The tungsten-containing aldehyde oxidoreductase from Clostridium thermoaceticum and its complex with a viologen-accepting NADPH oxidoreductase.

Purification of aldehyde oxidoreductase from C. thermoaceticum, the first detected enzyme able to reduce reversibly non-activated carboxylic acids to the corresponding aldehydes (White, H., Strobl, G., Feicht, R. & Simon, H. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 184, 89-96), results in the generation of multiple forms of the enzyme. The specific activities for the viologen-mediated dehydrogenation of butyraldehyde for the two main forms of the purification procedure are 530 and 450 U/mg. Two forms of the enzyme composed of alpha,beta- and alpha,beta,gamma-subunits, can be differentiated. The latter binds to red-Sepharose and can be eluted very specifically with NADPH. In contrast to the alpha,beta-types the trimeric forms also catalyse the reversible reduction of oxidised viologen with NADPH (VAPOR activity). The dimer alpha,beta can oligomerize and the alpha,beta,gamma-trimer can easily form various oligomers or split off the gamma-subunit. The apparent molecular masses of the subunits alpha,beta and gamma are 64, 14 and 43 kDa. The alpha,beta-form reveals an apparent molecular mass of 86 kDa containing about 29 iron, 25 acid-labile sulphur, 0.8 tungsten and forms about 1 mol pterine-6-carboxylic acid by permanganate oxidation. The corresponding values of the trimer showing a mass of 300 kDa, are about 82 Fe, 54 S, 3.4 W and 2.5 pterine-6-carboxylic acid. In addition, 1.7 mol of FAD could be found which seems to be a component of the gamma-subunit. The aldehyde oxidoreductase from C. thermoaceticum and that from C. formicoaceticum (White, H., Feicht, R., Huber, C., Lottspeich, F. & Simon, H. (1991) Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 372, 999-1005) show qualitative similarities as far as the Fe, S, W and pterin content and the broad substrate specificity are concerned. However, there are also surprisingly marked differences with respect to composition and amino-acid sequence.     

A second novel dye-linked L-proline dehydrogenase complex is present in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3

Two distinguishable activity bands for dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase (PDH1 and PDH2) were detected when crude extract of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 was run on a polyacrylamide gel. After purification, PDH1 was found to be composed of two different subunits with molecular masses of 56 and 43 kDa, whereas PDH2 was composed of four different subunits with molecular masses of 52, 46, 20 and 8 kDa. The native molecular masses of PDH1 and PDH2 were 440 and 101 kDa, respectively, indicating that PDH1 has an alpha4beta4 structure, while PDH2 has an alphabetagammadelta structure. PDH2 was found to be similar to the dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase complex from Thermococcus profundus, but PDH1 is a different type of enzyme. After production of the enzyme in Escherichia coli, high-performance liquid chromatography showed the PDH1 complex to contain the flavins FMN and FAD as well as ATP. Gene expression and biochemical analyses of each subunit revealed that the beta subunit bound FAD and exhibited proline dehydrogenase activity, while the alpha subunit bound ATP, but unlike the corresponding subunit in the T. profundus enzyme, it exhibited neither proline dehydrogenase nor NADH dehydrogenase activity. FMN was not bound to either subunit, suggesting it is situated at the interface between the alpha and beta subunits. A comparison of the amino-acid sequences showed that the ADP-binding motif in the alpha subunit of PDH1 clearly differs from that in the alpha subunit of PDH2. It thus appears that a second novel dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase complex is produced in P. horikoshii.     

Purification and characterization of NADP(+)-dependent 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase from Peptostreptococcus productus marburg.

The 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase of heterotrophically grown Peptostreptococcus productus Marburg was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme catalyzed the reversible oxidation of methylenetetrahydrofolate with NADP+ as the electron acceptor at a specific activity of 627 U/mg of protein. The Km values for methylenetetrahydrofolate and for NADP+ were 27 and 113 microM, respectively. The enzyme, which lacked 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase activity, was insensitive to oxygen and was thermolabile at temperatures above 40 degrees C. The apparent molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration to be 66 kDa. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of a single subunit of 34 kDa, accounting for a dimeric alpha 2 structure of the enzyme. Kinetic studies on the initial reaction velocities with different concentrations of both substrates in the absence and presence of NADPH as the reaction product were interpreted to indicate that the enzyme followed a sequential reaction mechanism. After gentle ultracentrifugation of crude extracts, the enzyme was recovered to greater than 95% in the soluble (supernatant) fraction. Sodium (10 microM to 10 mM) had no effect on enzymatic activity. The data were taken to indicate that the enzyme was similar to the methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenases of other homoacetogenic bacteria and that the enzyme is not involved in energy conservation of P. productus.     

