A polymorphic variant of human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase I with a widespread distribution in Australian aborigines,CAIAustralia-9 (8 Asp → Gly): Purification,properties, amino acid substitution,and possible physiological significance of the variant enzyme

Carbonic anhydrase I (EC 4.2.1.1) purified from the pooled packed red blood cells of 100 individuals typed as heterozygous for the common Australian Aboriginal carbonic anhydrase I variant CAI Australia-9 had a slightly higher specific CO2 hydratase or esterase (toward p-nitrophenyl acetate) activity than the normal component and a higher Km and Vmax using the esterase substrate. The variant enzyme was slightly more resistant to heat inactivation. The extent of inhibition of both enzymes by the specific inhibitor acetazolamide was identical, as was their immunological behavior and the lability of the active-site zinc ion. The variant enzyme was more resistant to chloride inhibition. The physiological importance of this observation is discussed in the context of a proposed adaptive advantage of the variant gene in the arid western and central regions of Australia. The amino acid substitution in the Aboriginal variant of a glycine for an aspartic acid residue has been located at residue 8 from the N terminus (i.e., 8 Asp leads to Gly), by proteolytic and partial acid hydrolyses. The possible effects of this substitution on the structure and function of the molecule are discussed.     

The purification and properties of carbonic anhydrases from guinea-pig erythrocytes and the mucosae of the gastrointestinal tract

Procedures for isolating carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) enzymes from the erythrocytes and the mucosae of the gastrointestinal tract of guinea pigs are described. From a haemolysate, haemoglobin was removed by the addition of ammonium sulphate, and also by two other methods, namely by gel filtration or by adsorption on DEAE-Sephadex. The crude enzyme thus obtained was resolved into the different isoenzymes by chromatography with DEAE-cellulose. From particle-free supernatants of homogenates of some gastrointestinal tissues, carbonic anhydrases were purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography with DEAE-cellulose. The major isoenzymes from blood, stomach, proximal colonic mucosa and caecal mucosa were homogeneous during ion-exchange chromatography, acrylamide-gel electrophoresis, and centrifugal examination. From these tissues, carbonic anhydrase was isolated as two major isoenzymes. They resemble the pairs of isoenzymes discovered in the bloods of other species. The carbon dioxide hydratase activity of one isoenzyme (;high activity' carbonic anhydrase) was 40 times that of the other isoenzyme (;low activity' carbonic anhydrase), as measured at a single substrate concentration. Two other minor components of the enzyme are also found in guinea-pig erythrocytes. All of the enzymes isolated had molecular weights of nearly 30000 (sedimentation equilibrium). ;High activity' carbonic anhydrases from blood and gastrointestinal tissues were indistinguishable according to some chemical, physical and kinetic measurements; similarly ;low activity' carbonic anhydrases from those tissues were indistinguishable. ;High activity' carbonic anhydrase was markedly different from the ;low activity' carbonic anhydrase with respect to its amino acid composition, chromatographic behaviour and isoelectric pH value. Marked differences were also found in the tissue concentrations of the major isoenzymes. It is suggested that the characteristic and selective distribution of the different forms of carbonic anhydrase in the guinea-pig tissues is related to the specific and different physiological functions of the enzymes.     

Chemical and enzymological characterization of an indonesian variant of human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase II,CAIIJogjakarta (17 Lys → Glu)

A new variant of human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) was discovered in a single heterozygous individual during routine screening of blood samples from the island of Java in Indonesia. The normal and variant components of the heterozygous CAII mixture were resolved by isoelectric focusing following purification by a specific affinity matrix. Specific esterase activities and Michaelis-Menten constants were identical. Only very small differences were noted with respect to inhibition by acetazolamide and chloride. Double diffusion analysis showed the immunological identify of the normal and variant enzymes. The variant CAII was considerably less heat stable than the normal enzyme. The variant was slightly more stable than the normal enzyme upon dialysis against the zinc chelator dipicolinic acid (PDCA), indicating a tighter binding of zinc than the normal enzyme. Analysis of tryptic peptides from the normal and variant enzymes indicated that, in the variant, lysine at position 17 from the N terminus had changed to glutamic acid. The differences in physiochemical properties observed for the normal and variant enzyme are discussed in relation to the possible effects of this substitution on the structure of the CAII molecule.     

Carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes in the erthrocytes and dorsolateral prostate of the rat

1. Three forms of the zinc-containing enzyme carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) were isolated from the erythrocytes of the rat and two forms from the dorsolateral prostate of the rat. Several additional minor components were observed but not isolated. Separation of the isoenzymes was achieved by ion-exchange chromatography, polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. 2. The general properties of the isolated isoenzymes, their molecular weights and their contents of zinc were closely similar. As catalysts of the hydration of carbon dioxide, however, they were distinctly different. The two most abundant isoenzymes of the erythrocytes, which were found in equal proportions, differed 70-fold in specific activity, whereas the isoenzymes of the dorsolateral prostate were similar to one another and resembled the high-activity component of the erythrocytes. The inhibition of the latter by acetazolamide (5-acetamido-1-thia-3,4-diazole-2-sulphonamide) was mainly competitive, whereas in identical conditions the low-activity erythrocyte component and the dorsolateral prostate isoenzymes were non-competitively inhibited. 3. The use of chloroform-ethanol to remove haemoglobin from the rat haemolysate was found (a) to bring about changes in the kinetic properties of the soluble isoenzymes and (b) to cause the appearance of an additional isoenzyme. 4. The actions were compared of the inhibitors acetazolamide, 1,1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulphonamide and ethoxzolamide (6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-sulphonamide) on the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate catalysed by the isoenzymes. 5. The low-activity erythrocyte isoenzyme was an efficient catalyst of the hydrolysis of beta-naphthyl acetate whereas the high-activity forms were much less active towards this ester. Neither of the isoenzymes present in the dorsolateral prostate catalysed this reaction. 6. Carbonic anhydrase in the rat dorsolateral prostate accounts for no more than 5% of the unusually high content of zinc in this organ.     

Toad carbonic anhydrase: purification of the enzyme from erythrocytes of Bufo marinus and comparison with the enzyme activity in the urinary bladder.

1. Two forms of carbonic anhydrase, having isoelectric points of 6.1 and 5.8, were purified from erythrocytes of the toad, Bufo marinus, and the presence of a third form, pI = 5.4, was demonstrated. 2. Each of the two purified isozymes catalyzed the hydration of CO2 and the hydrolysis of nitrophenyl acetate esters at rates characteristic of Type C (or high-activity) forms of carbonic anhydrase. 3. Both forms of the erythrocyte enzyme have similar molecular weights (approx 29,000), amino acid composition, sensitivity to acetazolamide, and kinetic properties. 4. The epithelium of the toad's urinary bladder also was found to contain significant amounts of carbonic anhydrase, which appears by isoelectric focusing to be indistinguishable from the enzyme isolated from the erythrocyte.     

Characterization of a new variant of human red cell carbonic anhydrase I,CA if London (Glu-102→Lys)

A new inherited variant of red cell carbonic anhydrase I (CA I), designated CA If London, was discovered during a survey of 1615 individuals from London, England. No electrophoretic variants of the other isozyme of carbonic anhydrase CA II, were observed in the same survey. Sequence analysis of a lysine-blocked tryptic peptide believed to contain the amino acid substitution in CA If showed that the glutamyl residue at position 102 had been substituted by a lysyl residue. This substitution results in a net increase of two positive charges in the mutant enzyme. Densitometric scanning of the electrophoretically separated forms in the variant hemolysate indicates that the levels of the normal and variant enzymes are approximately equal.Supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service grant GM15,419.     

Carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes in the erythrocytes and uterus of the rabbit

1. Two forms of the zinc-containing enzyme carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) were isolated from rabbit erythrocytes and two forms from rabbit uterine tissue (endometrium) in the progestational stage of pregnancy (days 6-8 of gestation). Separation of the isoenzymes was achieved by ion-exchange chromatography, preparative polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. A comparison was made of the general properties and kinetic behaviour of the purified isoenzymes. 2. Although indistinguishable in terms of molecular weight and zinc content the isoenzymes were very different as catalysts of the hydration of carbon dioxide. The two erythrocyte isoenzymes, found in almost equal amounts, differed more than 100-fold in specific activity. Of the two isoenzymes prepared from either endometrial or entire uterine homogenates one was kinetically indistinguishable from the erythrocyte high-activity form, whereas the other, also possessing high activity, was found only in the endometrial or uterine tissue. Present evidence suggests that the former isoenzyme originated from residual blood contaminating the tissue homogenates, and that a marked rise in the content of the latter isoenzyme accounts for the increase in rabbit endometrial carbonic anhydrase activity that previously has been observed in early pregnancy. 3. Minor forms of the erythrocyte isoenzymes, having a characteristic quantitative and electrophoretic relationship to one another, were occasionally produced during purification. 4. The actions were investigated of the inhibitors acetazolamide (5-acetamido-3,4-diazole-1-thia-2-sulphonamide), 1,1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulphonamide and ethoxyzolamide (6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-sulphonamide) on the hydration of carbon dioxide and the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate catalysed by the isoenzymes. 5. The low-activity erythrocyte isoenzyme was superior to the high-activity form as a catalyst of beta-naphthyl acetate hydrolysis.     

Fine tuning of the catalytic properties of carbonic anhydrase. Studies of a Thr200----His variant of human isoenzyme II

The active sites of carbonic anhydrases I contain a unique histidine residue at sequence position 200. To test the hypothesis that His200 is essential for the isoenzyme-specific catalytic and inhibitor-binding properties of carbonic anhydrases I, a variant of human carbonic anhydrase II, having His200 for Thr200, was prepared by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. The variant has a circular dichroic spectrum that is indistinguishable from that of the parent enzyme. The kinetics of CO2 hydration and HCO3- dehydration has been investigated. The results show that the amino acid substitution has led to changes of catalytic parameters as well as Ki values for anion inhibition in the expected directions towards the values for isoenzyme I. However, the maximal 4-nitrophenyl acetate hydrolase activity of the variant is higher than for any naturally occurring carbonic anhydrase studied so far. A detailed analysis of the kinetic observations suggests that the modification has resulted in a change of the step that limits the maximal rate of CO2 hydration at saturating buffer concentrations. This rate-limiting step is an intramolecular proton transfer in unmodified isoenzyme II and, presumably, HCO3- dissociation in the variant and in human isoenzyme I. A free-energy profile for the dominating pathway of CO2 hydration at high pH was constructed. The results suggest that the major effect of His200 is a stabilization of the enzyme-HCO3- complex by about 7.5 kJ/mol (variant) and 6.1 kJ/mol (human isoenzyme I) relative to unmodified isoenzyme II, while proton transfer between the metal site and the reaction medium is only marginally affected by the amino acid replacement.     

Rat renal and erythrocyte carbonic anhydrases. Purification and properties.

Rat renal and erythrocyte carbonic anhydrases (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) were isolated by affinity chromatography. The erythrocytes contain two major forms of the enzyme. One of the forms has a specific activity (towards CO2) 30 times higher than the other and constitutes the major part of the total cellular carbonic anhydrase. The amino acid compositions of this high-activity type and of the low-activity type are similar to the compositions reported for these types in other species. The kidney appears to have only one high-activity form of carbonic anhydrase which is very similar to and probably identical with the erythrocyte high-activity form.     

Mutation of active site residues Asn67 to Ile, Gln92 to Val and Leu204 to Ser in human carbonic anhydrase II: influences on the catalytic activity and affinity for inhibitors

Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to change three amino acid residues involved in the binding of inhibitors (Asn67Ile; Gln92Val and Leu204Ser) within the active site of human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) II (hCA II). Residues 67, 92 and 204 were changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic ones, and vice versa. The Asn67Ile and Leu204Ser mutants showed similar k(cat)/K(M) values compared to the wild type (wt) enzyme, whereas the Gln92Val mutant was around 30% less active as a catalyst for CO(2) hydration to bicarbonate compared to the wt protein. Affinity for sulfonamides/sulfamates was decreased in all three mutants compared to wt hCA II. The effect was stronger for the Asn67Ile mutant (the closest residue to the zinc ion), followed by the Gln92Val mutant (residue situated in the middle of the active site) and weakest for the Leu204Ser mutant, an amino acid situated far away from the catalytic metal ion, at the entrance of the cavity. This study shows that small perturbations within the active site architecture have influences on the catalytic efficiency but dramatically change affinity for inhibitors among the CA enzymes, especially when the mutated amino acid residues are nearby the catalytic metal ion.     

