Effects of di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate on rat liver microsomal and lysosomal beta-glucuronidase

N-Bromosuccinimide completely inactivated the cellulase, and titration experiments showed that oxidation of one tryptophan residue per cellulase molecule coincided with 100% inactivation. CM-cellulose protected the enzyme from inactivation by N-bromosuccinimide. The cellulase was inhibited by active benzyl halides, and reaction with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide resulted in the incorporation of 2.3 hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl groups per enzyme molecule; one tryptophan residue was shown to be essential for activity. Diazocarbonyl compounds in the presence of Cu2+ ions inhibited the enzyme. The pH-dependence of inactivation was consistent with the reaction occurring with a protonated carboxyl group. Carbodi-imide inhibited the cellulase, and kinetic analysis indicated that there was an average of 1 mol of carbodi-imide binding to the cellulase during inactivation. Treatment of the cellulase with diethyl pyrocarbonate resulted in the modification of two out of the four histidine residues present in the cellulase. The modified enzyme retained 40% of its original activity. Inhibition of cellulase activity by the metal ions Ag+ and Hg2+ was ascribed to interaction with tryptophan residues, rather than with thiol groups.     

Chemical modification of dipeptidyl peptidase iv: involvement of an essential tryptophan residue at the substrate binding site

Inactivation of pig kidney dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5) by photosensitization in the presence of methylene blue at pH 7.5 was observed to have pseudo-first-order kinetics. During the process, until over 95% inactivation was achieved, the histidine and tryptophan residues were decreased from 14.0 to 2.7 and 12.6 to 7.1, respectively, per 94,000-Da subunit, without any detectable changes in other photosensitive amino acids. Modification of four histidine residues per subunit using diethylpyrocarbonate resulted in only 30% inactivation of the enzyme, while N-bromosuccinimide almost completely inactivated the enzyme with the modification of only one tryptophan residue per subunit, as determined by absorption spectrophotometry at 280 nm. The protective action of the substrate and inhibitors such as Ala-Pro-Ala and Pro-Pro against the modification of tryptophan residues with N-bromosuccinimide was observed both fluorometrically and by measurement of activity. On the basis of these results it is suggested that one of the tryptophan residues in the enzyme subunit is essential for the functioning of the substrate binding site of pig kidney dipeptidyl peptidase IV.     

Chemical modification of tryptophan residues in Escherichia coli succinyl-CoA synthetase. Effect on structure and enzyme activity

Succinyl-CoA synthetase of Escherichia coli is an alpha 2 beta 2 protein containing active sites at the interfaces between alpha- and beta-subunits. The alpha-subunit contains a histidine residue that is phosphorylated during the reaction. The beta-subunit binds coenzyme A and probably succinate [see Nishimura, J. S. (1986) Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas Mol. Biol. 58, 141-172]. Chemical modification studies have been conducted in order to more clearly define functions of each subunit. Tryptophan residues of the enzyme were modified by treatment with N-bromosuccinimide at pH 7. There was a linear relationship between loss of enzyme activity and tryptophan modified. At one tryptophan residue modified per beta-subunit, 100% of the enzyme activity was lost. In this enzyme sample, one methionine residue in each alpha- and beta-subunit was oxidized to methionine sulfoxide, although loss of enzyme activity could not be related in a linear manner to the formation of this residue. Subunits were prepared from enzyme that was inactivated 50% by N-bromosuccinimide with 0.5 tryptophan modified per beta-subunit but with insignificant modification of methionine residues in either subunit. Small decreases in the tyrosine and histidine content were observed in the alpha-subunit but not in the beta-subunit. In this case, modified beta-subunit when mixed with unmodified alpha-subunit gave a population of molecules that was 50% as active as the refolded, unmodified control but was only slightly changed with respect to phosphorylation capacity and unchanged with respect to rate of phosphorylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chemical modification of the bifunctional human serum pseudocholinesterase. Effect on the pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase activities

