SYNTHESIS AND CLEAVAGE OF OCTULOSE BIS-PHOSPHATES WITH LIVER AND MUSCLE ALDOLASES

Rabbit muscle aldolase was used to synthesize d-glycero-d-altro-octulose 1,8-bisphosphate and d-glycero-d-ido-octulose 1,8-bisphosphate. The products, isolated by ion-exchange chromatography, were characterized with the cysteine-sulfuric acid reaction and shown to be 90-95% pure by analysis for organic phosphorus and for dihydroxyacetone phosphate formed on cleavage with aldolase. The kinetic constants for synthesis and cleavage of these octulose bisphosphates with muscle and liver aldolases were determined. In the direction of cleavage both octulose bisphosphates were excellent substrates for liver aldolase, comparable to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate with respect to both V and Km. With muscle aldolase the rate of cleavage was 1-5% of that with fructose bisphosphate and comparable to that with fructose 1-phosphate. In the direction of synthesis, ribose 5-phosphate was a better substrate than arabinose 5-phosphate for both the liver and muscle enzymes, although for both pentose phosphates the values of Km fell in the range between 5 and 25 mm. It is concluded that reactions catalyzed by aldolase might account for the reported presence of these eight-carbon sugar phosphate esters in liver and in red cells. © 1979.