PROPERTIES OF FARNESOL PHOSPHOKINASE OF BOTRYOCOCCUS-BRAUNII

A 100 000 g pellet fraction of a strain of Botryococcus braunii B race had the capability of phosphorylating farnesol in the presence of CTP to give its mono- and diphosphate esters, but the same fraction did n ot phosphorylate other isoprenoid alcohols, including geraniol, gerany lgeraniol, Z,E-polyprenols and dolichols. Exogenously added farnesyl m onophosphate was not phosphorylated by this fraction. The K-m values i n the formation of farnesyl monophosphate were 0.5 mu M and 0.2 mM for farnesol and CTP, respectively. Iodoacetamide strongly inhibited the formation of farnesyl diphosphate, but had no effect on that of farnes yl monophosphate.