Rat hepatic 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase: a unique bifunctional enzyme

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is a potent allosteric activator of 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and an inhibitor of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase. It potentiates the effect of AMP on both enzymes. A great deal of compelling evidence supports the hypothesis that fructose 2,6-bisphosphate plays a key role in the hormonal and substrate regulation of substrate cycling at the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate level in liver. This regulation is exerted at the level of the enzyme activities responsible for the synthesis and degradation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. Synthesis of the compound is catalyzed by a unique enzyme which transfers the gamma-phosphate of ATP to the C2 position of fructose 6-phosphate (ATP:D fructose 6-phosphate 2-phosphotransferase) while degradation is catalyzed by a phosphohydrolase activity which is specific for the C-2 position of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate 2-phosphohydrolase). These activities are distinct from the classical 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase with regard to molecular weight, interaction with ligands, and the efficiency with which phosphoryl transfer occurs. Both activities have been purified to homogeneity and have been shown to be present in a single enzyme protein, i.e. the enzyme is bifunctional. Incubation of the 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase with cAMP-dependent protein kinase and ATP leads to phosphorylation of the enzyme resulting in inactivation of the phosphotransferase activity and stimulation of the phosphohydrolase activity. Since fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is not further metabolized and can only be recycled to fructose 6-phosphate, simultaneous modulation of the synthesis and degradation of the compound by covalent modification of a single protein provides a very efficient and sensitive regulatory mechanism. The bifunctional enzyme was also shown to possess an ATPase activity which was nearly equal to the activity of the kinase reaction. However, in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate the enzyme did not transfer phosphate to water but rather to the C-2 position of the phosphorylated sugar. The ability of the enzyme to catalyze a partial reaction at a rate nearly equal to that of the forward reaction suggested that the reaction mechanism of the kinase proceeds by a two step transfer, i.e. via a phosphoryl enzyme intermediate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)