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The human gene for the type III isozyme of hexokinase: structure, basal promoter, and evolution.

The structure of the gene for the Type III isozyme of human hexokinase is nearly identical to that of previously characterized genes for other isozymes of hexokinase. The most striking difference is that the 5'-untranslated sequence and the initial coding sequence are contained in two exons in the Type III hexokinase gene but in a single exon in genes for the other isozymes. Sequence at the transcriptional start site for rat Type III hexokinase (S. Sebastian, J. A. White, and J. E. Wilson, 1999, J. Biol. Chem. 274, 31700-31706) is conserved in the human gene, as is an Oct-1 site, in reverse orientation, approximately 30 bp upstream from the start site. This site has been shown to regulate transcription of both human and rat genes for Type III hexokinase. Comparison of the genes for the various mammalian isozymes of hexokinase indicates that a major feature in the evolution of this isozyme family has been acquisition of alternative first exons.

Base Sequence↗

A mutation Ser213/Asn in the hexokinase 1 from Schizosaccharomyces pombe increases its affinity for glucose.

Alignment of amino acids of the region implicated in glucose binding from a series of hexokinases showed that Schizosaccharomyces pombe hexokinase 1 had a Ser residue in a place where all other kinases had an Asn. We changed an AGT codon to AAT to place an Asn in the Ser213 position. This mutation decreased Km for glucose from 9.4 mM to 1.6 mM and the ratio Vmax (Fructose)/Vmax (Glucose) from 5 to 2.5. Also the Km for 2-deoxyglucose decreased from 2.7 mM to 0.8 mM. A mutation in the similar position of S. pombe hexokinase 2 (Asn196/Ser) increased the Km for glucose from 0.16 mM to 0.56 mM. Fermentation of glucose is not detectable in a S. pombe mutant with only hexokinase 1 activity but expression of the hxk1(S213/N) gene conferred ability to ferment the sugar. While the mutated hexokinase 1 partially mimicked S. cerevisiae hexokinase II in catabolite repression of invertase, the wild type one could not substitute for it.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hexokinase I messenger RNA in the rat central nervous system.

Hexokinase I (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) is the first enzyme required in the metabolism of glucose in the central nervous system and plays a major role in regulation of the cerebral glycolytic rate. The distribution of hexokinase I mRNA was examined throughout the central nervous system of the rat by use of oligonucleotide probes and in situ hybridization histochemistry. In the rhinencephalon, strong hexokinase I mRNA labeling was demonstrated in the glomerular, mitral, internal granular, and internal plexiform layers, whereas the olfactory nerve, external plexiform, and subependymal layers and ependyma were devoid of labeling. Within the telencephalon, strong labeling was present in all layers (with the exception of the molecular layer) of the cerebral cortex, in the septum, in CA1-4 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and in several amygdaloid nuclei. There was only weak labeling in the nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen. In the diencephalon, there was in general a strong labeling in the epithalamus, in several thalamic nuclei, including the anteriodorsal, anterioventral, anteriomedial, reticular, paravetricular, intermediodorsal, anteriomedial, interanteriomedial, rhomboid, reuniens, and parafascicular thalamic nuclei. Several hypothalamic regions, including the subfornical organ, the medial preoptic area, the suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, paraventricular, dorsomedial, ventromedial nuclei, and the zona incerta, were strongly labeled. In the mesencephalon, there was particularly strong labeling in the pars compacta and reticulata of the substantia nigra, central gray, and red nucleus, in the Darkschewitsch nucleus, and in the medial accessory oculomotor nucleus. In the rhombencephalon, there was strong hybridization in all raphe nuclei, pontine, tegmental, lateral parabrachial, olivary nuclei, and several cranial motor nuclei. All neurons of the locus ceruleus were heavily labeled. Very strong labeling was present in Purkinje and granular cells of the cerebellar cortex. Neurons of the medulla oblongata area postrema, nucleus tractus solitarius, reticular nucleus, nucleus cuneatus and several motor nuclei were strongly labeled. In the spinal cord, labeled cells were present in all laminae, and also neurons of the dorsal root ganglion were heavily labeled. Hexokinase I mRNA was also demonstrated in the epithelium lining the the choroid plexus. In the E15 fetus, very strong labeling was seen in the liver, heart, and trigeminal ganglion, with less intense labeling in in the brain and other tissues having more moderate labeling. Administration of 2% saline as drinking water resulted in a marked increase in hexokinase I mRNA in the magnocellular neurons of the supraoptics and paraventricular nuclei. In summary, the results show extensive neuronal distribution of hexokinase I mRNA with regional differences in the expression pattern.

