Synthetic Utility of Yeast Hexokinase. Substrate Specificity, Cofactor Regeneration, and Product Isolation.

Yeast hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) catalyzes the phosphorylation of pyranose and furanose analogs of glucose at 0.01-125% of the rate of glucose. The enzyme is highly tolerant of structural changes at C-2 and C-3 of glucopyranose and less tolerant of changes at C-1 and C-4. Preparative phosphorylations were performed on compounds having 0.01-100% of the activity of glucose, using phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase to regenerate ATP. The effects of inhibition of hexokinase by phosphoenolpyruvate and acetyl phosphate on cofactor regeneration are discussed.