Rapid modulation of adipocyte phosphofructokinase activity by noradrenaline and insulin

1. Alterations in phosphofructokinase properties can be reproducibly seen in tissue extracts prepared and rapidly assayed after exposure of rat adipocytes to hormones. 2. Noradrenaline, corticotropin or isoprenaline (isoproterenol; beta-adrenergic agonist) decreased the activity measured with high fructose 6-phosphate concentrations (3--6 mM), but increased activity measured with lower concentrations of this substrate (0.3--0.9 mM). Noradrenaline decreased the Vmax. and the concentration of fructose 6-phosphate that gave half the Vmax.. 3. Insulin opposed the actions of noradrenaline and itself increased phosphofructokinase activity. 4. The effect of noradrenaline appeared to be exerted through a beta- rather than an alpha-type of adrenoceptor. 5. The effects of noradrenaline to decrease phosphofructokinase activity at high [fructose 6-phosphate] and to increase activity at low [fructose 6-phosphate] could be rapidly reversed in cells by addition of the beta-blocker propranolol. 6. The effect of noradrenaline seen at low [fructose 6-phosphate] could be abolished by homogenization of cells in buffer containing albumin or reversed by brief incubation of tissue extracts with albumin, suggesting that this effect of the hormone is due to the association of some ligand with the enzyme.