Carboxylic acid reductase: a new tungsten enzyme catalyses the reduction of non-activated carboxylic acids to aldehydes

An enzyme which we call carboxylic acid reductase (aldehyde dehydrogenase) seems to be the first which is able to reduce non-activated carboxylic acids to aldehydes at the expense of reduced viologens. There is no further reduction of the aldehydes to the corresponding alcohols. In the presence of oxidized viologens aldehydes can be dehydrogenated to carboxylic acids roughly 20 times faster than the latter are reduced. The specific enzyme activity in crude extracts is about 100 times increased if 10 microM tungstate and a sulphur source in addition to sulphate is given to the growth medium of Clostridium thermoaceticum. Carboxylic acid reductase seems to be present in two forms. One has an apparent molecular mass of about 240 kDa and is bound to red-Sepharose, whereas, the other, a form of an apparent molecular mass of about 60 kDa, is not bound. SDS gel electrophoresis shows a higher complexity. The very labile enzyme has been enriched by a factor of about 145 by binding to octyl-Sepharose and further chromatographic separation by red-Sepharose and FPLC using Mono-Q and phenyl-Superose columns. After cell growth in the presence of [185W]tungstate, radioactivity coincides with the two forms of enzyme activity during all purification steps. This is also the case when the enzyme is electrophoretically separated on polyacrylamide slab gels.     

Yeast tRNA-splicing endonuclease is a heterotrimeric enzyme

tRNA-splicing endonuclease from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was purified to homogeneity greater than 5000-fold over a crude Triton X-100 extract of yeast total membranes, with 5% overall yield. This nuclear enzyme has the unusual heterotrimeric subunit structure alpha beta gamma (alpha = 31 kDa, beta = 42 kDa, and gamma = 51 kDa), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, and has a molecular mass close to the sum of the three subunits, as determined by gel filtration of the native enzyme. From the purification, we estimate that there are approximately 100 molecules of endonuclease/cell.     

Biosynthesis and in vitro translation of type IV procollagens

The present paper describes how epithelial cells, cultured from bovine anterior lens capsule explants, synthesize and secrete procollagen type IV polypeptide chains alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV). Metabolic labeling of these cells with [14C]proline for different time intervals and subsequent analysis by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of two polypeptide chains with apparent molecular masses of 180 kDa and 170 kDa. The procollagens were bacterial-collagenase-sensitive and were specifically immunoprecipitated by antibodies raised against the 7S domain of type IV collagen. Type IV procollagen poly(A)-rich RNA was isolated from cultured lens capsule cells and translated in a reticulocyte lysate cell-free system. Two polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 152 kDa and 145 kDa were identified as procollagen type IV unmodified chains by gel electrophoresis, collagenase digestion and specific immunoprecipitation. During experiments in which cells were labeled in the presence of alpha, alpha'-bipyridyl, type IV procollagen appeared as one major band comigrating with a 145 kDa polypeptide on SDS-gel electrophoresis.     

Purification of C-phycocyanin from Spirulina (Arthrospira) fusiformis

C-phycocyanin was purified from Spirulina (Arthrospira) fusiformis by a multi-step treatment of the crude extract with rivanol in a ratio 10:1 (v/v), followed by 40% saturation with ammonium sulfate. After removal of rivanol by gel-filtration on Sephadex G-25, the pigment solution was saturated to 70% with ammonium sulfate. After the last step of purification, C-phycocyanin had an emission and absorption maxima at 620 and 650 nm, respectively and absorbance ratio A(620)/A(280) of 4.3, which are specific for the pure biliprotein. Its homogeneity was demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, yielding two bands of molecular masses 19500 and 21500 kDa, corresponding to alpha and beta subunits of the pigment, respectively. The yield of C-phycocyanin was approximately 46% from its content in the crude extract.     

