Posttranslational Modification of Calmodulin in Rat Brain and Pituitary

The posttranslational modification of calmodulin has been studied in six brain regions and the anterior pituitary. Carboxylmethylation, calmodulin converting enzyme, and calmodulin (lysine) N-methyltransferase activities were determined. Incubation of calmodulin with cytosolic extracts of these tissues in the presence of the methyl donor [methyl-3H]-S-adenosyl-L-methionine and identification of labeled proteins by gel electrophoresis and fluorography indicated that calmodulin is a substrate for protein carboxylmethyltransferase in all tissues tested. In hippocampus, caudate nucleus, cerebral cortex, and anterior pituitary, but not in cerebellum, superior colliculus, brainstem, or diencephalon, a second methylated protein was found when calmodulin was added to incubation mixtures. This protein was shown to be identical to the previously described product of calmodulin converting enzyme. Converted calmodulin was isolated by fast protein liquid chromatography and shown to be des(Lys)calmodulin, lacking the carboxy terminal lysine residue of calmodulin. The anterior pituitary had by far the highest levels of calmodulin converting enzyme; this enzyme, in turn, was identified as a cobalt-stimulated carboxylpeptidase B. In contrast to the regional differences in these parameters, the levels of calmodulin (lysine) N-methyltransferase did not differ greatly among brain regions, although regional differences in the activity of this enzyme were statistically significant.     

Calmodulin N-methyltransferase. Partial purification and characterization

The distribution, properties, and substrate specificity of S-adenosylmethionine:calmodulin (lysine) N-methyltransferse (EC 2.1.1.60, calmodulin N-methyltransferase) of the rat have been studied. This enzyme is cytosolic and is found at high levels in tissues with high levels of calmodulin and at low levels in tissues with little calmodulin. In liver, heart, and skeletal muscle, which have low levels of calmodulin and very low calmodulin N-methyltransferase activity (a low ratio of calmodulin N-methyltransferase to calmodulin), calmodulin was found to be incompletely methylated, as judged by its ability to act as a substrate for purified calmodulin N-methyltransferase. Calmodulin N-methyltransferase was purified 470-fold with a 33% yield from rat testis cytosol, using ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-Sepharose, and Sephadex G-100. At pH 7.4, calmodulin N-methyltransferase did not bind to DEAE-cellulose, but bound strongly to CM-Sepharose. The enzyme eluted from Sephadex G-100 with an apparent molecular weight of 55,000. Purified calmodulin N-methyltransferase was incubated with extracts of rat tissues, and [methyl-3H]AdoMet and methylated proteins were resolved by electrophoresis in an attempt to discover substances other than calmodulin, but this enzyme only catalyzed the methylation of calmodulin, indicating a high degree of substrate specificity. Conditions were established for the in vitro preparative methylation of des(methyl)-calmodulin from Dictyostelium discoideum. Three moles of methyl/mol of calmodulin were incorporated into lysine 115 of des(methyl)calmodulin, resulting in the formation of 1 mol of trimethyllysine at the site normally methylated in calmodulins from most species. Activation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase by des(methyl)calmodulin was indistinguishable from activation by in vitro methylated or sham methylated Dictyostelium calmodulin, indicating that methylation does not affect the ability of calmodulin to activate this enzyme.     

Purification and characterization of heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum

