Reaction of yeast phosphofructokinase with succinic and maleic anhydride

Modification of yeast phosphofructokinase by succinic and maleic anhydride influences the catalytic activity and the allosteric behaviour of the enzyme. Depending on the degree of succinylation and maleinylation a decrease of maximum activity, an increase of the apparent affinity for fructose-6-phosphate, a decrease of the Hill-coefficient and a diminution of ATP-inhibition are observed. Up to about 40% of the lysyl residues could be succinylated without dissociation of the hexameric protein, however with a decrease of the enzyme activity. More extensive succinylation or maleinylation causes a dissociation into subunits. The sedimentation coefficient is lowered from 20 S to about 3 S. The molecular weight of the smallest dissociation product was determined to 50 000 (+/- 10 000) by the sedimentation equilibrium method. The number of bound succinyl groups, as determined from radioactivity incorporation, exceeds the content of lysyl groups of the enzyme, indicating that the modifying reagent is also reacting with other amino acid residues.