Subunit dissociation in the allosteric regulation of glycerol kinase from Escherichia coli. 2. Physical evidence

Biochemistry. 1978 Nov 28;17(24):5141-6. doi: 10.1021/bi00617a011.

Abstract

The dependence of the molecular weight of glycerol kinase on enzyme concentration and on binding of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate has been examined by velocity sedimentation, gel filtration, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The sedimentation coefficient and Stokes radius decrease as a consequence of dilution in a manner consistent with dissociation into half-molecules, with limiting values suggesting molecular weights of about 218,000 and 136,000 for the associated and dissociated species, respectively. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (5 mM) prevents the decrease in sedimentation coefficient brought about by dilution, suggesting a decrease in the apparent subunit dissociation constant of at least four orders of magnitude. Electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels increases as a consequence of dilution in the absence, but not in the presence, of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Ferguson plots indicate that glycerol kinase has the same molecular weight in the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate as the covalently cross-linked tetramer and is substantially smaller in the absence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. These results are consistent with the model of glycerol kinase proposed in the preceding paper of this issue [de Riel, J.K., and Paulus, H. (1978), Biochemistry 17] relating subunit dissociation and ligand binding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Allosteric Regulation
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chemistry, Physical
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology*
  • Fructosediphosphates / pharmacology
  • Glycerol Kinase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Molecular Weight
  • Phosphotransferases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Fructosediphosphates
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Phosphotransferases
  • Glycerol Kinase