Animals↗

Interactions between cations in modifying the binding of hexokinases I and II to mitochondria.

Interactions between cations in modifying the binding of hexokinases I and II to mitochondria was examined with reference to the intracellular condition. Mitochondria-binding of either of hexokinases I and II, both prepared from mouse ascites ELD cells, was markedly increased by Mg2+ as has been known well. However, even in the absence of Mg2+, marked binding was attained by 100 mM K+ alone especially for hexokinase I, which seemed generally more ready to bind to mitochondria. On the other hand, the effect of Mg2+ to increase the binding was reduced by the addition of K+, and the decreasing effect of K+ was much more marked for hexokinase II than I. These results indicate that, in addition to Mg2+, monovalent cations as represented by K+, also have marked effect on the binding, and the effect is different for each hexokinases I and II, which may be responsible for the difference in the intracellular distribution between these hexokinases.

Animals↗

Genetic control of hexokinase variation in insects.

Hexokinase variation in insects appears to be under the control of a single locus in some species and under multiple-locus control in others. It is often difficult to distinguish the number of loci controlling hexokinase expression. Analysis of hexokinase electrophoretic patterns in six species of mosquitoes and five species of crickets, as well as a review of hexokinase variation in other insect species, is used to emphasize the importance of interspecific comparisons when making genetic inferences. Evidence is provided which adds support for multiple hexokinase loci in dipterans. Hexokinase control by multiple loci may be difficult to determine in some species because of tight linkage, disequilibrium, and/or posttranslational modification.

Animals↗

Enzymes of glucose metabolism in cultured human gliomas: neoplasia is accompanied by altered hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels.

The enzymes of glycolysis and selected enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathways were measured by fluorometric methods in extracts prepared from cultures of normal cortical human astrocytes and from cultures derived from low-grade (II) or high-grade (IV) gliomas. The hexokinase and phosphofructokinase levels of the low-grade glioma-derived line were not significantly different from those of the normal astrocyte cultures. However, the activities of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase were consistently and significantly increased in the high-grade glioma-derived lines. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was significantly decreased in all glioma-derived lines and by more than 90% in the high-grade-derived lines. Other enzymes of the glycolytic pathway were not significantly different from those of normal astrocytes, or they showed a variation inconsistently related to the neoplastic state. Glucose flux is not apparently regulated to a significant degree of hexokinase in glioma-derived lines, since the measured Vmax values are in substantial excess over the measured flux rates. Reversible binding of hexokinase to the particulate fraction was observed in both the normal astrocytes cultures and the high-grade glioma-derived lines. A twofold displacement of particulate hexokinase by ATP, ADP, 1-O-methylglucose, sorbitol-6-phosphate, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP was observed in the high-grade glioma-derived lines. The degree of displacement by various agents and the basal ratio of free/bound was not significantly different between the transformers and the nontransformants. The hexokinase from both the gliomas and the normal astrocytes was noncompetitively inhibited by the glucose analogue 2-deoxy-d-glucose. Phosphofructokinase activity is close to the observed glucose flux rates in both the normal astrocyte and the glioma-derived cultures. The phosphofructokinase activity of normal astrocytes is activated twofold or more by ADP, AMP, fructose-2,6-diphosphate, and Pi. However, these same ligands activate phosphofructokinase by less than twofold in a typical high-grade glioma-derived line. ATP, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, and citrate inhibit glioma and normal astrocytic phosphofructokinase, but the magnitude of the inhibition is much less than in the glioma-derived lines.

Astrocytes↗

Purification and characterization of hexokinase from Leishmania mexicana.

Hexokinase from Leishmania mexicana was purified to homogeneity from a glycosome-enriched fraction obtained after a differential centrifugation of promastigote form. The kinetic properties of the pure enzyme were determined and the Km values for glucose (Km = 66 microM) and ATP (Km = 303 muM) were comparable to those from hexokinase of Trypanosoma cruzi. L. mexicana hexokinase was able to use fructose (Km = 142 microM), which reflects the condition found in the insect host. In contrast with hexokinases from other trypanosomatids, the enzyme exhibited a moderate sensitivity to inhibition by glucose 6-phosphate. This inhibition was competitive with respect to both ATP and glucose, indicating that an allosteric site for glucose 6-phosphate does not exist in this enzyme. The enzyme was also inhibited by inorganic pyrophosphate, the inhibition being higher than that observed for T. cruzi enzyme. As expected, the enzyme was localized, by immunofluorescence analysis, in glycosomes and is present in both promastigotes and true amastigotes obtained from hamster lesion. Hexokinase specific activity increased with the aging of promastigote culture, and this increment was related to glucose consumption. However, the level of the hexokinase protein remains constant as determined by Western blotting. Several hypotheses are discussed to explain this result.

