title: ADP-dependent phosphofructokinases in mesophilic and thermophilic methanogenic archaea.
abstract: Phosphofructokinase (PFK) is a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway in all domains of life. Two related PFKs, ATP-dependent and PP(i)-dependent PFK, have been distinguished in bacteria and eucarya, as well as in some archaea. Hyperthermophilic archaea of the order Thermococcales, including Pyrococcus and Thermococcus spp., have recently been demonstrated to possess a unique ADP-dependent PFK (ADP-PFK) that appears to be phylogenetically distinct. Here, we report the presence of ADP-PFKs in glycogen-producing members of the orders Methanococcales and Methanosarcinales, including both mesophilic and thermophilic representatives. To verify the substrate specificities of the methanogenic kinases, the gene encoding the ADP-PFK from Methanococcus jannaschii was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, and the produced enzyme was purified and characterized in detail. Compared to its counterparts from the two members of the order Thermococcales, the M. jannaschii ADP-PFK has an extremely low K(m) for fructose 6-phosphate (9.6 microM), and it accepts both ADP and acetyl-phosphate as phosphoryl donors. Phylogenetic analysis of the ADP-PFK reveals it to be a key enzyme of the modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway of heterotrophic and chemolithoautotrophic archaea. Interestingly, uncharacterized homologs of this unusual kinase are present in several eucarya.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6703 CT Wageningen, The Netherlands. corne.verhees@algemeen.micr.wau.nl
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Verhees
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tuininga
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kengen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stams
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Oost
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: de Vos
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D006019:Glycolysis; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D017015:Methanococcales / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D019640:Methanosarcinales / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C442129:ADP D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase; D008697:Methane