[Changes in phosphofructokinase activity upon exposure of muscles and muscle extracts to injurious agents]

A study has been made on changes of outflux, extractability and activity of phosphofructokinase (PPK) under the action of heating, and of urea on the frog's skeletal muscles and on their extracts. Under the action of heating on muscles, the decrease of PPK activity (to 35%) is first revealed 34--36 degress C, when decrease of excitability and the contracture are not yet detected, and the extractability of the total water-soluble protein does not change. At the start of contracture, and at the decrease of excitability (at 38 degrees C) PPK in the muscle loses its activity. The thermolability of PPK is the greatest one compared to all the enzymes investigated before. The data on the high thermolability of PPK are discussed in terms of the regulating role of PPK in glycolysis. The PPK activity of extracts of muscles altered by urea, during the action not accompanied by the death of muscles, does not change. At the irreversible disappearance of muscle excitability, PPK is inactivated. PPK in the cell is more stable to injuring agents than PPK in isolated state.