Abstract

To exploit the well documented effect of 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid (2,3-DPG) in enhancing oxygen delivery by human erythrocytes, we have investigated whether the DPG synthase/phosphatase enzyme system can be targeted to increase DPG levels in the cell. The hydrolytic activity (phosphatase) of the DPG metabolizing enzyme complex exhibits a marked dependence on a physiological effector, 2-phosphoglycolate. Little phosphatase activity is detected in the absence of this activator irrespective of the concentrations of the substrate. The phosphoglycolate-dependent phosphatase activity is competitively inhibited by a glycolytic intermediate, 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA). The 3-PGA inhibition persists when the 2,3-DPG concentration is raised to saturation level. In contrast, 3-PGA enhances the DPG synthase activity in a dose-dependent manner. In intact red cells, one-half of the cellular DPG content is depleted after 6 hr at 37 degrees C in glucose-free medium. The rate of 2,3-DPG degradation is accelerated when the cellular level of phosphoglycolate is increased by incubation with exogenous glycolate. Together, these results indicate that 2,3-DPG content in erythrocytes can be directly regulated through modulation of phosphatase/synthase activities. In support of this notion, a pyruvate kinase inhibitor, L-alanine, increases by 2-fold the cellular 3-PGA level. This is accompanied by a significant increase (30%) in 2,3-DPG content in human red blood cells. It is postulated that the DPG-promoting action of 3-PGA is mediated through simultaneous phosphatase inhibition and synthase activation. Furthermore, as a result of increased DPG accumulation, the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve in L-alanine-treated cells is rightward shifted by 2.5 torr.