The effect of chemical modification on the pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase activities of purified human serum pseudocholinesterase was examined in the absence and presence of butyrylcholine iodide, the substrate of pseudocholinesterase. Modification by 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, N-bromosuccinimide, diethylpyrocarbonate and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid caused a parallel inactivation of both pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase activities that could be prevented by butyrylcholine iodide. With phenylglyoxal and 2,4-pentanedione as modifiers there was a selective activation of pseudocholinesterase alone with no effect on aryl acylamidase. This activation could be prevented by butyrylcholine iodide. N-Ethylmaleimide and p-hydroxy-mercuribenzoate when used for modification did not have any effect on the enzyme activities. The results suggested essential tryptophan, lysine and histidine residues at a common catalytic site for pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase and an arginine residue (or residues) exclusively for pseudocholinesterase. The use of N-acetylimidazole, tetranitromethane and acetic anhydride as modifiers indicated a biphasic change in both pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase activities. At low concentrations of the modifiers a stimulation in activities and at high concentrations an inactivation was observed. Butyrylcholine iodide or propionylcholine chloride selectively protected the inactivation phase without affecting the activation phase. Protection by the substrates at the inactivation phase resulted in not only a reversal of the enzyme inactivation but also an activation. Spectral studies and hydroxylamine treatment showed that tyrosine residues were modified during the activation phase. The results suggested that the modified tyrosine residues responsible for the activation were not involved in the active site of pseudocholinesterase or aryl acylamidase and that they were more amenable for modification in comparison to the residues responsible for inactivation. Two reversible inhibitors of pseudocholinesterase, namely ethopropazine and imipramine, were used as protectors during modification. Unlike the substrate butyrylcholine iodide, these inhibitors could not protect against the inactivation resulting from modification by 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, N-bromosuccinimide and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. But they could protect against the activation of pseudocholinesterase and aryl acylamidase by low concentrations of N-acetylimidazole and acetic anhydride thereby suggesting that the binding site of these inhibitors involves the non-active-site tyrosine residues.     

Effect of N-bromosuccinimide modification on dihydrofolate reductase from a methotrexate-resistant strain of Escherichia coli. Activity, spectrophotometric, fluorescence and circular dichroism studies.

When dihydrofolate reductase from a methotrexate-resistant strain of Escherichia coli B, MB 1428, is treated with approximately a 5 mol ratio of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) to enzyme at pH 7.2 and assayed at the same pH, there is a 40% loss of activity due to the modification of 1 histidine residue and possibly 1 methionine residue before oxidation of tryptophan occurs. The initial modification is accompanied by a shift of the pH for maximal enzymatic activity from pH 7.2 to pH 5.5 Upon further treatment with N-bromosuccinimide, the activity is gradually reduced from 60 to 0% as tryptophan residues become oxidized. An NBS to enzyme mole ratio of approximately 20 results in 90% inactivation of the enzyme. When the enzyme is titrated with NBS in 6 M guanidine HCl, 5 mol of tryptophan react per mol of enzyme, a result in agreement with the total tryptophan content as determined by magnetic circular dichroism. The 40% NBS-inactivated sample posses full binding capacity for methotrexate and reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide, and the Km values for dihydrofolate and TPNH are the same as for the native enzyme. After 90% inactivation, only half of the enzyme molecules bind methotrexate, and the dissociation constant for methotrexate is 40 nM as compared to 4 nM for native enzyme in solutions of 0.1 M ionic strength, pH 7.2 Also, TPNH is not bound as tightly to the modified enzyme-methotrexate complex as to the unmodified enzyme-methotrexate complex. Circular dichroism studies indicate the 90% NBS-inactivated enzyme has the same alpha helix content as the native enzyme but less beta structure, while the 40% inactivated enzyme is essentially the same as the native enzyme. Protection experiments were complicated by the fact that NBS reacts with the substrates and cofactors of the enzyme. Although protection of specific residues was not determined, it was clear that TPNH was partially protected from NBS reaction when bound to the enzyme, and the enzyme, and the enzyme was not inactivated by NBS until the TPNH had reacted.     

