ENZYMES RELATED TO CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN UREDOSPORES OF WHEAT STEM RUST

Abstract

Cell-free extracts of uredospores of wheat stem rust contained enzymes that with the addition of triphosphopyridine nucleotide can oxidize mannose-6-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, and glucose-6-phosphate, to pentose-5-phosphates, and the latter are converted to sedoheptuIose-7-phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate through the transketolase reaction. Diphosphopyridine nucleotide linked α-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase, triose isomerase, and aldolase activities were also detected. However, transaldolase activity was not found in the spore preparation. These findings support the idea that the glucose-6-phosphate oxidation pathway is actively involved in the carbohydrate metabolism of rust fungi.