Purification and characterization of a high-Mr carbonic anhydrase from sheep parotid gland.

Approximately half the carbonic anhydrase activity of sheep parotid-gland homogenate is derived from a high-Mr protein [Fernley, Wright & Coghlan (1979) FEBS Lett. 105, 299-302]. This enzyme has now been purified to homogeneity, and its properties were compared with those of the well-characterized sheep carbonic anhydrase II. The protein has an apparent Mr of 540,000 as measured by gel filtration under non-denaturing conditions and an apparent subunit Mr of 45,000 as measured by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. After deglycosylation with the enzyme N-glycanase the protein migrates with an apparent Mr of 36,000 on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The CO2-hydrating activity was 340 units/mg compared with 488 units/mg for sheep carbonic anhydrase II measured under identical conditions. This enzyme does not, however, hydrolyse p-nitrophenyl acetate. The enzyme contains 0.8 g-atom of zinc/mol of protein subunit. The peptide maps of the two carbonic anhydrases differ significantly from one another, indicating they are not related closely structurally. Unlike the carbonic anhydrase II isoenzyme, which has a blocked N-terminus, the high-Mr enzyme has a free glycine residue at its N-terminus.     

Isoenzymes of carbonic anhydrase of an euryhaline fish. Variations related to the osmoregulation]

A chemical study of carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) from the red blood cells and the gills of an euryhaline fish (Anguilla anguilla) is presented. Animals adapted to fresh water were compared to those adapted to sea water. The physiochemical constants of the various molecular formsisolated by chromatography and isoelectric focusing were determined; isoelectric pH, molecular weight, and the Km and V/E of the enzyme dehydration activity were compared. In both red cells and gills of fish adapted in either media various forms were isolated, characterized by different enzymatic kinetics (high- and low- activity forms) but having the same molecular weight (27 250). Some isoenzymes isolated from the gills differed significantly from those isolated from the red cells. Adaptation to fresh water or sea water is accompanied by modifications in the distribution of the isoenzymes in both red cells and gills: adaptation to sea water is characterized by a shift of the molecular forms towards an isoelectric pH higher than pH equals 6. The role of these enzymes is discussed under both a physiological and biochemical point of view in relation to the electrolyte exchange across fish gill. The origin of the different molecular forms of the carbonic anhydrase is discussed in relation to the prevailing theories on this subject.     

Amino acid substitution and chemical characterization of a Japanese variant of carbonic anhydrase I: CA I Hiroshima-1 (86 Asp → Gly)

An electrophoretic variant of red cell carbonic anhydrase I, designated CA I Hiroshima-1, has been observed in 12 apparently unrelated individuals during a survey of 13,019 individuals from the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Analyses of tryptic and chymotryptic peptide patterns of this CA I variant purified from 8 of the 12 individuals revealed the same altered peptides in each case. Examination of the amino acid sequence of an altered tryptic peptide purified from one of the variants showed that the aspartic acid residue at position 86 was replaced by a glycine residue. Thermostability studies demonstrated that all samples of CA I Hiroshima-1 were less stable than normal CA I. The specific esterase (p-nitrophenyl acetate) activities of the normal and variant CA I isozymes were essentially the same. The difference spectra of the normal and variant enzymes were essentially the same. The isoelectric focusing patterns of CA I Hiroshima-1 showed a different pattern of minor bands to those produced by normal CA I. The relative amounts of the normal and variant enzymes purified from single heterozygous individuals were similar.This work was supported by U.S. Public Health Service grant GM-24681 and U.S. Department of Energy contract 2828 (to Dr. J. V. Neel).     

