The regulatory protein of liver glucokinase

Fructose, sorbitol and D-glyceraldehyde stimulate the rate of glucose phosphorylation in isolated hepatocytes. This effect is mediated by fructose 1-phosphate, which releases the inhibition exerted by a regulatory protein on liver glucokinase. In the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, the regulatory protein binds to, and inhibits, liver glucokinase. Fructose 1-phosphate antagonizes this inhibition by causing dissociation of the glucokinase-regulatory protein complex. Both phosphate esters act by binding to the regulatory protein, and by presumably causing changes in its conformation. The regulatory protein behaves as a fully competitive inhibitor. It inhibits liver glucokinase from various species, and rat islet glucokinase, but has no effect on hexokinases from mammalian tissues or from yeast, or on glucokinase from microorganisms. Kinetic studies indicate that the regulatory protein binds to glucokinase at a site distinct from the catalytic site. Several phosphate esters, mainly polyol-phosphates, were found to mimick the effect of fructose 6-phosphate. The most potent is sorbitol 6-phosphate, suggesting that fructose 6-phosphate is recognized by the regulatory protein in its open-chain configuration. Other phosphate esters and Pi have a fructose 1-phosphate-like effect. The stimulatory effect of fructose on glucose phosphorylation is observed not only in isolated hepatocytes but also in the livers of anesthetized rats. This suggests that fructose could be a nutritional signal causing an increase in the hepatic glucose uptake.