Chemical modification studies on Abrus agglutinin. Involvement of tryptophan residues in sugar binding.

The galactose-binding lectin from the seeds of the jequirity plant (Abrus precatorius) was subjected to various chemical modifications in order to detect the amino acid residues involved in its binding activity. Modification of lysine, tyrosine, arginine, histidine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid residues did not affect the carbohydrate-binding activity of the agglutinin. However, modification of tryptophan residues carried out in native and denaturing conditions with N-bromosuccinimide and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide led to a complete loss of its carbohydrate-binding activity. Under denaturing conditions 30 tryptophan residues/molecule were modified by both reagents, whereas only 16 and 18 residues/molecule were available for modification by N-bromosuccinimide and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide respectively under native conditions. The relative loss in haemagglutinating activity after the modification of tryptophan residues indicates that two residues/molecule are required for the carbohydrate-binding activity of the agglutinin. A partial protection was observed in the presence of saturating concentrations of lactose (0.15 M). The decrease in fluorescence intensity of Abrus agglutinin on modification of tryptophan residues is linear in the absence of lactose and shows a biphasic pattern in the presence of lactose, indicating that tryptophan residues go from a similar to a different molecular environment on saccharide binding. The secondary structure of the protein remains practically unchanged upon modification of tryptophan residues, as indicated by c.d. and immunodiffusion studies, confirming that the loss in activity is due to modification only.     

The modification of tryptophan in bovine thrombin.

2-Hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, at a 100-fold molar excess, was observed to react withthrombin at pH 4.0 to give a modified enzyme which possessed 20% of the fibrinogen clotting activity and 80% of the esterase activity compared to a control preparation. Spectrophotometric analysis of the modified protein indicated that this effect on catalytic activity was associated with the incorporation of 1 mol of reagent per mol of thrombin. Amino acid analysis showed no loss of amino acids other than tryptophan. The reaction of N-bromosuccinimide with thrombin at 2-fold molar excess resulted in the modification of one tryptophan per mol of enzyme with the loss of 80% of the fibrinogen clotting activity with, as above, a considerably smaller loss of esterase activity. Oxidation of thrombin with N-bromosuccinimide decreased the extent of subsequent tryptophan modification with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide. Thrombin modified with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide showed a 3-4 fold increase in Km and a decrease in V for the ester substrate. The reaction of thrombin with 2-acetoxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, a substrate analogue, also resulted in the inactivation of the enzyme. The data are interpreted to show the presence of a tryptophan residue at or near the enzyme's substrate binding site.     

Chemical modification of histidine, tyrosine, tryptophan and cysteine residues in carp (Cyprinus carpio) muscle enolase

Enolase from carp (Cyprinus Carpio) muscle was modified by diethylpyrocarbonate, tetranitromethane, N-bromosuccinimide and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The extent and rate of modification and its effect on the enzyme activity were determined. Modification of histidine, tyrosine and tryptophan residues caused complete inactivation of the enzyme; Mg2+ as well as 2-phosphoglycerate markedly altered the rates of modification and inactivation. The above-mentioned amino acid residues seem to be essential for the functioning of muscle enolases. Modification of cysteine residues had no effect on the enolase activity.     

Identification of amino acid residues essential for enzyme activity of sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase.

Sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase was subjected to specific chemical modification with phenylglyoxal, diethyl pyrocarbonate and N-bromosuccinimide. The second-order rate constants for inactivation were calculated to be 54 M-1 X min-1, 103 M-1 X min-1 and 154 M-1 X min-1 respectively. This inactivation could be prevented by incubation with substrates or products, suggesting that the residues modified, namely arginine, histidine and tryptophan, are essential for enzyme activity.     