Heparinase (EC 4.2.2.7) isolated from Flavobacterium heparinum was purified to homogeneity by a combination of hydroxylapatite chromatography, repeated gel filtration chromatography, and chromatofocusing. Homogeneity was established by the presence of a single band on both sodium dodecyl sulfate and acid-urea gel electrophoretic systems. Amino acid analysis shows that the enzyme contains relatively high amounts of lysine residues (9%) consistent with its cationic nature (pI 8.5) but contains only 4 cysteine residues/polypeptide. The molecular weight of heparinase was estimated to be 42,900 +/- 1,000 daltons by gel filtration and 42,700 +/- 1,200 daltons by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme is very specific, acting only on heparin and heparan monosulfate out of 12 similar polysaccharide substrates tested. It has an activity maximum at pH 6.5 and 0.1 M NaCl and a stability maximum at pH 7.0 and 0.15 M NaCl. The Arrhenius activation energy was found to be 6.3 kcal/mol. However, the enzyme is very sensitive to thermal denaturation and loses activity very rapidly at temperatures over 40 degrees C. Kinetic studies of the heparinase reaction at 37 degrees C gave a Km of 8.04 X 10(-6) M and a Vm of 9.85 X 10(-5) M/min at a protein concentration of 0.5 microgram/ml. By adapting batch procedures of hydroxylapatite and QAE (quaternary aminoethyl)-Sephadex chromatography, gram quantities of heparinase that is nearly free of catalytic enzyme contaminants can be purified in 4-5 h.     

Site specificity of histone H4 methylation by wheat germ protein-arginine N-methyltransferase

CNBr treatment of calf thymus [methyl-14C]histone H4, methylated in vitro with S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-14C]methionine by a highly histone-specific wheat germ protein methylase I (S-adenosyl-L-methionine:protein-L-arginine N-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.23), produced two peptide fragments corresponding to residues 1-83 and 84-102, with the former being radioactive. Two-dimensional peptide mapping of the chymotryptic and tryptic digest of [methyl-14C]histone H4 and analysis of the chymotryptic digest on HPLC have shown that only a single peptide is radiolabeled. In order to define the exact site of methylation (arginine residue), the radioactive peptide from the chymotryptic digest of [methyl-14C]histone H4 was further purified on HPLC by linear and then isocratic elution. The purified chymotryptic peptide was then digested with trypsin and purified on HPLC, and its amino acid composition was determined on HPLC. These results indicate that the peptide corresponding to residues 24-35 of histone H4 is radiolabeled. Since this peptide contains a single arginine residue at position 35, we have concluded that the enzyme is specific not only to the protein substrate but also to the methylation site.     

Selective labelling of apolipoproteins A-I and C-I at methionine residues by (3H) methyl exchange

Apolipoproteins C-I and A-I were radioactively labelled with tritium by (3H)-methyl exchange. The methionine residues were first methylated with (3H)-methyl iodide at pH 4 and the reaction products were purified by gel filtration and cation exchange chromatography. The products were then demethylated with 2-mercaptoethanol (6 M) at pH 8.6 to regenerate the apolipoproteins in an unmodified but tritiated form. The specific radioactivity for apolipoprotein C-I and A-I was 3.5 X 10(6) and 1.5 X 10(7) dpm/pmol respectively. The properties of (3H)-apolipoprotein C-I were examined by reversed phase HPLC and by incorporation into very low density lipoproteins (VLDL).     

Protein methylation in animal cells. I. Purification and properties of S-adenosyl-L-methionine:protein (arginine) N-methyltransferase from Krebs II ascites cells.

1. A protein methylase which specifically transfers methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to arginine residues of histones has been substantially purified from Krebs II ascites cells. The purified enzyme was obtained free of contamination by other protein methyl transferases specific for carboxyl and lysine residues. This latter activity copurified with the present enzyme until advanced stages of purification. 2. The purified enzyme does not require any divalent cation for maximum activity. It is inhibited by ionic strength, N-ethylmaleimide and S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine. It has an apparent molecular weight on gel filtration of approx. 5 . 10(5). A Km value for S-adenosyl-L-methionine of 2.5 . 10(-6) M was determined, while the dissociation constant Ki for S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, which acts as a competitor, was 1.4 . 10(-6) M.     

