BISTABILITY AND DAMPED OSCILLATIONS IN THE FRUCTOSE 6-PHOSPHATE FRUCTOSE-1,6-BISPHOSPHATE CYCLE IN CELL-FREE-EXTRACTS FROM RAT-LIVER

The dynamics of the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate sub strate cycle was investigated in cell-free extracts from rat liver. Un der conditions of continuous substrate supply different types of stati onary states and damped oscillations were observed experimentally and found to be in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. Cha nging the adenylate energy charge of the substrate supply, bistability was shown to be related to irreversible transitions between functiona lly different branches of stable stationary states.