Generation of catalytically active 6‐phosphofructokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a cell‐free system

PFK1 and PFK2 coding for the subunits of 6-phosphofructokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were cloned into plasmids suitable for runoff transcription. In vitro translation products of both kinds of subunit were obtained using rabbit reticulocyte lysate as the synthesis and folding system. They were monitored by chemiluminescent Western-blot analysis. Folding and assembly of the α-subunit and β-subunit of 6-phosphofructokinase were found to occur in the cell-free system resulting in an enzymatically active protein. The in vitro generated enzyme exhibits a folding state that is similar to that of the heterooctameric form of 6-phosphofructokinase in the presence of fructose 6-phosphate, ATP and ammonium sulfate, as demonstrated by size-exclusion HPLC followed by ELISA.