Purification and properties of the 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone 3 alpha(beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from human prostatic cytosol.

5 alpha-Dihydrotestosterone 3 alpha(beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [3 alpha(beta)-HSDH] [EC 1.1.1.50/EC 1.1.1.51] which catalyses the conversion of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT) to both 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol was purified to an apparent homogeneous state using cytosol of three human hyperplastic prostates by a 4-step purification procedure. After each purification step 3 alpha-HSDH activity was coincident with 3 beta-HSDH activity. On average, specific 3 alpha-HSDH activity was enriched 856-fold, specific 3 beta-HSDH activity 749-fold compared to human prostatic cytosol using anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, gel filtration and affinity chromatography. Examination of the purified enzyme by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) revealed a single protein band with silver staining. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as 33 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and as 28 kDa by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration indicating that the native 3 alpha(beta)-HSDH is a monomer. In the presence of the preferred co-factor, NADPH, the purified enzyme had a mean apparent Km for 5 alpha-DHT of 3.9 microM and a Vmax of 93.3 nmol (mg protein)-1 h-1 with regard to 3 alpha-HSDH activity, and a Km of 6.3 microM and a Vmax of 20.6 nmol (mg protein)-1 h-1 with regard to 3 beta-HSDH activity.     

Purification of the NADP+:F420 oxidoreductase of Methanosphaera stadtmanae

Methanosphaera stadtmanae (DSM 3091) is a methanogen that requires H2 and CH3OH for methanogenesis. The organism does not possess an F420-dependent hydrogenase and only low levels of F420. It does however possess NADP+:F420 oxidoreductase activity. The NADP+:F420 oxidoreductase, the enzyme which catalyses the electron transfer between NADP+ and F420 in this organism, was purified and characterized. NAD+, NADH, FMN, and FAD could not be used as electron acceptors. Optimal pH for F420 reduction was 6.0, and 8.5 for NADP+ reduction. During the purification process, it was noted that precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 increased total activity 16-fold but reduced the stability of the enzyme. However, recombination of cell-free extracts with resuspended 65-90% (NH4)2SO4 pellet returned activity to near cell-free extract levels. Neither high salt or protease inhibitors were effective in stabilizing the activity of the partially purified enzyme. The purified enzyme from M. stadtmanae possessed a molecular weight of 148 kDa as determined by gel filtration chromatography and native-PAGE, consisting of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits of 60, 50, and 45 kDa, respectively, using SDS-PAGE. The Km values were 370 microM for NADP+, 142 microM for NADPH, 62.5 microM for F420, and 7.7 microM for F420H2. These values were different from the Km values observed in the cell-free extract.     

Purification and some properties of the tungsten-containing carboxylic acid reductase from Clostridium formicoaceticum.

Judged by properties observed during the purification and based on the sequence of the first 25 amino acids, the enzyme from Clostridium formicoaceticum catalysing the reversible reduction of non-activated carboxylic acids to aldehydes at the expense of reduced viologens, is astonishingly different from that found by us in C. thermoaceticum. According to native and SDS gel electrophoresis the reductase is nearly homogeneous after only 26-fold purification. The specificity for various substrates and artificial electron carriers is also broad, but V of the purified aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (54 U/mg enzyme for butanal) is about 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the enzyme from C. thermoaceticum. The reductase is a dimer of two identical subunits with an Mr of 67,000 each. Increased enzyme concentrations seem to lead to higher oligomers. Per dimer 11 +/- 1 iron, 16 +/- 1 acid labile sulphur, 1.4 tungsten and after permanganate oxidation 1.6 mol pterin-6-carboxylic acid have been found.     

Purification and properties of a NADH-dependent 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase from Peptostreptococcus productus

