The bisphosphonomethyl analogue of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate inhibits yeast but not wheat-germ phosphoglycerate mutase.

The bisphosphonomethyl analogue of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate [4-phosphono-2-(phosphonomethyl) butanoate] was a potent competitive inhibitor of cofactor-dependent phosphoglycerate mutase from yeast, with a Ki of 0.8 mM. In contrast, the analogue did not affect the activity of cofactor-independent phosphoglycerate mutase from wheat germ. It is considered that this compound should be particularly useful for n.m.r. spectroscopic studies on the mechanism of action of cofactor-dependent phosphoglycerate mutases.