Hexokinase isozyme distribution and regulatory properties in lymphoid cells

The glycolytic enzyme hexokinase is studied in cultured leukemic lymphoblasts, in normal lymphocytes and in lymphoblasts obtained by stimulation of normal lymphocytes with phytohaemagglutinin. Hexokinase activity levels in cultured lymphoblasts and in normal lymphocytes are identical, but somewhat higher levels are found in stimulated lymphocytes. Cultured leukemic lymphoblasts differ in isozyme content in comparison to the other lymphoid cells. Besides hexokinase I, which is detected in all the lymphoid cells, they are characterized by the presence of hexokinase II. The concentration of type II increases during cell growth. Another difference between leukemic lymphoblasts and mature and stimulated lymphocytes is found in the regulatory properties of hexokinase I. Hexokinase I from both normal and stimulated lymphocytes is inhibited by glucose-1,6-diphosphate. This inhibition is decreased in part by addition of inorganic phosphate. Hexokinase I from leukemic lymphocytes, however, is inhibited to a lesser extent by glucose-1,6-diphosphate. Inorganic phosphate has no effect at all on this inhibition. In accordance with these findings a different pattern in the hexokinase I region was detected in electrophoresis with several cell types. The subisozyme hexokinase Ib, which appears to be the phosphate-regulated form, is predominant in lymphocytes, whereas it is present in a minor fraction in the cultured leukemic lymphoblasts. In these cells hexokinase Ic predominates.