Animals↗

Characterization of regulatory non-catalytic hexokinases in Aspergillus nidulans.

Hexokinases catalyse the first step in glucose metabolism and play a role in glucose sensing in mammals, plants and fungi. We describe a new class of hexokinases that appear to be solely regulatory in function. The Aspergillus nidulans hxkD gene (formerly named xprF) encodes a hexokinase-like protein. We constructed hxkDDelta gene disruption mutants which showed increased levels of extracellular protease in response to carbon starvation. The hxkDDelta mutations are not completely recessive, indicating that the level of the gene product is critical. Transcript levels of hxkD increase during carbon starvation and this response is not dependent on functional HxkD. A gene encoding a second atypical hexokinase (HxkC) was identified. The hxkCDelta gene disruption mutant exhibits a phenotype similar, but not identical, to hxkDDelta mutants. As with hxkD, mutations in hxkC are suppressed by loss-of-function mutations in xprG, which encodes a putative transcriptional activator involved in the response to nutrient limitation. We show that GFP-tagged HxkD was found only in nuclei suggesting a regulatory role for HxkD. GFP-tagged HxkC was associated with mitochondria. Homologs of hxkC and hxkD are conserved in multi-cellular fungi. Genes encoding atypical hexokinases are present in many genome sequence databases. Thus, non-catalytic hexokinases may be widespread.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

An intact hydrophobic N-terminal sequence is critical for binding of rat brain hexokinase to mitochondria.

The N-terminal sequence of rat brain hexokinase (ATP: D-hexose-6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) has been determined to be X-NH-Met-Ile-(Ala, Gln)-Ala-Leu-Leu-Ala-Tyr-, where X is a blocking group on the N-terminal methionine, probably an N-acetyl group. Modification of this hydrophobic N-terminal segment by endogenous proteases in crude brain extracts resulted in loss of the ability to bind to mitochondria, but had no effect on catalytic activity, resulting in the appearance of nonbindable enzyme reported by several previous investigators to be present in purified hexokinase preparations. Similar results can be obtained by deliberate limited digestion with chymotrypsin (cleavage points marked by arrows in sequence above). Both bindable and nonbindable enzyme, the latter generated either by endogenous proteases or with chymotrypsin, have an identical C-terminal dipeptide sequence, Ile-Ala. The great susceptibility of the N-terminus to proteolysis plus the marked effect that its proteolytic modification has on binding of hexokinase to anion exchange or hydrophobic (phenyl-Sepharose) matrices suggest that this N-terminal segment is prominently displayed at the enzyme surface. Epitopes recognized by two monoclonal antibodies which block binding of hexokinase to mitochondria (but have no effect on catalytic activity) have been mapped to a 10K fragment cleaved from the N-terminus by limited tryptic digestion. Thus the binding of hexokinase to mitochondria appears to occur via a "binding domain" constituting the N-terminal region of the molecule, with maintenance of an intact hydrophobic sequence at the extreme N-terminus being critical to this interaction. A resulting specific orientation of the molecule on the mitochondrial surface is considered to be a prerequisite for the observed coupling of hexokinase activity and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hexose metabolism in pancreatic islets: compartmentation of hexokinase in islet cells.

Hexokinase activity was found in both soluble (cytosolic) and particulate subcellular fractions prepared from rat pancreatic islet homogenates. The bound enzyme was associated with mitochondria rather than secretory granules. Relative to the total hexokinase activity, the amount of bound enzyme was higher in islet homogenates prepared at pH 6.0 (72 +/- 7%) than in islets homogenized at pH 7.4 (38 +/- 1%). The affinity of hexokinase for equilibrated D-glucose was not different in the cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. In both fractions, hexokinase displayed a greater affinity for alpha- than beta-D-glucose, but a higher maximal velocity with the beta- than alpha-anomer. Glucose 6-phosphate inhibited to a greater extent cytosolic than mitochondrial hexokinase. A high Km glucokinase-like enzymic activity was also present in both subcellular fractions. It is proposed that the ambiguity of hexokinase plays a propitious role in the glucose-sensing function of pancreatic islet cells.

