Use of 3-D computer modelling and kinetic studies to analyse grapefruit pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase

The glycolytic reaction of grapefruit PPi-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFP) depends on the presence of Fru-2,6-P2 (Ka = 6.7 nM). This molecule was further demonstrated in grapefruit juice sac cells. Citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate and isocitrate competitively inhibited the binding of Fru-2,6-P2 to PFP. The affinity for Fru-6-P (Km = 159 microM) and PPi (Km = 33 microM) were not affected by the addition of these molecules. In the gluconeogenic reaction, the presence of Fru-2,6-P2 did not affect the Km of Fru-1,6-P2 (61 microM) in contrast to orange fruit PFP. These results led to the building of a computer model of PFP, based on the known structure of Bacillus stearothermophilus ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (ATP-PFK). The results show that catalysis of Fru-6-P in the alpha chain is most unlikely, due to amino-acid substitutions and that Fru-2,6-P2 can bind between the alpha and beta subunits.