Pyrophosphate as allosteric regulator of ATP-phosphofructokinase in Clostridium thermocellum and other bacteria with ATP- and PPi-phosphofructokinases

The phosphofructokinase (Pfk) reaction represents one of the key regulatory points in glycolysis. While most organisms encode for Pfks that use ATP as phosphoryl donor, some organisms also encode for PPi-dependent Pfks. Despite this central role, the biochemical characteristics as well as the physiological role of both Pfks is often not known. Clostridium thermocellum is an example of a microorganism that encodes for both Pfks, however, only PPi-Pfk activity has been detected in cell-free extracts and little is known about the regulation and function of both enzymes. In this study, the ATP- and PPi-Pfk of C. thermocellum were purified and biochemically characterized. No allosteric regulators were found for PPi-Pfk amongst common effectors. With fructose-6-P, PPi, fructose-1,6-bisP, and Pi PPi-Pfk showed high specificity (KM 156 U mg−1). In contrast, ATP-Pfk showed much lower affinity (K0.5 of 9.26 mM) and maximum activity (14.5 U mg−1) with fructose-6-P. In addition to ATP, also GTP, UTP and ITP could be used as phosphoryl donors. The catalytic efficiency with GTP was 7-fold higher than with ATP, suggesting that GTP is the preferred substrate. The enzyme was activated by NH4+, and pronounced inhibition was observed with GDP, FBP, PEP, and especially with PPi (Ki of 0.007 mM). Characterization of purified ATP-Pfks originating from eleven different bacteria, encoding for only ATP-Pfk or for both ATP- and PPi-Pfk, identified that PPi inhibition of ATP-Pfks could be a common phenomenon for organisms with a PPi-dependent glycolysis. [Display omitted] •First measurement of ATP-Pfk activity in cell extracts of Clostridium thermocellum.•PPi was found to inhibit the ATP-Pfk of C. thermocellum.•C. thermocellum ATP-Pfk activated by NH4+ and inhibited by GDP, FBP and PEP.•No allosteric regulators identified for PPi-Pfk from C. thermocellum.•Allosteric regulation of ATP-Pfks by PPi found in other microbes with both Pfks.