Purification and partial characterization of high and low activity carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes from Malaclemys terrapin centrata.

1. High activity (CA C) and low activity (CA B) carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes have been purified from turtle erythrocytes. 2. The two isoenzymes differed in CO2 hydration specific activity by 36-fold. 3. The low activity isoenzyme contained one half-cystine residue, whereas the high activity isoenzyme contained four half-cystines and required a reducing environment to maintain activity. Both isoenzymes contained zinc. 4. Molecular weights of 28,500 and 30,400 daltons were established for the low and high activity isoenzymes respectively. 5. Both isoenzymes were inhibited by acetazolamide, but only the high activity isoenzyme was inhibited by parachloromercuribenzoate. 6. The low activity isoenzyme was present in the erythrocytes at about 8-10 times the concentration of the high activity isoenzyme. 7. The high activity isoenzyme cross-reacted with antibodies prepared against pure chicken carbonic anhydrase C.     

Purification and properties of cyclostome carbonic anhydrase from erythrocytes of hagfish

1. Carbonic anhydrase (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) has been purified from erythrocytes of hagfish (Myxine glutinosa). A single form with low specific CO2 hydration activity was isolated. The purified carbonic anhydrase appeared homogeneous judging from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration experiments. The protein has a molecular weight of about 29 000, corresponding to about 260 amino acid residues. This molecular weight is in accordance with other vertebrate carbonic anhydrases with the exception of the elasmobranch enzymes, which have Mr 36 000--39 000. 2. The molecular weight obtained for hagfish carbonic anhydrase indicates that a carbonic anhydrase with Mr approx. 29 000 is the ancestral type of the vertebrate enzyme rather than, as in sharks, a heavier carbonic anhydrase molecule. 3. The circular dichroism spectrum may indicate a somewhat different structural arrangement of aromatic amino acid residues in this enzyme than in the mammalian carbonic anhydrases. 4. The enzyme is strongly inhibited by acetazolamide and also to a lesser extent by monovalent anions. 5. Zn2+, which is essential for activity, appears, contrary to other characterized carbonic anhydrases, less strongly bound in the active site of the enzyme.     

Purification and properties of pig muscle carbonic anhydrase III

Pig muscle carbonic anhydrase III (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) has been isolated and purified to homogeneity with chromatographic techniques. It has been found to be a 30 kDa protein displaying the same three activities (CO2 hydratase, acetate esterase, p-nitrophenyl phosphatase) previously described for the rabbit muscle isoenzyme, including the phosphatase activity not seen in the erythrocyte isoenzymes. The turnover numbers of the three activities are of the same order of magnitude as previously reported for rabbit muscle carbonic anhydrase III. Km and Vmax for the pig muscle CO2 hydratase activity were found to be 83 mM and 6000 s-1, respectively. The extinction coefficient at 280 nm (1 cm light path) is 22.2 for a 1% solution. Five half-cystine residues determined by performic acid oxidation are free for reaction with p-mercuribenzoate but only four are accessible to titration with dithiobisnitrobenzene. The amino acid composition of the pig muscle isoenzyme III has a high level of homology compared with that of rabbit and bovine muscle carbonic anhydrases III.     

Purification procedure and N-terminal amino acid sequence of yeast malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes

A method has been devised for the rapid isolation of malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes. First, anionic proteins were precipitated with polyethyleneimine, whilst hydrophobic malate dehydrogenase remained in the supernatant fluid. Secondly, the supernatant was 30% saturated with ammonium sulfate and the two isoenzymes were separated by hydrophobic phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography. For further purification the enzymes were chromatofocused, and polybuffer was removed by hydrophobic chromatography. Affinity chromatography with blue Sepharose CL-6B [1] was used as final purification step. The purified isoenzymes were homogeneous as shown by isoelectric focusing and could be used for N-terminal sequencing. 34 amino acid residues could be identified for the cytoplasmic isoenzyme and 56 amino acid residues for the mitochondrial isoenzyme. Although there are regions of strong homology between both isoenzymes, the sequence differences clearly showed support that both isoenzymes are coded by different genes. Sequence comparison clearly indicated that the N-terminus of the cytoplasmic enzyme extended that of the mitochondrial enzyme by 12 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the extending sequence resembled that of leading sequences known for enzymes which are transported into the mitochondria. The assumed leading sequence is discussed with respect to its possible role in glucose inactivation.     

