Phosphofructokinase activity and acidosis during short-term tetanic contractions

Anaerobic energy production is essential for the production of muscular tension when the demand for energy is greater than can be provided aerobically and when oxygen is in short supply. The largest source of anaerobic energy is from the glycolytic pathway. With sustained tetanic contractions, muscle glycolytic activity is high and hydrogen ions (H+) accumulate while tension production decreases. The increasing [H+] and decreasing tension led to the suggestion that H+ inhibits the activity of the regulatory glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase (PFK). Early in vitro work confirmed the H+ sensitivity of PFK in the test tube, indicating that little PFK activity should persist at a pH of 6.9-7.0. However, in situ and in vivo experiments suggested that significant PFK activity was maintained during intense contractions when muscle pH decreased to 6.4-6.6. There are several concerns associated with the application of in vitro findings to in vivo exercise situations: (i) there is little in vitro work in mammalian skeletal muscle with substrate and modulator concentrations representative of exercise, (ii) most in vitro analyses of PFK activity are performed following the dilution of the enzyme in mediums with low protein concentration, and (iii) do the modulators identified in vitro exist in high enough in vivo concentrations at rest and during exercise to contribute to the regulation of PFK? More recent in vitro and in situ PFK experiments have overcome some of these concerns. They confirm that during intense, short-term tetanic contractions, PFK activity is well matched to the ATP demand despite decreases in pH to approximately 6.4-6.5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)