Mammalian carbamyl phosphate : glucose phosphotransferase and glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase: extended tissue distribution.

Carbamyl phosphate : glucose phosphotransferase and glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) phosphohydrolase activities have beeh demonstrated in pancreas, adrenals, brain, testes, spleen, and lung. Catalysis of these activities by classical multifunctional glucose-6-phosphatase (D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase; EC 3.1.3.9) has been firmly established for the first four of these tissues on the basis of characteristic catalytic properties of the transferase pH-activity profiles, apparent Km values for carbamyl phosphate and glucose, substrate specificity, susceptibility to inhibition by molybdate, and activation by deoxycholate. Additional such activity due to non-specific acid (and alkaline) phosphatase action also is indicated at very high glucose concentrations. The possible physiological significance of the newly-elucidated presence of glucose-6-phosphatase-phosphotransferase in these various tissues, in addition to previously extensively studied liver, kidney, and mucosa of small intestine, is discussed briefly.