Heart hexokinase: quaternary structure changes accompanying the binding of regulatory molecules

Heart hexokinase monomer has a molecular weight of 97000 and so20,w 5.2 S. It exists in equilibrium with dimer of 194000 molecular weight and so20,w 8.1 S. The proportions of monomer and dimer presence of added ligands are 91% and 9% respectively. The existence of these forms may be demonstrated by separation on electrophoresis or chromatography. In the presence of the regulatory molecule glucose 6-phosphate, the dimer form of the enzyme is favoured. The glucose 6-phosphate mediated dimerisation is abolished in the presence of phosphate or ATP-Mg and less effectively by free ATP. Glucose has no effect on the manomer-dimer equilibrium. On prolonged storage of hexokinase in glucose 6-phosphate polymers are also formed and polymerisation is further enhanced by removal of the ligand.