Enzyme catalysed non-oxidative decarboxylation of aromatic acids. II. Identification of active site residues of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid decarboxylase from Aspergillus niger

In order to understand the mechanism of decarboxylation by 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid decarboxylase, chemical modification studies were carried out. Specific modification of the amino acid residues with diethylpyrocarbonate, N-bromosuccinimide and N-ethylmaleiimide revealed that at least one residue each of histidine, tryptophan and cysteine were essential for the activity. Various substrate analogs which were potential inhibitors significantly protected the enzyme against inactivation. The modification of residues at low concentration of the reagents and the protection experiments suggested that these amino acid residues might be present at the active site. Studies also suggested that the carboxyl and ortho-hydroxyl groups of the substrate are essential for interaction with the enzyme.     

The chemical modification of tryptophan residues of alpha-mannosidase from Phaseolus vulgaris.

Reaction of alpha-mannosidase (alpha-D-mannoside mannohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.24) from Phaseolus vulgaris with N-bromosuccinimide or 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide- resulted in loss of enzyme activity. Spectral absorption and fluorescence studies, as well as amino acid analysis, suggested that only tryptophan residues had been modified. No change in conformation could be detected by density gradient ultracentrifugation or circular dichroism of alpha-mannosidase modified by N-bromosuccinimide to virtually zero enzyme activity. The inhibition was partly offset by the substrate analogue alpha-methyl-D-mannoside and the competitive inhibitor mannono-1,4-lactone. Concomitantly, two tryptophan residues fewer were oxidized per molecule. After modification V was reduced, while Km seemed unchanged. Further, there was found evidence for the enzyme having a secondary structure dominated by beta-pleated sheets.     

Chemical modification of tryptophan residues of leucyl tRNA synthetase by N-bromosuccinimide and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide

The structural accessibility of tryptophan residues in leucyl-tRNA synthetase from cow mammary gland has been studied using chemical modifications by N-bromosuccinimide and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide. The modifications were monitored by UV absorbance and intrinsic fluorescence of the enzyme's tryptophan residues. Under native conditions, at pH 7,8, only two exposed tryptophan residues are modified in each subunit of the dimeric enzyme. Under denaturing conditions, in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride solution, internal tryptophan residues are also modified as a consequence of unfolding of the native tertiary structure of the enzyme. Modifications of tryptophan residues resulted in inactivation of leucyl-tRNA synthetase both in aminoacylation and ATP-PPi exchange reactions. In the specific complex of leucyl-tRNA synthetase with the cognate tRNALeu one of exposed tryptophan residues is protected by tRNALeu and is not modified by the above reagents.     

Oxidative modification of glutamine synthetase by 2,2'-azobis(2- amidinopropane) dihydrochloride

In the present study, we examined the pattern of protein modification elicited by alkylperoxyl radicals and alkylperoxides. To this end, we exposed glutamine synthetase (GS) and the peptide melittin to solutions containing 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH), which is known to decompose in aqueous, aerobic solutions to yield alkyl radicals and alkylperoxides. Under our conditions, pH 7.4, 37 degrees C, the AAPH-dependent formation of alkylhydroperoxide increased linearly with time and led to 40% inactivation of GS in 1 h and to complete inactivation in 4 h. Complete inactivation was associated with the loss of 2 of 16 histidine residues, 6 of 17 tyrosine residues, 5 of 16 methionine residues, and all of the tryptophan residues (2 residues) per subunit. Inactivation of GS was associated also with some protein fragmentation and the formation of some higher molecular weight aggregates. Exposure of GS to AAPH led also to the generation of protein carbonyl derivatives (0.34 mol/mol subunit) and to formation of a significant amount (0.038 mol/mol subunits) of quinoprotein derivatives. To investigate the mechanism of tryptophan modification, the 26-amino-acid peptide, melittin, which contains one tryptophan but no histidine, tyrosine, or methionine residues, was treated with AAPH. N-Formylkynurenine was identified as the major product of tryptophan oxidation in melittin.     

