Purification of a Penicillium citrinum lipase by chromatographic processes

A lipase from a wild strain of Penicillium citrinum was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography on a Superose 6 column and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) on a Phenyl Superose column. The yield and purification factor were 15.2% and 379 fold, respectively. The gel filtration step was efficiently scaled-up in a Superose 6 preparative grade column and after this step, the lipase was recovered in the form of a high molecular weight aggregate. The partial disaggregation of the complex was achieved by HIC and elution with 1.0% (w/v) CHAPS. The lipase produced by Penicillium citrinum forms a dimmer of 63?000 Da, as determined by SDS-PAGE, and it accumulates in the fermentation broth as high molecular weight aggregates (>2?00?000 Da). The analysis of the dimmer showed two subunits with similar molecular weights (31?000–33?000 Da) and isoelectric points (4.8–5.0).     

Analysis of the subunit composition of complex I from bovine heart mitochondria

Complex I purified from bovine heart mitochondria is a multisubunit membrane-bound assembly. In the past, seven of its subunits were shown to be products of the mitochondrial genome, and 35 nuclear encoded subunits were identified. The complex is L-shaped with one arm in the plane of the membrane and the other lying orthogonal to it in the mitochondrial matrix. With mildly chaotropic detergents, the intact complex has been resolved into various subcomplexes. Subcomplex Ilambda represents the extrinsic arm, subcomplex Ialpha consists of subcomplex Ilambda plus part of the membrane arm, and subcomplex Ibeta is another substantial part of the membrane arm. The intact complex and these three subcomplexes have been subjected to extensive reanalysis. Their subunits have been separated by three independent methods (one-dimensional SDS-PAGE, two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/SDS-PAGE, and reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)) and analyzed by tryptic peptide mass fingerprinting and tandem mass spectrometry. The masses of many of the intact subunits have also been measured by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and have provided valuable information about post-translational modifications. The presence of the known 35 nuclear encoded subunits in complex I has been confirmed, and four additional nuclear encoded subunits have been detected. Subunits B16.6, B14.7, and ESSS were discovered in the SDS-PAGE analysis of subcomplex Ilambda, in the two-dimensional gel analysis of the intact complex, and in the HPLC analysis of subcomplex Ibeta, respectively. Despite many attempts, no sequence information has been obtained yet on a fourth new subunit (mass 10,566+/-2 Da) also detected in the HPLC analysis of subcomplex Ibeta. It is unlikely that any more subunits of the bovine complex remain undiscovered. Therefore, the intact enzyme is a complex of 46 subunits, and, assuming there is one copy of each subunit in the complex, its mass is 980 kDa.     

Purification of an autocatalytic protein-glycosylating enzyme from cell suspensions of Daucus carota L.

A glycosyltransferase was identified in the 174 000 · g membrane pellet and the supernatant from extracts of cell suspensions of Daucus carota L. The enzyme from the supernatant was enriched 475-fold, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and fluorography of this purified sample showed that the only enriched protein band (40 000 Da) was simultaneously an enzyme and a glucose-acceptor. Gel filtration and electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions proved that in vivo this protein provides the subunits for a very large molecule. Radio-gas-liquid chromatography demonstrated that only one glucosyl moiety was transferred from UDP-glucose to the protein.Abbreviations DEAE diethylaminoethyl - GT IsU glycosyltransferase I, soluble, substrate UDPglucose - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Purification and characterization of aspartic proteinase from sunflower seeds

Aspartic proteinases were purified from sunflower seed extracts by affinity chromatography on a pepstatin A-EAH Sepharose column and by Mono Q column chromatography. The final preparation contained three purified fractions. SDS-PAGE showed that one of the fractions consisted of disulfide-bonded subunits (29 and 9 kDa), and the other two fractions contained noncovalently bound subunits (29 and 9 kDa). These purified enzymes showed optimum pH for hemoglobinolytic activity at pH 3.0 and were completely inhibited by pepstatin A like other typical aspartic proteinases. Sunflower enzymes showed more restricted specificity on oxidized insulin B chain and glucagon than other aspartic proteinases. The cDNA coding for an aspartic proteinase was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that the mature enzyme consisted of 440 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 47,559 Da. The difference between the molecular size of purified enzymes and of the mature enzyme was due to the fact that the purified enzymes were heterodimers formed by the proteolytic processing of the mature enzyme. The derived amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed 30-78% sequence identity with that of other aspartic proteinases.     

Redox-dependent subunit dissociation of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate

Hydrogenases catalyze the reversible activation of dihydrogen. We have previously demonstrated that the purified hydrogenase from the nitrogen-fixing microorganism Azotobacter vinelandii is an alpha beta dimer (98,000 Da) with subunits of 67,000 (alpha) and 31,000 (beta) daltons and that this enzyme contains iron and nickel. The enzyme can be purified anaerobically in the presence of dithionite in a fully active state that is irreversibly inactivated by exposure to O2. Analysis of this hydrogenase by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) following boiling in SDS yields two protein staining bands corresponding to the alpha and beta subunits. However, when this enzyme was treated with SDS (25-65 degrees C) for up to 30 min under anaerobic/reductive conditions and then analyzed by anaerobic SDS-PAGE, a protein staining band corresponding to an apparent molecular mass of 58,000 Da was observed that stained for hydrogenase activity. Analysis of the 58,000-Da activity staining band by a Western immunoblot or a second aerobic SDS-polyacrylamide gel revealed that this protein actually consisted of both the alpha and beta subunits. Thus, the activity staining band (apparent 58,000 Da) represents the 98,000-Da dimer migrating abnormally on SDS-PAGE. Treatment of the anaerobically purified hydrogenase with SDS under aerobic conditions or under anaerobic conditions with electron acceptors prior to electrophoresis resulted in no activity staining band and the separated alpha and beta subunits. A. vinelandii hydrogenase was also purified under aerobic conditions in an inactive O2 stable form that can be activated by removal of oxygen followed by addition of reductant. This enzyme (as isolated), the activated form, and the reoxidized form were analyzed for their stability toward denaturation by SDS. We conclude that the dissociation of the A. vinelandii hydrogenase subunits in SDS is controlled by the redox state of the enzyme suggesting an important role of one or more redox sites in controlling the structure of this enzyme.     

