Evidence for "low Km" and "high Km" soluble 5'-nucleotidases in human tissues and rat liver

Two kinetically distinct purine 5'-phosphomono-esterase activities were isolated from soluble fractions of human placenta, cultured human T- and B-lymphoblasts and rat liver using AMP-sepharose chromatography. We have defined these activities as "high Km" and "low Km" 5'-nucleotidase. The relative content of "high Km" and "low Km" activities in the tissues studied ranged from 2 to 264. The optimum pH of "low Km" 5'-nucleotidases ranged from 7.4 to 9.0, Km for AMP from 7 to 15 uM and for IMP from 10 to 26 uM. ATP and ADP were inhibitors of "low Km" enzymes with the apparent Ki values of 55 to 20 uM and 8 to 20 uM for ATP and ADP, respectively. "High Km" 5'-nucleotidases had an optimum pH at 6.5, Km for IMP of 0.3 to 0.5 mM and Km for AMP of 1.0 to 9.4 mM. "High Km" enzymes were activated by ATP with A0.5 values, of 1.7 to 2.3 mM at 100 microM IMP. The data indicate that soluble "low Km" and "high Km" 5'-nucleotidases coexist in mammalian cells and fulfill different functions. These observations suggest a complex system for the regulation of AMP and IMP dephosphorylation.