Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.
Honeybees rely primarily on the oxidation of hexose sugars to provide the energy required for flight. Measurement of VCO2 (equal to VO2, because VCO2/VO2 = 1.0 during carbohydrate oxidation) during flight allowed estimation of steady-state flux rates through pathways of flight muscle energy metabolism. Comparison of Vmax values for flight muscle hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase, and cytochrome c oxidase with rates of carbon and O2 flux during flight reveal that these enzymes operate closer to Vmax in the flight muscles of flying honeybees than in other muscles previously studied. Possible mechanistic and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106-9610, USA. suarez@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu
R K
RK
Suarez
J R
JR
Lighton
B
B
Joos
S P
SP
Roberts
J F
JF
Harrison
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000378:metabolism; D006601:Hexoses / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010732:Phosphofructokinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D006601:Hexoses; D002244:Carbon; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase; D006593:Hexokinase; D010732:Phosphofructokinase-1