Human tissues and cells express three AMP deaminase (AMPD) isoforms containing divergent N-terminal domains, and each member of the multigene family encoding these enzymes produces alternative transcripts that confer additional N-terminal divergence through extensions and cassette-type substitutions. Available data suggest that divergent N-terminal domains can influence AMPD isoform behavior, but the functional significance for additional divergence within each enzyme is unknown. Three isoform L (AMPD2) variants, 1A/2, 1B/2, and 1B/3, contain N-terminal extensions of 47, 128, and 53 amino acids, respectively. This study has determined the kinetic and regulatory behaviors of these three isoform L enzymes in the presence of positive (ATP) and negative (phosphate) allosteric effectors. All display nearly identical kinetic parameters and regulatory responses in the presence of phosphate alone, or in combination with ATP. Regulation by ATP is biphasic and the three isoform L enzymes also exhibit similar activation profiles and maximum initial velocities at 2-3 mM in the presence of 1 mM phosphate, whereas higher concentrations of phosphate suppress this activation. However, maximum initial velocities are achieved at lower ATP concentrations (0.8-1.5 mM) in the absence of phosphate and under these conditions 1B/2 is less active, 1B/3 is more active, and 1A/2 is similarly active when compared to 1 mM phosphate over the range of ATP concentrations found in non-muscle cells (0.8-3.7mM). These combined results suggest that isoform L enzymes are designed to function under different metabolic conditions encountered in the non-striated muscle environments where they are expressed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.