Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Characterization of the glycolytic enzyme enolase which is abundant in the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10124321· OSTI ID:10124321
; ;  [1]; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
  2. Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States)
High enolase activity, as measured by the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolphyruvate, was found in the cytoplasm of Pyrococcus (an anaerobic, hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows optimally at 100{degree}C). In this organism, the enzyme probably functions in a sugar fermentation pathway. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity. It had a temperature optimum of >90 {degree}C, and a pH optimum of 8.1. The enzyme was extremely thermostable with a half time for inactivation at 100{degree}C of 40 min. In contrast, an enolase from yeast was inactivated in 1 min at 88{degree}C. Both the P. furiosus and yeast enzymes required a metal ion for activity, but whereas the yeast enzyme has an absolute requirement for Mg{sup ++} the P. furiosus enolase was equally active in the presence of Mn{sup ++}. Both enzymes were competitively inhibited by citrate. P. furiosus enolase, as for mesophilic enolases, probably has a homodimeric structure with subunit M{sub r} greater than 45,000. A highly conserved sequence of eight amino acids in the N-terminal region was found in enolases from P. furiosus and a wide range of other organisms including bacteria, yeast, birds, and mammals.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
10124321
Report Number(s):
ANL/CMB/PP--81754; ON: DE94006835; CNN: Grant N00014-90-J-1894
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English