Dephosphorylation of purine mononucleotides by alkaline phosphatases. Substrate specificity and inhibition patterns

Three purine mononucleotides, adenosine-, inosine- and guanosine monophosphate, were used as substrates at pH 7.4 and at 10.4 for three alkaline phosphatases (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (acid optimum), EC 3.1.3.1) containing similar phosphate-binding serine groups at their esteratic sites. Substrate specificity was found for the enzymes from calf intestine and bovine liver. Alkaline phosphatase from Escherichia coli was nonspecific. A substrate-dependent and pronounced inhibition with the purine analogue 1,3-dimethyl xanthine was found for the enzymes from intestine and liver, but not for alkaline phosphatase from E. coli. A substrate-independent and pronounced inhibition was found for all three enzymes with the phosphomonoester p-nitrophenol phosphate as the inhibitor. Alkaline phosphatases may play an important role in the regulation of the intracellular content of purine mononucleotides.