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase from the carbon-monoxide-utilizing homoacetogen Peptostreptococcus productus (strain Marburg) has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme catalyzed the oxidation of NADH with methylenetetrahydrofolate as the electron acceptor at a specific activity of 380 mumols.min-1 mg protein-1 (37 degrees C; pH 5.5). The apparent Km for NADH was near 10 microM. The apparent molecular mass of the enzyme was determined by gel filtration to be approximately 250.0 kDa. The enzyme consists of eight identical subunits with a molecular mass of 32 kDa. It contains 4 FAD/mol octamer which were reduced by the enzyme with NADH as the electron donor; iron could not be detected. Oxygen had no effect on the enzyme. Ultracentrifugation of cell extracts revealed that about 40% of the enzyme activity was recovered in the particulate fraction, suggesting that the enzyme is associated with the membrane. The enzyme also catalyzed the methylenetetrahydrofolate reduction with methylene blue as an artificial electron donor. The oxidation of methyltetrahydrofolate was mediated with methylene blue as the electron acceptor; neither NAD+ nor viologen dyes could replace methylene blue in this reaction. NADP(H) or FAD(H2) were not used to substrates for the reaction in either direction. The activity of the purified enzyme, which was proposed to be involved in sodium translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane, was not affected by the absence or presence of added sodium. The properties of the enzyme differ from those of the ferredoxin-dependent methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase of the homoacetogen Clostridium formicoaceticum and of the NADP(+)-dependent reductase of eucaryotes investigated so far.     

Purification and characterization of ferredoxin-NAD(P)(+) reductase from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum

Ferredoxin-NAD(P)(+) reductase [EC 1.18.1.3, 1.18.1.2] was isolated from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum and purified to homogeneity. The molecular mass of the subunit is 42 kDa, as deduced by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The molecular mass of the native enzyme is approximately 90 kDa, estimated by gel-permeation chromatography, and is thus a homodimer. The enzyme contains one FAD per subunit and has absorption maxima at about 272, 385, and 466 nm. In the presence of ferredoxin (Fd) and reaction center (RC) complex from C. tepidum, it efficiently catalyzes photoreduction of both NADP(+) and NAD(+). When concentrations of NADP(+) exceeded 10 microM, NADP(+) photoreduction rates decreased with increased concentration. The inhibition by high concentrations of substrate was not observed with NAD(+). It also reduces 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DPIP) and molecular oxygen with either NADPH or NADH as efficient electron donors. It showed NADPH diaphorase activity about two times higher than NADH diaphorase activity in DPIP reduction assays at NAD(P)H concentrations less than 0.1 mM. At 0.5 mM NAD(P)H, the two activities were about the same, and at 1 mM, the former activity was slightly lower than the latter.     

Overexpression and purification of the separate tryptophan synthase alpha and beta subunits from Salmonella typhimurium.

To obtain high levels of expression of the free alpha and beta subunits of tryptophan synthase from Salmonella typhimurium, we have used two plasmids (pStrpA and pStrpB) that carry the genes encoding the alpha and beta subunits, respectively. The expression of each plasmid in Escherichia coli CB149 results in overproduction of each subunit. We also report new and efficient methods for purifying the individual alpha and beta subunits. Microcrystals of the beta subunit are obtained by addition of polyethylene glycol 8000 and spermine to crude bacterial extracts. This crystallization procedure is similar to methods used previously to grow crystals of the S. typhimurium tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex for X-ray crystallography and to purify this complex by crystallization from bacterial extracts. The results suggest that purification by crystallization may be useful for other overexpressed enzymes and multienzymes complexes. Purification of the alpha subunit utilizes ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-Sephacel, and high-performance liquid chromatography on a Mono Q column. The purified alpha and beta subunits are more than 95% pure by the criterion of sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The procedures developed can be applied to the expression and purification of mutant forms of the separate alpha and beta subunits. The purified alpha and beta subunits provide useful materials for studies of subunit association and for investigations of other properties of the separate subunits.     

Purification and characterization of spermidine N1-acetyltransferase from chick duodenum

We have reported that spermidine N1-acetyltransferase has a larger role than ornithine decarboxylase in putrescine synthesis in chick duodenum induced by 1 alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol) [Shinki, T., Kadofuku, T., Sato, T. and Suda, T. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 11712-11716]. In the present study, spermidine N1-acetyltransferase was purified from the duodenal cytosol of calcitriol-treated chicks to homogeneity judged by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme converted spermidine only to N1-acetyl-spermidine. The apparent molecular mass of the purified spermidine N1-acetyltransferase was found to be 36 kDa by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and 18 kDa by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When duodenal crude 105,000 x g extracts were directly applied to a Sephacryl S-200 column without prior purification, three peaks with spermidine N1-acetyltransferase activity appeared. The first peak was in the void volume, the second peak was in the fraction corresponding to an apparent molecular mass of 70 kDa, and the third peak was in the fraction corresponding to 36 kDa. These results suggest that spermidine N1-acetyltransferase exists as a dimer of the 18 kDa subunits and is stabilized in (a) form(s) bound to other components or proteins in intact cells.     