Purification and characterization of an alpha-glucosidase from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

alpha-Glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20) was purified to homogeneity from logarithmically growing cells of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. The purification involved the following steps: (a) ammonium sulfate fractionation; (b) Sephadex G-100 chromatography; (c) DEAE-cellulose chromatography; and (d) hydroxylapatite chromatography. This procedure gave a preparation judged to be greater than 98% pure by Na-DodSO4-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was shown to be a monomer of 63 000 daltons by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 under native conditions and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. The Km values of the enzyme for the substrates maltose and p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-glucoside were found to be 1.66 X 10(-2) and 3.1 X 10(-4) M, respectively. The corresponding Vmax value for maltose was 44.8 X 10(-6) mol min(-1) mg(-1) and that for p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-glucoside was 134 X 10(-6) mol min-1 mg-1. The pH optimum for the purified enzyme was found to be between pH 6.7 and 6.8. The enzyme has an absolute anomeric specificity for alpha-glycosidic linkages and appears to recognize a glucosyl residue in alpha linkage on the nonreducing end of its substrate. For the strain used in this study, which carries the MAL 6 locus, only a single form of the enzyme was detected.     

Purification and properties of pig liver kynureninase.

Kynureninase [L-kynurenine hydrolase, EC 3.7.1.3] was purified from pig liver by a procedure including DEAE-cellulose chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Bio Gel chromatography, Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration, kynurenine-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. The enzyme was found to be homogeneous by the criterion of disc-gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 100,000 and exhibits absorption maxima at 280 and 420 nm. The optimum pH and the isoelectric point of the enzyme are 8.5 and 5.0, respectively. The Michaelis constants were determined to be as follows: L-kynurenine, 7.7 X 10(-4) M; L-3-hydroxykynurenine, 1.3 X 10(-5) M; and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, 1.8 X 10(-6) M. L-3-Hydroxykynurenine is hydrolyzed more rapidly than L-kynurenine; the liver enzyme can be regarded as a 3-hydroxy-kynureninase.     

Purification and characterisation of leukotriene A4 hydrolase from rat neutrophils

Leukotriene A4 hydrolase was rapidly and extensively purified from rat neutrophils using anion exchange and gel filtration high-pressure liquid chromatography. The enzyme which converts the allylic epoxide leukotriene A4 to the 5,12-dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid leukotriene B4 was localized in the cytosolic fraction and exhibited an optimum activity at pH 7.8 and an apparent Km for leukotriene A4 between 2 X 10(-5) and 3 X 10(-5) M. The purified leukotriene A4 hydrolase was shown to have a molecular weight of 68 000 on sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and of 50 000 by gel filtration. The molecular weight and monomeric native form of this enzyme are unique characteristics which distinguish leukotriene A4 hydrolase from previously purified epoxide hydrolases.     

Isolation and characterization of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.) chalcone synthase and its polyclonal antibodies

Chalcone synthase was isolated from illuminated buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.) hypocotyls and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using (NH)4SO4 fractionation, gel filtration on AcA 44, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Bio-Gel, and HPLC on hydroxylapatite. The properties of the enzyme were pH optimum, 8.0; Mr approximately 83,000 +/- 1000; Mr subunit, approximately 41,500 +/- 500; isoelectric point, pH 5.2; Km, 1 X 10(-6)M for malonyl-CoA, and 0.6 X 10(-6) M for p-coumaryl-CoA. Buckwheat chalcone synthase used p-coumaryl-CoA as substrate and also utilized caffeyl-CoA and ferulyl-CoA at 20 and 80%, respectively, of the rate of p-coumaryl-CoA in the chalcone synthase reaction. Antibodies against the buckwheat chalcone synthase were developed in a New Zealand white rabbit and characterized for specificity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion, and Western blotting.     