Animals↗

Activation of low Km hexokinases in purified hepatocytes by binding to mitochondria.

Hepatocytes were purified on a Percoll gradient. The cell membrane of these hepatocytes was disrupted by digitonin in the presence of albumin, glucose and physiological concentrations of monovalent and divalent cations. This treatment led to a separation between free and loosely structure-bound cytosolic enzymes which is not achieved by conventional subfractionation techniques. According to kinetic and immunological analyses, the free extractable cytosolic fraction contained high Km, hexokinase (glucokinase) and less than 10% of low Km hexokinases, while the hexokinase activity bound to the cell structures represented exclusively low Km isozymes. The total activity of the bound hexokinases was comparable to that observed in the supernate (approx. 1.0 U per g fresh weight). This activity decreased more than 10-fold upon desorption at higher digitonin concentrations. Such activation by binding, as well as inactivation by desorption, could also be demonstrated in intact hepatocytes correlated to different metabolic states, and also in vitro with isolated mitochondria and purified isozyme I. The binding of low Km hexokinases in hepatocytes was restricted to the mitochondrial fraction and there it was observed in the contact sites between the two mitochondrial boundary membranes. In view of these findings it appears that the binding-dissociation equilibrium of low Km hexokinases plays an important role in metabolic regulation of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the liver and presumably in muscle.

Animals↗

A hexokinase from fish liver with wide specificity for nucleotides as phosphoryl donor.

The liver of rainbow trout contains two hexokinases (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) designated C and D from the elution pattern in DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Hexokinase D has been purified about 50-fold from the liver of rainbow trout by chromatography with DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200, and by isoelectric focusing. The properties of hexokinase D were similar to those of mammalian hexokinase III with respect to the Km values for ATP and glucose and the substrate inhibition by glucose at high concentration. However, the enzyme showed a wide specificity for nucleotides as the phosphoryl donor. Although it has been reported that the only effective nucleotide as the phosphoryl donor for hexokinase from various origin in ATP, and that ADP, a reaction product, inhibits the enzyme, hexokinase D from the rainbow-trout liver was found to be able to form glucose 6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) from glucose and various nucleotides such as ATP, ADP, CTP, GTP, UTP and UDP. The reaction products from ADP and glucose, Glc-6-P and AMP, were identified by chromatography on ion-exchange resin column and paper. The enzyme D was not inhibited by ADP but was strongly inhibited by AMP, which is a reaction product from ADP.

Animals↗

Differential molecular sieving permits visualization of hexokinase isoenzymes following electrophoretic separation in high resolution acrylamide gels.

1. Differential molecular sieving is the concept applied to bring together isoenzymes of ATP:D-hexose-6-phosphotransferase (hexokinases) with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in acrylamide gels by utilization of their dissimilar electrophoretic mobilities. 2. The hexokinase isoenzymes migrate and separate in gels with pore sizes selected to entrap glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in their interstices. The locations of the bands of specific activity are visualized by fluorescence of NADPH under long wave, ultraviolet radiation. 3. A new discontinuous electrochemical system has been devised to deliver protective thiol groups into the gel. Cysteine (trailing ion) and SO4(2-) (leading ion) form a sharp moving boundary. 4. The high resolution of the system has permitted visualization of a rapidly migrating, high Km hexokinase in murine spleen, fat, kidney and lymph nodes. Hexokinase Types I and II, were observed in all tissues tested, but Type IV was seen only in the liver. 5. The importance of glucose concentration effects on hexokinase activity is emphasized by inactivation of slowly migrating low Km hexokinase Types I and II following exposure to 200 mM glucose during preparation of extracts.

Animals↗

Expression of human brain hexokinase in Escherichia coli: purification and characterization of the expressed enzyme.

