ACTIVITIES OF CARBOHYDRATE AND AMINO-ACID METABOLIZING ENZYMES FROM LIVER OF MINK (MUSTELA-VISON) AND PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS ON STEADY-STATE KINETICS OF THE ENZYMES

The activity and some kinetic parameters of the key enzymes of the gly colysis, the gluconeogenesis and the amino acid catabolism from the li ver of male and female mink have been determined and compared to the c orresponding activities from rat and cat. The activities of glucose-6- phosphatase and pyruvate kinase are dependent on sex, both being highe r in females, Except for pyruvate carboxylase the glycolytic and the g luconeogenic enzyme activities of the mink are higher than those of ra t acid cat; especially the activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxyki nase and glucose-6-phosphatase are markedly higher, The activities of glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase are sm aller than the corresponding activities of rat but higher than those o f cat. The results suggest that mink has a high capacity for gluconeog enesis compared to rat.