Reactivity of 3-HBA-6-hydroxylase with diethylpyrocarbonate and N-bromosuccinimide: effect of chemical modifications on kinetic and spectral properties of the enzyme

The rapid inactivation of 3-HBA-6-hydroxylase by 100 microM diethylpyrocarbonate or 40 microM N-bromosuccinimide and protection offered by the substrate, 3-hydroxybenzoate, against these chemical modifications implicate the involvement of histidine and tryptophan in the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Inactivation of the enzyme by diethylpyrocarbonate followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and an "n" value of 1.3 was obtained. Inactivation of the enzyme by N-bromosuccinimide was instantaneous and failed to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. Distinct and incremental changes in the UV absorption, emission fluorescence, and near UV-CD spectra of the enzyme upon its titration with increasing concentrations of diethylpyrocarbonate or N-bromosuccinimide may be ascribed to modification and/or changes in the microenvironment of aromatic amino acid residue(s) such as tryptophan in the enzyme.     

The role of cysteinyl residues in the phosphorylase kinase activity as revealed by iodacetamide modification

In native nonactivated phosphorylase kinase [14C] iodacetamide interacts with 50 cysteinyl residues per enzyme molecule (alpha beta gamma delta)4. According to their reactivity towards iodacetamide these residues can be classified into 3 groups. The most reactive cysteinyl residues are involved in the enzyme activation caused by modification of SH-groups. The enzyme inhibition is biphasic. The fast and slow inactivation reactions follow the pseudo-first order kinetics. The rate of inactivation is increased by Ca2+. Mg-ATP effectively protects the enzyme against the inactivation and chemical modification of three SH-groups per protomer (apha beta gamma delta). The kinetics of inactivation and of the [14C] iodacetamide label incorporation demonstrate that two cysteinyl residues per enzyme protomer (alpha beta gamma delta) are essential for the enzyme activity. These residues are located near the ATP-binding site of the beta and gamma subunits of phosphorylase kinase.     

Acetyl-coenzyme A:alpha-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase. Evidence for an active site histidine residue

The lysosomal membrane enzyme acetyl-CoA:alpha-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of the acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to terminal alpha-linked glucosamine residues of heparan sulfate. The reaction appears to be a transmembrane process: the enzyme is acetylated on the outside of the lysosome, and the acetyl group is transferred across the membrane to the inside of the lysosome where it is used to acetylate glucosamine. To determine the reactive site residues involved in the acetylation reaction, lysosomal membranes were treated with various amino acid modification reagents and assayed for enzyme activity. Although four thiol modification reagents were examined, only one, p-chloromercuribenzoate inactivated the N-acetyltransferase. Thiol modification by p-chloromercuribenzoate did not appear to occur at the active site since inactivation was still observed in the presence of the substrate acetyl-CoA. N-Acetyltransferase could be inactivated by N-bromosuccinimide, even after pretreatment with reagents specific for tyrosine and tryptophan, suggesting that the modified residue is a histidine. Diethyl pyrocarbonate, another histidine modification reagent, could also inactivate the enzyme; this inactivation could be reversed by incubation with hydroxylamine. N-Bromosuccinimide and diethyl pyrocarbonate modifications appear to be at the active site of the enzyme since co-incubation with acetyl-CoA protects the N-acetyltransferase from inactivation. This protection is lost if glucosamine is also present. Pre-acetylated lysosomal membranes are also able to provide protection from N-bromosuccinimide inactivation, providing further evidence for a histidine moiety at the active site and for the existence of an acetyl-enzyme intermediate.     

Purification and active site modification studies on glyoxalase I from monkey intestinal mucosa

Glyoxalase I ((R)-S-lactoylglutathione methylglyoxal-lyase (isomerizing), EC 4.4.1.5) from monkey intestinal mucosa was purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme had a molecular weight of 48,000, composed of two apparently identical subunits. Active-site modification was carried out on the purified enzyme in presence and absence of S-hexylglutathione, a reversible competitive inhibitor of glyoxalase I. Modification by tetranitromethane and N-acetylimidazole caused inactivation of the enzyme. Inactivation by N-acetylimidazole was reversible with hydroxylamine treatment, suggesting the importance of tyrosine residues for the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme was inactivated by 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, N-bromosuccinimide, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid, pyridoxal phosphate and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide, indicating the importance of tryptophan, lysine and glutamic acid/aspartic acid residues for the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme was inactivated by diethyl pyrocarbonate and the activity was not restored by hydroxylamine treatment, suggesting that histidine residues may not be important for activity. Modification by N-ethylmaleimide and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate did not affect its activity, indicating that sulphydryl groups may not be important for activity. These studies indicated that the amino acids present in the active site of glyoxalase I from intestinal mucosa which may be important for activity are tyrosine, tryptophan, lysine and glutamic acid/aspartic acid residues.     

