Essential thiols of yeast hexokinase: alkylation by a substrate-like reagent.

It is demonstrated that N-bromoacetyl-D-galactosamine acts as a substrate-like reagent for yeast hexokinases A and B, producing affinity labeling. At the order of 10(-3) M reagent concentrations, rapid inactivation of the enzyme is produced: the kinetics are consistent with dependence upon a reversible inhibitor-enzyme initial complex, with a dissociation constant of 3.8 x 10(-3) M for hexokinase B at 35 degrees, pH 8.5. The glucose analog is 30-fold less effective, presumably due to self-protection. The inactivating reaction is an order of magnitude faster than that with bromoacetate. All the alkylation of hexokinase B was shown to occur at two thiol groups per subunit, associated stoichiometrically with inactivation. Unlike the reaction there of simple alkylators, two nonessential thiols per subunit are left unattacked when this inactivation reaction is complete. Protection against the affinity alkylation is exerted by the substrates glucose, mannose, fructose, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, ATP-Mg, and ADP-Mg, in proportion to their affinities for the active center. Free ATP also protects. Mg2+ alone has no influence, and Mn2+ gives a slight acceleration, when correction is made for a slow inactivation that occurs when the enzyme is incubated at 35 degrees with Mn2+ alone. Galactose, virtually a nonsubstrate, has no influence on the affinity alkylation, but N-acetylgalactosamine, a nonsubstrate and a weak inhibitor of the enzymic reaction, has an accelerating effect. An interpretation is made in terms of binding to a site that influences the active center. This affinity label should provide a means of isolating a peptide containing active-center-related groups.