Purification and properties of GTP-cyclohydrolase of the yeast Pichia guilliermondii

GTP-cyclohydrolase was isolated from the Fe-deficient cells of Pichia guilliermondii and purified 440-fold by treatment of extracts with streptomycin sulfate as well as by protein fractionation with (NH4)2SO4 at 25-45% saturation, gel filtration through Sephadex G-200 and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The curves for the dependence of specific activity of GTP-cyclohydrolase on substrate and cofactor concentrations are non-hyperbolic; the values of [S]0.5 for GTP and Mg2+ are 2.2 X 10(-5) and 2 X 10(-4) M, respectively. The enzyme activity is inhibited by pyrophosphate ([I]0.5 = 5.8 X 10(-4) M), orthophosphate ([I]0.5 = 4.5 X 10(-3) M), heavy metal ions and chelating agents. The temperature optimum for the enzyme activity lies at 42-45 degrees C. The enzyme is labile at 4 degrees C but can well be stored at -15 degrees C. The pyrimidine product of the cyclohydrolase reaction, 2.5-diamino-6-oxy-4-ribosyl-aminopyrimidine-5'-phosphate, as well as pyrophosphate were purified from the reaction medium and identified.     

Purification and characterization of human seminal plasma acid phosphatase

A 81-fold purification of human seminal plasma acid phosphatase was obtained by a three-step procedure, involving ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. Homogeneity of the preparation during purification steps was tested by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and only one major band was obtained after the final step. The pH optimum for the activity of the purified enzyme was 5.6 and thermal stability was obtained even up to 40 degrees C. PNPP was the most specific synthetic substrate. The Km of purified seminal acid phosphatase towards PNPP was 1.5 X 10(-3) M. Among the metal ions tested, Hg+2 showed an I50 value of 4.2 X 10(-7) M. Studies with PCMB, PMSF and EDTA did not show any inhibition, whereas NaF and L(+)tartrate, at 1 mM concentration, inhibited the enzyme by 95% and 85%, respectively.     

Purification and properties of phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE-600

A preparative scale method for isolation of highly purified phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli MRE-600 was developed. It consists of cell destroying, nucleic acid precipitation with streptomycine sulfate, fractionation with ammonium sulfate followed by chromatography on different carriers (Sephadex G-200, DEAE-cellulose, DEAE-Sephadex A-50, and hydroxyapatite). The mode of cell destroying was found to affect the process of the further enzyme purification. The phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase was purified 540-fold, with recovery being 20.6% and the specific activity - 540 units per mg protein. The enzyme content in the purified preparation was 80-90% judging by electrophoresis in PAAG. The molecular weights of the subunits determined by electrophoresis under denaturative conditions were found to be 102,000 +/- 4000 (beta) and 42,000 +/- 2000 (alpha). The molecular weight of the native enzyme determined by gel filtration through Sephadex G-200 and electrophoresis at varied concentrations of polyacrylamide was found to be 340,000 +/- 20,000. The Km values for tRNA, ATP and phenylalanine in the aminoacylation reaction are equal to 5.4 X 10(-7) M, 1,9 X 10(-4) M, and 3.7 X 10(-6) M, respectively.     

Purification and properties of inosine monophosphate oxidoreductase from nitrogen-fixing nodules of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

Using ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography, inosine monophosphate (IMP) oxidoreductase (EC 1.2.1.14) was isolated from the soluble proteins of the plant cell fraction of nitrogen-fixing nodules of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). The enzyme, purified more than 140-fold with a yield of 11%, was stabilized with glycerol and required a sulfydryl-reducing agent for maximum activity. Gel filtration indicated a molecular weight of 200,000, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis a single subunit of 50,000 Da. The final specific activity ranged from 1.1 to 1.5 mumol min-1 mg protein-1. The enzyme had an alkaline pH optimum and showed a high affinity for IMP (Km = 9.1 X 10(-6) M at pH 8.8 and NAD levels above 0.25 mM) and NAD (Km = 18-35 X 10(-6) M at pH 8.8). NAD was the preferred coenzyme, with NADP reduction less than 10% of that with NAD, while molecular oxygen did not serve as an electron acceptor. Intermediates of ureide metabolism (allantoin, allantoic acid, uric acid, inosine, xanthosine, and XMP) did not affect the enzyme, while AMP, GMP, and NADH were inhibitors. GMP inhibition was competitive with a Ki = 60 X 10(-6) M. The purified enzyme was activated by K+ (Km = 1.6 X 10(-3) M) but not by NH+4. The K+ activation was competitively inhibited by Mg2+. The significance of the properties of IMP oxidoreductase for regulation of ureide biosynthesis in legume root nodules is discussed.     

