Adenylate kinase catalyses the equilibrium 2ADP = ATP + AMP. There are two isoenzymes of adenylate kinase in bovine ventricular tissue, one cytoplasmic, the other mitochondrial. Mitochondrial subfractionation locates this isoenzyme between the mitochondrial membranes with fatty acid-CoA ligase. The cytoplasmic and mitochondrial isoenzymes are distributed in ratio 3:2, and both forms were purified to homogeneity. They differ principally by charge, Km values for ATP, ADP and AMP, pH-stability and -activity profiles, and susceptibility to the inhibitor adenosine pentaphosphoadenosine. The forward and reverse reactions show similar energies of activation for the cytoplasmic enzyme, but differ for the mitochondrial enzyme. The molecular weights are indistinguishable. An integrated mechanism is formulated whereby one isoenzyme suppresses the activation of fatty acid and the other enhances carbohydrate utilization in hypoxic myocytes.
