared with an overall rate with the best acceptor, glucose-1-P, of 19 s-1. Dephosphorylation by glucose-1-P is at 37 s-1. Mg2+ is required for both phosphoryl transfers and the overall reaction. In the complete reaction the fraction of enzyme that is phosphorylated depends on the concentrations of glycerate-1,3-P2 and the concentration and nature of the acceptor in a way that could be predicted from the steady state parameters, the Km values, and the kinetic constants observed for the single turnover. Reciprocal plots of initial rates as a function of both substrate concentrations are families of parallel lines. The 32P-labeled phosphoryl enzyme intermediate was found to be acid-stable and somewhat alkaline-labile. Phosphoserine was identified from the partial acid hydrolysate of a protease digest of [32P] phosphoryl enzyme by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography.