Molecular and catalytic properties of a butyrylesterase from human red cells and brain

A butyrylesterase from human red cells was prepared to homogeneity using DEAE-cellulose, Ultrogel ACA-34, DEAE-Sephacel, and precipitation with 1.5 M (NH4)2SO4. The yield was 25-35% relative to the enzyme activity of the hemolysate. Because of its preference for butyric acid esters the enzyme was designated a butyrylesterase. With alpha-naphthyl butyrate the Km was 7.6 microM and the kcat, 48 s-1. The molecular weight was 340,000 and the subunit weight 85,000, indicating a tetrameric structure. The isoelectric pH was 4.0. The enzyme preparation did not contain cystine. Sialic acid or other carbohydrate components could not be detected. The enzyme was irreversibly inhibited by organophosphate esters and the second-order rate constant was 192 M-1 s-1 for diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate. For the brain enzyme the constant was 206 M-1 s-1. The enzyme was irreversibly inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, indicating that the enzyme is a sulfhydryl-dependent serine esterase. The enzyme was identical to the butyrylesterase from human brain, and the two enzymes were immunochemically identical. An amino acid ester has been shown to be split at a higher rate than butyric acid esters; however, the specificity constant (kcat/Km) was lower for the amino acid ester than for the butyric acid ester. The enzyme did not exhibit amidase activity.     

Degradation of veratraldehyde by Alcaligenes paradoxus

Abstract The degradation of veratraldehyde by Alcaligenes paradoxus was studied. Three products, veratric acid, vanillic acid and a minor amount of veratryl alcohol, were identified. The effect of various metabolic inhibitors on the uptake of veratraldehyde, veratric and vanillic acid showed the uptake process to be energy-dependent. The NAD⁺-dependent enzyme responsible for the conversion of veratraldehyde to veratric acid has been separated from veratryl alcohol-oxidizing enzyme.     

Purification of prostaglandin H synthetase and a fluorometric assay for its activity

Prostaglandin H synthetase (PGH synthetase) has been purified to homogeneity from sheep vesicular glands. The pure enzyme has a specific activity of about 40 microM of arachidonic acid consumed per minute per milligram of protein, which corresponds to a turnover number of 2800 min-1 per subunit. The purified enzyme was obtained by one-stage chromatography on DEAE-Toyopearl 650 from Tween 20-solubilized microsomes. A sensitive fluorometric assay for PGH synthetase activity using homovanillic acid (HVA) as electron donor has been proposed. It has been shown that homovanillic acid may be used as the electron donor and that in the presence of HVA the enzyme has an activity of approximately 40 microM/min/mg.     

Subcellular localization of hexadecanedioic acid activation in human liver

The activation of hexadecanedioic acid has been studied in subcellular fractions of human liver. The activation capacity in a total homogenate of human liver was found to be 0.5 micro mole/min/g wet wt of tissue, about 10% of that for palmitic acid. Hexadecanedioic acid was activated by the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. The mitochondrial enzyme is probably localized outside the inner mitochondrial compartment. The subcellular distribution of the hexadecanedioic acid activation was almost identical with the distribution of palmitic acid activation. Hexadecanedioic and palmitic acids seemed to compete for the same enzyme.     

A new D-stereospecific amino acid amidase from Ochrobactrum anthropi

A new D-stereospecific amino acid amidase has been partially purified from Ochrobactrum anthropi SCRC SV3, which had been isolated and selected from soil. The Mr of the enzyme was estimated to be about 38,000, and its isoelectric point was 5.3. The enzyme catalyzes the stereospecific hydrolysis of D-amino acid amide to yield D-amino acid and ammonia. The major substrates included D-phenylalanine amide, D-tyrosine amide, D-tryptophan amide, D-leucine amide, and D-alanine amide.     

(Na~++K~+)—ATP酶与磷脂膜的相互作用

本文研究了不同磷脂对兔肾外髓质(Na~++K~+)-ATP酶活性的影响、结果表明,DOPC、PG重组活性最高,用DMPC重组导致酶失活,酸性磷脂有利于维持该酶活性.DSC及自旋标记ESR实验结果示出(Na~++K~+)-ATP酶有选择地与酸性磷脂相互作用.     

Purification and properties of beta-alanine aminotransferase from rabbit liver

beta-Alanine aminotransferase from rabbit liver has been purified 1,700-fold over the initial liver extract. The purified enzyme was shown to be homogeneous by disc electrophoresis and SDS polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme determined by gel filtration was 95,000 +/- 5,700 and the subunit molecular weight was 48,000 +/- 2,100. The enzyme showed absorption maxima at 282, 330, and 414 nm and contained only 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate/mol of dimer. The pH optimum for enzyme activity was 8.8 and the Km values for beta-alanine and 2-oxoglutaric acid were calculated to be 3.9 and 1.4 mM, respectively. The enzyme catalyzed transamination of various omega-amino acids with 2-oxoglutaric acid, which was a favourable amino acceptor. beta-Alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and beta-aminoisobutyric acid, which are naturally occurring substrates, were preferred amino donors, but taurine, alanine, ornithine, spermine, and spermidine were not. 6-Azauracil inhibited the enzyme activity with a Ki of approximately 1.5 mM. From the above properties, beta-alanine aminotransferase from rabbit liver was seen to closely resemble with 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase from liver and brain.     

The inhibition of staphylococcal beta-lactamase by clavulanic acid.

Clavulanic acid inhibited both the extracellular and cell-extract beta-lactamases of the four Staphylococcus aureus strains tested. The inhibition of S. aureus Russell cell-extract enzyme appeared to be active-site-directed and proceeded in a first-order fashion consistent with the formation of a covalent intermediate. Inhibited enzyme free of excess clavulanic acid was shown to regenerate enzyme activity slowly at pH 7.0, but the rate of reactivation increased at acid pH. When the enzyme was incubated with excess clavulanic acid complete inhibition was rapidly obtained, during further incubation clavulanic acid was shown to disappear slowly and complete loss of clavulanic acid from the reaction mixture coincided with the onset of the return of enzyme activity. A reactive enamine resulting from enzymic hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring of clavulanic acid has been proposed as a possible intermediate in the inhibitory mechanism.     

Oxidation of lactaldehyde by cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase and inhibition of cytosolic and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase by metabolites

An enzyme fraction which oxidizes lactaldehyde to lactic acid has been purified from goat liver. This enzyme was found to be identical with the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase. Lactaldehyde was found to be primarily oxidized by this enzyme. Almost 90% of the total lactaldehyde-oxidizing activity is located in the cytosol. Methylglyoxal and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate were found to be strong competitive inhibitors of this enzyme. Aldehyde dehydrogenase from goat liver mitochondria has also been partially purified and found to be strongly inhibited by these metabolites. The inhibitory effects of these metabolites on both these enzymes are highly pH dependent. The inhibitory effects of both the metabolites have been found to be stronger for the cytosolic enzyme at pH values higher than the physiological pH. For the mitochondrial enzyme, the inhibition with methylglyoxal was more pronounced at higher pH values, whereas stronger inhibition was observed with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate at physiological pH.     

Efficient expression and purification of recombinant glutaminase from Bacillus licheniformis (GlsA) in Escherichia coli

Glutaminase or L-glutamine aminohydrolase (EC 3.5.1.2) is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of glutamic acid and ammonium ion from glutamine. This enzyme functions in cellular metabolism of every organism by supplying nitrogen required for the biosynthesis of a variety of metabolic intermediates, while glutamic acid plays a role in both sensory and nutritional properties of food. So far there have been only a few reports on cloning, expression and characterization of purified glutaminases. Microbial glutaminases are enzymes with emerging potential in both the food and the pharmaceutical industries. In this research a recombinant glutaminase from Bacillus licheniformis (GlsA) was expressed in Escherichia coli, under the control of a ptac promoter. The recombinant enzyme was tagged with decahistidine tag at its C-terminus and could be conveniently purified by one-step immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme could be induced for efficient expression with IPTG, yielding approximately 26,000 units from 1-l shake flask cultures. The enzyme was stable at 30°C and pH 7.5 for up to 6h, and could be used efficiently to increase glutamic acid content when protein hydrolysates from soy and anchovy were used as substrates. The study demonstrates an efficient expression system for the production and purification of bacterial glutaminase. In addition, its potential application for bioconversion of glutamine to flavor-enhancing glutamic acid has been demonstrated.