Homo- and heterotetrameric forms of the membrane-bound metalloendopeptidases meprin A and B

Meprin A and B are disulfide-linked, tetrameric metalloendopeptidases in renal brush border membranes. Meprin A contains 90-kDa subunits (alpha subunits) and is expressed in random-bred and some inbred strains of mice. Meprin B contains subunits of 110 kDa (beta subunits) in situ, and the enzyme from C3H mice, a strain that does not express alpha subunits, has been characterized. Evidence from this and previous studies indicate that beta subunits are expressed in all mouse strains. The tetrameric organization of these meprins was examined in brush border membrane fractions from a random-bred strain (ICR) and two inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6 and C3H/He). Lectin blotting using biotinylated concanavalin A revealed that membranes from the random-bred strain contained three oligomeric complexes of approximately 390, 440, and 490 kDa as determined after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the absence of reducing agents. The subunits in all three oligomers were linked by disulfide bridges. Western blotting using an anti-alpha monoclonal antibody indicated that alpha subunits (90 kDa) were present in the 390- and 440-kDa complexes. Western blotting with a polyclonal antibody specific for beta subunits (110 kDa) indicated the presence of these subunits in the 440- and 490-kDa complexes. Electroelution of the individual oligomers followed by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions confirmed that the 390- and 490-kDa molecules are homotetramers of alpha and beta subunits, respectively, and that the 440-kDa molecule is a heterotetramer consisting of disulfide-bridged alpha and beta subunits. C57BL/6 mice expressed both alpha and beta subunits and contained tetramers composed of alpha 4 and alpha 2 beta 2. C3H/He mice expressed only the 110-kDa beta subunits and the beta 4 oligomer. This type of multimeric organization of disulfide-linked subunits is unique for the known endopeptidases.     

Isolation and characterization of a FAD-dependent NADH diaphorase from Methanospirillum hungatei strain GP1

Crude extracts of Methanospirillum hungatei strain GP1 contained NADH and NADPH diaphorase activities. After a 483-fold purification of the NADH diaphorase the enzyme was further separated from contaminating proteins by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Two distinct activity bands were extracted from the acrylamide, each one having oxygen, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, and cytochrome c linked activities. In these preparations NADPH could not replace NADH as electron donor. During the initial purification steps all activity was lost due to the removal of a readily released cofactor. Enzyme activity was restored by either FAD or a FAD fraction isolated from M. hungatei. Oxidase activity exhibited a broad pH optimum from 7.0 to 8.5 and apparent Km values of 26 microM for NADH and 0.2 microM for FAD. Superoxide anion, formed in the presence of oxygen, accounted for all of the NADH consumed in the reaction. The molecular weight of the diaphorase was about 117 500 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Sulfhydryl reagents and chelating agents were inhibitory. Inactivation, which occurred during storage in phosphate buffer at 4 degrees C, was delayed by dithiothreitol. The isolated NADH diaphorase lacked NADPH:NAD transhydrogenase and NAD reductase activities.     

DNA strand transfer protein beta from yeast mitotic cells differs from strand transfer protein alpha from meiotic cells

We have purified to homogeneity an activity from mitotic cell extracts of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which promotes the transfer of a strand from a duplex linear DNA molecule to a complementary circular single strand. This activity does not require any nucleotide cofactor and is greatly stimulated by yeast single-stranded DNA-binding protein. It consists of a single polypeptide of an apparent molecular mass of 180 kDa as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This activity, which we call DNA strand transfer protein beta (STP beta), has reaction properties similar to those of DNA strand transfer protein alpha (STP alpha) purified from crude extracts of yeast meiotic cells (Sugino, A., Nitiss, J., and Resnick, M. A. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 3683-3687). However, STP beta differs from STP alpha in its molecular weight and column chromatographic behavior as well as by immunological comparison. Furthermore, the STP beta polypeptide remains in cells in which the STP alpha gene has been disrupted. Thus, we conclude the STP beta activity is encoded by a gene different from that for STP alpha. Although STP beta was isolated from mitotic cells, the amount of STP beta increases severalfold during meiosis. STP beta also appears to differ in molecular weight from similar activities described by other groups and may be an intact form of their activities.     