Chemical modification studies of Rhizomucor miehei protease: evidence for the role of basic amino acids in enzyme catalysis.

The effect of chemical modification on milk clotting and proteolytic activities of aspartyl protease obtained from Rhizomucor miehei NRRL 3500 was examined in the absence and the presence of its specific inhibitor pepstatin A. The effect on the ratio of milk clotting activity (MC) to proteolytic activity (PA), an index of the quality of milk clotting proteases was also determined. Modification of the enzyme with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, diethylpyrocarbonate and phenylglyoxal produced an increase in the ratio of MC/PA, while modification with 2- hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide did not affect the ratio. Modification with N-acetylimidazole resulted in a marginal increase in MC/PA ratio. Protection using pepstatin A during modification with phenylglyoxal, N-acetylimidazole and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, protected both MC and PA. In the case of modification by diethylpyrocarbonate, pepstatin A protected only MC. Pepstatin A did not protect both the activities on the modification of the enzyme by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. These observations indicate the presence of arginine, tyrosine and tryptophan at the catalytic site of the enzyme, for eliciting MC and PA of the enzyme. In general, modification of the positively charged residues increases the MC/PA ratio of the enzyme. In addition the modified lysine residues responsible for the inactivation of the enzyme were not involved in the active site of the enzyme. Thus the lysine residues might have a secondary role in enzyme catalysis. Further, histidine at the catalytic site was found to be exclusively involved in milk clotting activity. The enzyme with modified histidine residues were more susceptible to autocatalysis, indicating that histidine residues protect the enzyme against autolysis.     

Chemical modification of rat liver arginase

Chemical modifications were used to search for catalytically important residues of rat liver arginase. The results of carbamoylation, nitration and diazotization suggest that lysyl and tyrosyl residues are not involved in the catalytic function of arginase. The modification of 5--6 tryptophanyl residues by N-bromosuccinimide or 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide led to about 90% inhibition of the enzyme activity. Photooxidation of 21 histydyl residues also led to considerable inactivation of arginase. The modification of tryptophanyl and histidyl residues did not cause dissociation of the enzyme into subunits.     

Modification of lactate oxidase with diethyl pyrocarbonate. Evidence for an active-site histidine residue

1. Diethyl pyrocarbonate inactivated l-lactate oxidase from Mycobacterium smegmatis. 2. Two histidine residues underwent ethoxycarbonylation when the enzyme was treated with sufficient reagent to abolish more than 90% of the enzyme activity, but analyses of the inactivation showed that the modification of one histidine residue was sufficient to cause the loss of enzyme activity. The rates of enzyme inactivation and histidine modification were the same. 3. Substrate and competitive inhibitors decreased the maximum extent of inactivation to a 50% loss of enzyme activity and modification was decreased from 1.9 to 0.75–1.2 histidine residues modified/molecule of FMN. 4. Treatment of the enzyme with diethyl [¹⁴C]pyrocarbonate (labelled in the carbonyl groups) confirmed that only histidine residues were modified under the conditions used and that deacylation of the ethoxycarbonylhistidine residues by hydroxylamine was concomitant with the removal of the ¹⁴C label and the re-activation of the enzyme. 5. No evidence was found for modification of tryptophan, tyrosine or cysteine residues, and no difference was detected between the conformation and subunit structure of the modified and native enzyme. 6. Modification of the enzyme with diethyl pyrocarbonate did not alter the following properties: the binding of competitive inhibitors, bisulphite and substrate or the chemical reduction of the flavin group to the semiquinone or fully reduced states. The normal reduction of the flavin by lactate was, however, abolished.