Large scale purification of myo-inositol monophosphate phosphatase from porcine brains

myo-Inositol monophosphate phosphatase (IMPase) has been purified 888-fold to apparent homogeneity from procine brains. The purification procedure involves: homogenization, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and a number of ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography steps. The purified enzyme exhibited a final specific activity of 932 nmol . min(-1) . mg(-1). The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 29kDa by SDS poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and 58 +/- 5 kDa by HPLC gel filtration in 10mM Tris-HCI, pH 7.4. Kinetic measurements have shown that the apparent K(m) value of the phosphatase for the utilization of inositol-1-phosphate and beta-glycerol phosphate are 3.20 x 10(-4) and 8 x 10(-3) M, respectively. Similar to the same enzyme isolated from bovine brains, the porcine brain enzyme has been shown to be inhibited by lithium. The K(1) was determined to be 6.38 x 10(-4) M and the inhibition is uncompetitive. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Isolation and characterization of human liver guanine deaminase

Guanine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.3, guanine aminohydrolase [GAH]) was purified 3248-fold from human liver to homogeneity with a specific activity of 21.5. A combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, and DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and affinity chromatography with guanine triphosphate ligand were used to purify the enzyme. The enzyme was a dimer protein of a molecular weight of 120,000 with each subunit of 59,000 as determined by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing gave a pI of 4.76. It was found to be an acidic protein, as evidenced by the amino acid analysis, enriched with glutamate, aspartate, alanine and glycine. It showed a sharp pH optimum of 8.0. The apparent Km for guanine was determined to be 1.53 X 10(-5) M at pH 6.0 and 2 X 10(-4) M for 8-azaguanine as a substrate at pH 6.0. The enzyme was found to be sensitive to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate inhibition with a Ki of 1.53 X 10(-5) M and a Ki of 5 X 10(-5) M with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide as an inhibitor. The inhibition with iodoacetic acid showed only a 7% loss in the activity at 1 X 10(-4) M and a 24% loss at 1 X 10(-3) M after 30 min of incubation, whereas p-hydroxymercuribenzoate incubation for 30 min resulted in a 91% loss of activity at a concentration of 1 X 10(-4) M. Guanine was the substrate for all of the inhibition studies. The enzyme was observed to be stable up to 40 degrees C, with a loss of almost all activity at 65 degrees C with 30 min incubation. Two pKa values were obtained at 5.85 and 8.0. Analysis of the N-terminal amino acid proved to be valine while the C-terminal residue was identified as alanine.     

Purification of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase from rat brain

The ATP-dependent, calmodulin-sensitive 3-kinase responsible for the conversion of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to D-myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate has been purified 2,700-fold from rat brain to a specific activity of 2.3 mumol/min/mg protein. A method of purification is described involving chromatography on phosphocellulose, Orange A dye ligand, calmodulin agarose, and hydroxylapatite columns. Neither the highly purified enzyme nor enzyme eluting from the phosphocellulose column were activated by Ca2+. However, enzyme in the 100,000 x g supernatant from rat brain was activated by Ca2+ over the range from 10(-7) to 10(-6) M and Ca2+ sensitivity of the purified enzyme was restored by the addition of calmodulin. The enzyme has a catalytic subunit Mr of 53,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Size exclusion chromatography of the purified enzyme on a Superose 12 column gave a Mr value of 70,000, indicating that the purified enzyme was present as a monomer. In contrast, the 100,000 x g supernatant and the purified enzyme after addition of calmodulin and 10(-6) M Ca2+ chromatographed on size exclusion chromatography with a Mr of 150,000-160,000. These results imply that the native enzyme is a dimeric structure of two catalytic subunits plus calmodulin. The purified enzyme showed a Km of 0.21 +/- 0.08 microM for D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and had a pH optimum of 8.5. Addition of calmodulin increased both the Km and the Vmax of the purified enzyme about 2-fold. The high affinity of the 3-kinase for D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate together with its activation by Ca2+/calmodulin suggests that this enzyme may exert an important regulatory role in inositol phosphate signaling by promoting the formation of additional inositol polyphosphate isomers.     

