1. Purified rabbit-muscle and -liver glucose phosphate isomerase, free of contaminating enzyme activities that could interfere with the assay procedures, were tested for inhibition by fructose, fructose 1-phosphate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate. 2. Fructose 1-phosphate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate are both competitive with fructose 6-phosphate in the enzymic reaction, the apparent K(i) values being 1.37x10(-3)-1.67x10(-3)m for fructose 1-phosphate and 7.2x10(-3)-7.9x10(-3)m for fructose 1,6-diphosphate; fructose and inorganic phosphate were without effect. 3. The apparent K(m) values for both liver and muscle enzymes at pH7.4 and 30 degrees were 1.11x10(-4)-1.29x10(-4)m for fructose 6-phosphate, determined under the conditions in this paper. 4. In the reverse reaction, fructose, fructose 1-phosphate and fructose 1,6-diphosphate did not significantly inhibit the conversion of glucose 6-phosphate into fructose 6-phosphate. 5. The apparent K(m) values for glucose 6-phosphate were in the range 5.6x10(-4)-8.5x10(-4)m. 6. The competitive inhibition of hepatic glucose phosphate isomerase by fructose 1-phosphate is discussed in relation to the mechanism of fructose-induced hypoglycaemia in hereditary fructose intolerance.
