Regulatory properties of AMP deaminase isoenzymes from rabbit red muscle

We examined the kinetic and regulatory properties of the two isoenzymes of red muscle AMP deaminase, forms A and B, corresponding respectively to the single isoenzymes present in the heart and white skeletal muscle. At the optimal pH value, 6.5, both enzymes show hyperbolic substrate-velocity curves and are inhibited by GTP, inducing sigmoid kinetics. An effect similar to that of GTP is exerted on form B by ATP, whereas form A is almost insensitive to this nucleotide. At pH 7.1 both enzymes follow sigmoid kinetics. ATP enhances the sigmoidicity of the substrate-velocity curve of form B, but it stimulates form A, reverting sigmoidal to hyperbolic kinetics shown by the enzyme at optimal pH. At pH 7.1, form A is also less sensitive to the inhibitory action of Pi and GTP. These results suggest that, owing to the presence of form A, AMP deamination occurs in red muscle also at moderate work intensity. A possible role of this process in counteracting the production of adenosine by 5'-nucleotidase is hypothesized.