Characterization of alpha-phosphoglucomutase isozymes from Toxoplasma

Parasitol Int. 2010 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print]

Characterization of alpha-phosphoglucomutase isozymes from Toxoplasma gondii

Imada M, Kawashima S, Kanehisa M, Takeuchi T, Asai T.

Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

The Toxoplasma gondii genome project has revealed two putative isoforms (TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II) of alpha-phosphoglucomutase (EC 5.4.2.2). We obtained recombinant proteins of these isoforms from the Beverley strain of T. gondii and characterized their properties, particularly the kinetic properties of these isoforms. The specific activities of TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II foralpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate were 338+/-9 and 84+/-6mumol/min/mg protein, respectively, at 37 degrees C under optimal conditions. The Kcat and Km values of TgPGM-I were 398 +/- 11 /s and 0.19+/-0.03mM and those for TgPGM-II were 93+/-7 /s and 3.53+/-0.91mM, respectively, foralpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate. Magnesium ions were the most effective divalent cations for both the enzyme activities. The maximum activities of both the enzymes were obtained in the presence of more than 0.2 mMalpha-D-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate. Although both enzymes were attached to thealpha-phosphohexomutase superfamily, amino acid sequence homology between TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II showed very low overall identity (25%). Noalpha-phosphomannomutase (EC 5.4.2.8) activity was detected for either enzyme. The data indicated that TgPGM-I, but not TgPGM-II, may play an important role in alpha-D-glucose 6-phosphate production. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

PMID: 20153838 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]