Human brain hexokinase (hexokinase I) was produced in Escherichia coli from a synthetic gene under control of the bacteriophage T7 promoter. The expressed coding region derives from a human cDNA clone thought to specify hexokinase I based on amino acid sequence identity between the predicted translation product and hexokinase I from rat brain. The open reading frame from this cDNA was fused to the promoter and 5' flanking region of T7 gene 10, and expressed in E. coli by induction of T7 RNA polymerase. Induced cells contained a hexokinase activity and an abundant protein of apparent molecular weight 100,000, neither of which was present in cells lacking T7 RNA polymerase. Enzyme purified to near homogeneity consisted of a 100,000 Da protein, the size predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the expressed cDNA. The purified enzyme had Michaelis constants of 32 microM and 0.3 mM for glucose and ATP, respectively, and bound to rat liver mitochondria in the presence of MgCl2. Enzymatic activity was inhibited by glucose-6-P and this inhibition was relieved by inorganic phosphate. Deinhibition by phosphate is a property specific to brain hexokinase.

Base Sequence↗

Properties of human erythrocyte hexokinase related to cell age.

The kinetic, electrophoretic and immunological properties of hexokinase from human erythrocytes have been studied in relation to cell age. No differences in kinetic behaviour between hexokinase partly purified from reticulocytes, 10% youngest cells, normal red cell population or from 10% oldest cells were observed. The stability of the enzyme preparations showed little differences; hexokinase from the 10% youngest cells was the most labile enzyme, followed respectively by the enzyme from reticulocytes, normal red cell population and the 10% oldest cells. The electrophoretic pattern of erythrocyte hexokinase changed during senescence. The hexokinase activity located in the second band from the anode is shifted to the third with increasing cell age. The molecular specific acitivity of the enzyme from the 10% youngest cells, the normal red cell population and the 10% oldest cells remains the same, while the molecular specific activity of hexokinase from reticulocytes was much lower.

Animals↗

Trehalose-6-phosphate, a new regulator of yeast glycolysis that inhibits hexokinases.

Trehalose-6-phosphate (P) competitively inhibited the hexokinases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The strongest inhibition was observed upon hexokinase II, with a Ki of 40 microM, while in the case of hexokinase I the Ki was 200 microM. Glucokinase was not inhibited by trehalose-6-P up to 5 mM. This inhibition appears to have physiological significance, since the intracellular levels of trehalose-6-P were about 0.2 mM. Hexokinases from other organisms were also inhibited, while glucokinases were unaffected. The hexokinase from the yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, was particularly sensitive to the inhibition by trehalose-6-P: when assayed with 2 mM fructose an apparent Ki of 5 microM was calculated. Two S. cerevisiae mutants with abnormal levels of trehalose-6-P exhibited defects in glucose metabolism. It is concluded that trehalose-6-P plays an important role in the regulation of the first steps of yeast glycolysis, mainly through the inhibition of hexokinase II.

Binding, Competitive↗

Transcriptional regulation of hexokinase I mRNA levels by TSH in cultured rat thyroid FRTL5 cells.

We investigated the effect of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) on the expression of hexokinase I mRNA by cultured rat thyroid FRTL5 cells. TSH stimulated hexokinase I gene expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. An increase in hexokinase I mRNA was detected after 3 h of incubation with TSH, and a maximum was reached after 12 h showing about 2.5-fold increase at 1 mU/ml TSH. A nuclear run-on transcriptional assay showed that the effect of TSH on hexokinase I mRNA was due to an increase in the rate of gene transcription. (Bu)2cAMP and forskolin also increased hexokinase I mRNA expression to almost the same extent as TSH. These findings suggest that TSH stimulates hexokinase I gene expression at the transcriptional level via the cAMP-dependent pathway.

Animals↗

Molecular analysis of Plasmodium falciparum hexokinase.

Hexokinase, a key glycolytic enzyme, is involved in the initial phosphorylation reaction of imported glucose and specific blocking of this activity may therefore arrest the development of malaria parasites. We describe here the cloning of a single copy hexokinase gene of Plasmodium falciparum (PfHK) from cDNA or genomic DNA libraries. The deduced amino acid sequence of PfHK has 26% identity with human hexokinase I and its predicted molecular mass assigns it as an invertebrate type isoenzyme of hexokinase. A single 1.5-kb exon is translated from a 3-kb mRNA in asexual stages of the parasite. In contrast to aldolase and GPI, the gene for this glycolytic enzyme is located on chromosome 8. Poly- and monoclonal antibodies against recombinant PfHK support our cloning results at the protein level as they detect a protein of the predicted size and isoelectric point by Western blotting in parasite protein samples. Moreover, polyclonal rabbit IgG against recombinant PfHK partially inhibits the hexokinase activity of a P. falciparum lysate which provides direct proof that the gene cloned encodes hexokinase of the parasite.

Amino Acid Sequence↗