Monosaccharides and disaccharides decrease the Km for phosphorylation of a membrane-bound enzyme ATPase.

The disaccharides trehalose and sucrose, and to a lesser extent the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, decrease the apparent Km of the Ca2+, Mg(2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum for Pi. This effect is more pronounced at pH 7.4 than at pH 6.2. The enzyme is not phosphorylated by Pi when the temperature of the medium is decreased to 0 degree C, but when 1.5 M trehalose or sucrose is present phosphoenzyme formation increases to 0.5 mumol E-P/g protein.