Characterization of an inducible chlorophenol O-methyltransferase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum involved in the formation of chloroanisoles and determination of its role in cork taint of wines

A novel S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase catalyzing the O methylation of several chlorophenols and other halogenated phenols was purified 220-fold to apparent homogeneity from mycelia of Trichoderma longibrachiatum CECT 20431. The enzyme could be identified in partially purified protein preparations by direct photolabeling with [methyl-(3)H]SAM, and this reaction was prevented by previous incubation with S-adenosylhomocysteine. Gel filtration indicated that the M(r) was 112,000, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the enzyme was composed of two subunits with molecular weights of approximately 52,500. The enzyme had a pH optimum between 8.2 and 8.5 and an optimum temperature of 28 degrees C, with a pI of 4.9. The K(m) values for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and SAM were 135.9 +/- 12.8 and 284.1 +/- 35.1 micro M, respectively. S-Adenosylhomocysteine acted as a competitive inhibitor, with a K(i) of 378.9 +/- 45.4 micro M. The methyltransferase was also strongly inhibited by low concentrations of several metal ions, such as Cu(2+), Hg(2+), Zn(2+), and Ag(+), and to a lesser extent by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, but it was not significantly affected by several thiols or other thiol reagents. The methyltransferase was specifically induced by several chlorophenols, especially if they contained three or more chlorine atoms in their structures. Substrate specificity studies showed that the activity was also specific for halogenated phenols containing fluoro, chloro, or bromo substituents, whereas other hydroxylated compounds, such as hydroxylated benzoic acids, hydroxybenzaldehydes, phenol, 2-metoxyphenol, and dihydroxybenzene, were not methylated.     

Purification and characterization of rabbit platelet cytosolic phospholipase A2

A phospholipase A2 was purified from rabbit platelet cytosolic fraction to near homogeneity by sequential column chromatographies on heparin-Sepharose, DEAE-Sephacel, butyl-Toyopearl, DEAE-5PW ion-exchange HPLC, and TSK gel G3000SW gel-filtration HPLC. The final preparation with an estimated specific activity of 8630 nmol/min per mg protein, showed a single band with a molecular mass of about 88 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining. The 88-kDa phospholipase A2 exhibited a fatty acid preference; it hydrolyzed phospholipid bearing an arachidonoyl residue at the sn-2 position more effectively than that with a linoleoyl residue. The catalytic activity of the purified enzyme with phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine increased sharply in the presence of between 10(-7) and 10(-6) M calcium ion, indicating that it could be regulated by less than micromolar concentration of calcium. These characteristics differ from those of platelet secretory 14-kDa phospholipase A2 reported previously. Therefore, this 88-kDa enzyme is a novel phospholipase A2 and may participate in the stimulus-dependent release of arachidonoyl residues in rabbit platelets.     

Purification and some properties of L-alanine:4,5-dioxovaleric acid transaminase from rat liver mitochondria

L-alanine:4,5-dioxovalerate transaminase (EC 2.6.1.44) has been purified to homogeneity from rat liver mitochondria. Molecular weight of the native enzyme is estimated to be 230,000 +/- 3000 by gel filtration. Under denaturing condition, the dissociated enzyme has a subunit of approximately 41,000 +/- 2000, indicating the enzyme apparently is composed of six identical subunits. The enzyme is heat stable and has optimal activity at pH 6.9. Km values for L-alanine and 4,5-dioxovalerate are 3.3 X 10(-3) M and 2.8 X 10(-4) M respectively. Excess dioxovalerate inhibits the enzyme activity. Pyridoxal phosphate and dithiothreitol also inhibit the enzyme activity.