Question

Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) is a large enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of fructose 6-phosphate during glycolysis. In fungi, the PFK-1 enzyme is composeD of four alpha subunits and four beta subunits. How would you describe the quaternary structure of PFK-1?

Answer 1

Answer:

α₄β₄ hetero-octamer

Explanation:

The quaternary structure of proteins describes the arrangement of two or more polypeptide subunits in the space. According to the given information, the enzyme phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) has two different types of subunits namely alpha and beta subunits. A protein with two or more different types of the subunit is said to be hetero-polymer.

There are four alpha subunits and four beta subunits in the protein PFK-1 making a total of 8 subunits. A protein with eight subunits is said to be an octamer. Therefore, the quaternary structure of PFK-1 would include an arrangement of 4 alpha and 4 beta subunits in space.