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-Dependent Formate Dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum: Purification and Properties

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-dependent formate dehydrogenase in Clostridium thermoaceticum used, in addition to its natural electron acceptor, methyl and benzyl viologen. The enzyme was purified to a specific activity of 34 (micromoles per minute per milligram of protein) with NADP as electron acceptor. Disc gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme yielded two major and two minor protein bands, and during centrifugation in sucrose gradients two components of apparent molecular weights of 270,000 and 320,000 were obtained, both having formate dehydrogenase activity. The enzyme preparation catalyzed the reduction of riboflavine 5'-phosphate flavine adenine dinucleotide and methyl viologen by using reduced NADP as a source of electrons. It also had reduced NADP oxidase activity. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by cyanide and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. It was also inhibited by hypophosphite, an inhibition that was reversed by formate. Sulfite inhibited the activity with NADP but not with methyl viologen as acceptor. The apparent K(m) at 55 C and pH 7.5 for formate was 2.27 x 10(-4) M with NADP and 0.83 x 10(-4) with methyl viologen as acceptor. The apparent K(m) for NADP was 1.09 x 10(-4) M and for methyl viologen was 2.35 x 10(-3) M. NADP showed substrate inhibition at 5 x 10(-3) M and higher concentrations. With NADP as electron acceptor, the enzyme had a broad pH optimum between 7 and 9.5. The apparent temperature optimum was 85 C. In the absence of substrates, the enzyme was stable at 70 C but was rapidly inactivated at temperatures above 73 C. The enzyme was very sensitive to oxygen but was stabilized by thiol-iron complexes and formate.     

Purification and properties of an NADP-specific 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Streptococcus faecalis.

A procedure is described for the purification of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-phospho-D-gluconate:NADP oxidoreductase (decarboxylating) EC 1.1.1.44) from cell extracts of Streptococcus gaecalis. A 180-fold purification was achieved with an over-all yield of about 12% and an average specific activity of 14. The enzyme was homogeneous as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, and sedimentation equilibrium, studies. Its weight average molecular weight, as measured by sedimentation equilibrium, was 108,000 +/- 3,600. Other methods employed for molecular weight determinations gave values that ranged between 106,000 and 115,000. An analysis of the enzyme by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed it to be a dimer composed of subunits having equal molecular weight. The amino acid composition of the streptococcal enzyme is reported. The apparent Km values for NADP and 6-phosphogluconate were calculated from kinetic data and found to be 0.015 mM and 0.024 mM, respectively. Kinetic studies also indicated that the binding of one substrate did not affect the apparent affinity of the enzyme for the other substrate.     

Purification of the NADPH:5 alpha-dihydroprogesterone 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase from female rat pituitary cytosol

The NADPH:5 alpha-dihydroprogesterone 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase (3 alpha-HSOR) [EC 1.1.1.50] which catalyzes the reversible conversion of 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5 alpha-dihydroprogesterone; 5 alpha-DHP) to 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan- 20-one (3 alpha-,5 alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone; 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP) was purified to apparent homogeneity from female rat anterior pituitary cytosol by a three step micro-purification procedure. Specific activity of purified 3 alpha-HSOR was enriched 438-fold from that in pituitary cytosol using successive ion exchange, chromatofocusing and affinity column chromatography purification steps. 3 alpha-HSOR appears to be a monomer with an approximate molecular weight of 36 kDa and an isoelectric point of about 5.75. The purified enzyme appears as a single protein staining band (36 kDa) when examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and with both silver or Coomassie blue staining. Under non-dissociating electrophoretic conditions, all of the 3 alpha-HSOR activity co-migrated with the 36 kDa protein staining band. The purified enzyme in the presence of the preferred cofactor, NADPH, has an apparent Km for 5 alpha-DHP of 82 nM and a Vmax of 1.2 mumol of 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP formed per mg protein/30 min. The Km for NADPH was 0.71 microM. In the oxidative direction, the enzyme in the presence of NADP+ has a Km for 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP of 1.4 microM and a Vmax of 9.7 mumol of 5 alpha-DHP formed per mg protein/30 min. The Km for NADP+ was 1.6 microM.