Structural and functional differences between carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II as studied by site-directed mutagenesis

Site-specific mutagenesis has been used to replace amino acid residues in the active site of human carbonic anhydrase II with residues characterizing carbonic anhydrases I. Previous studies of [Thr200----His]isoenzyme II [Behravan, G., Jonsson, B.-H. & Lindskog, S. (1990) Eur. J. Biochem. 190, 351-357] showed that His200 is important for the specific catalytic properties of isoenzymes I. In this paper some properties of two single mutants, Asn62----Val and Asn67----His, as well as a double mutant, Asn67----His/Thr200----His, are described. The results show that neither Val62 nor His67 give rise to isoenzyme-I-like properties, while the double mutant behaves like the single mutant with His200. At pH 8.9, the variant with Val62 has a higher value of kcat/Km for CO2 hydration than unmodified isoenzyme II, whereas the variant with His67 has an enhanced kcat value. The replacement of Asn62 with Val results in a 20% increase of the 4-nitrophenyl acetate hydrolase activity. For the double mutant, the esterase activity is quite close to that calculated on the assumption that the effects of the two single mutations on the free energy of activation are additive.     

Isolation, characterization, and esterase and CO2 hydration activities of ubiquitin from bovine erythrocytes

Ubiquitin was isolated from bovine erythrocytes by a relatively simple procedure involving extraction with chloroform and ethanol, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration. Amino acid and partial sequence analyses showed it to be identical to previously isolated material. Ubiquitin released p-nitrophenolate from p-nitrophenyl acetate, but did not cleave other esterase substrates that were tested. It had a turnover number of 116 mmol for p-nitrophenyl acetate at pH 7.7 and 30 degrees C, and this activity was relatively stable to heat treatment. Electrophoretic studies indicated that the ubiquitin was sequentially acetylated by p-nitrophenyl acetate, as judged by the appearance of more anodically migrating components. The reactions of ubiquitin with p-nitrophenyl acetate at pH 7.0 were biphasic and consisted of (a) an initial phase, during which the release of p-nitrophenol resulted from monoacetylation of the ubiquitin and from ubiquitin-catalyzed hydrolysis of the ester; and (b) a second phase, during which the release of p-nitrophenol resulted only from the breakdown and reformation of the acetyl-enzyme complex. Ubiquitin also showed CO2 hydration activity and could be localized following gel electrophoresis by the CO2-bromthymol blue staining method. The strong inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, acetazolamide, also inhibited the CO2 hydration activity and p-nitrophenyl acetate activity of ubiquitin. An antibody against this protein did not precipitate bovine carbonic anhydrase II. The esterase activity of ubiquitin was much higher than those previously reported for the carbonic anhydrases.     

The amino acid substitution and some chemical properties of a variant human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase: Carbonic anhydrase IdMichigan

Carbonic anhydrase Id_Michigan, an electrophoretic variant of human red cell carbonic anhydrase I, was purified from erythrocytes obtained from an individual heterozygous for the trait. Primary structural analysis indicates that a lysine residue has exchanged for a threonine residue in the variant enzyme. After isolation, there was approximately 1.8 times as much normal as variant enzyme. Thermostability studies demonstrated that carbonic anhydrase Id was more thermolabile than the normal enzyme. The normal and variant enzymes showed no differences in specific carboxylesterase activity or CO₂ hydratase activity. Utilizing the carboxylesterase activity toward -naphthyl acetate, the normal and variant enzymes had similar Michaelis constants, pH profiles, and rates of inhibition by acetazolamide. Immunochemical studies did not demonstrate an antigenic difference for the variant enzyme.Supported in part by Research Grants 2 T1 GM-76, 5 TO1 GM 00071-09, and GM 09252 from U.S. Public Health Service.This report is a portion of a dissertation submitted to the University of Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree.