Abstract
Genetically engineered organisms overexpressing phosphofructokinase (PFK), a supposed 'regulatory' step of glycolysis, often show little or no measurable change in glycolytic or respiratory flux, although the concentrations of glycolytic intermediates may change. We have used the finite change theory of Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) to analyse the concentrations of glycolytic metabolites in aged disks of tuber tissue from four lines of transgenic potatoes expressing different amounts of PFK that, under aerobic conditions, showed statistically indistinguishable rates of respiration. The constancy of the metabolites' concentration deviation indices for different increases in PFK expression indicated that the metabolite changes from a graded series, excluding the possibility of anomalous behaviour that might be observed in a single transgenic line. Consequently we were able to use the finite change method to validate the results of an MCA model of tuber glycolysis [Thomas, Mooney, Burrell and Fell (1997) Biochem. J. 322, 119-127]. Furthermore the metabolite changes with PFK activity are evidence that near-equilibrium steps do not transmit increased substrate concentrations down the pathway without attenuation. Our results support the view that flux increase by activation of a single enzyme early in the pathway will, contrary to expectations, be of limited effectiveness in achieving flux increases.