One-step purification and properties of catalase from leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica

Catalase (E.C 1.11.1.6) was purified from leaves of Zandedeschia aethiopica to apparent homogeneity by a one-step hydrophobic interaction chromatography on a phenyl Sepharose CL-4B column. The purified enzyme preparation was obtained with a final recovery of enzyme activity of about 61% and a specific activity of 146 U/mg protein. The purified enzyme ran as a single protein band when analyzed both by native PAGE and SDS-PAGE corresponding to an Mr of 220,000 Da, which consists of 4 subunits with identical Mr of 54,000 Da. The pI of purified enzyme was found to be 5.2 by isoelectric focusing on ultrathin polyacrylamide gels. The purified catalase has an optimum temperature of activity at 40 degrees C, whereas it is stable between 0 degrees and 50 degrees C. As regards pH, the enzyme has an optimum activity at pH 7.0 and it is stable in the range pH 6-8. The absorption spectrum of the purified enzyme exhibited 2 peaks at 280 nm and 405 nm.     

Purification and characterisation of rape seed phospholipase D

Phospholipase D (PLD, phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) has been isolated from matured dry winter rape seed (Brassica napus L.), variety Lirajet). Final purification of the soluble enzyme was achieved by two-step ammonium sulphate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography and native PAGE followed by electroelution. The specific activity of the final electrophoretically homogeneous preparation was increased about 700 times during the purification process with an overall yield of 4.6%. The activity of purified soluble PLD depends strictly on the presence of Ca²⁺ (120 mM). The pH optimum of rape seed PLD was in the range 5.5–6. The K_m value for phosphatidylcholine depends on the ratio between SDS and substrate concentration. No polymorphism of PLD was detected by SDS-PAGE and size exclusion chromatography of the purified enzyme. The purified enzyme was a monomer with a molecular mass of 105 000 Da determined by SDS-PAGE and of 90 000–100 000 Da assessed by size exclusion chromatography. The amino acid composition of PLD was also determined. Similar intensities of immunochemical cross reactions were demonstrated between PLD extracted from rape seed, soybean, castor bean and sunflower using immunoabsorption technique with the immune serum previously prepared against partially purified rape seed PLD. Data obtained in this study and those gathered from the literature indicate close similarities in molecular, enzymatic and antigenic characteristics between PLDs of oil seeds of different species.     

Purification and Characterization of Carbaryl Hydrolase from Blastobacter sp. Strain M501

A bacterium capable of hydrolyzing carbaryl (1-naphthyl-N-methylcarbamate) was isolated from a soil enrichment. This bacterium was characterized taxonomically as a Blastobacter sp. and designated strain M501. A carbaryl hydrolase present in this strain was purified to homogeneity by protamine sulfate treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and hydrophobic, anion-exchange, gel filtration, and hydroxylapatite chromatographies. The native enzyme had a molecular mass of 166,000 Da and was composed of two subunits with molecular masses of 84,000 Da. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme activity were 9.0 and 45°C, respectively. The enzyme was not stable at temperatures above 40°C. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed seven N-methylcarbamate insecticides and also exhibited activity against 1-naphthyl acetate and 4-nitrophenyl acetate.     

Isolation and characterization of the two active fractions from porcine brain phosphofructokinase purified by affinity chromatography

Phosphofructokinase was purified from porcine brain by the successive affinity chromatographies of Blue-Sepharose and ATP-agarose. The purified enzyme was found to contain three subunits, namely, the L-, M- and C-type by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified enzyme separated into the two active fractions through gel filtration (FIs and FIIs). SDS-PAGE revealed that the FIs contained the L- and M-type subunits, while the FIIs contained the M- and C-type. The FIIs preparation was more sensitive to ATP inhibition, ADP activation and citrate inhibition than the FIs.     

Purification and some properties of two isofunctional juglone hydroxylases from Pseudomonas putida J1

Juglone-induced cells of Pseudomonas putida J 1 were shown to contain two isofunctional juglone hydroxylases. Both enzymes were purified about 125-fold to homogeneity in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular masses of the native enzymes, as determined by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration were 59 000 Da for enzyme 1 and 56 000 Da for enzyme 2. The molecular masses of the subunits were determined by dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as 25 000 Da (enzyme 1) and 23 500 Da (enzyme 2). Both enzymes hydroxylated juglone, naphthazarin, 1,4-naphthoquinone and 2-chloro-1,4-naphthoquinone, but they were completely inactive against naphtholes. The activity of both hydroxylases was not affected by chelating agents, thiol reagents, however, were found to be strong inhibitors. No external cofactors such as Fe2, NADH, NADPH, FAD, FMN were required for activity. Concomitant with the hydroxylation of juglone the consumption of oxygen in a molar ratio 2: 1 (juglone: oxygen) was observed but none of the enzymes incorporated 18O2 into the substrate juglone. By activity staining enzyme 1 was found to be present in induced and non-induced cells of P. putida J 1, enzyme 2, however, only in juglone-induced cells.     

Purification of ferrichrome synthetase from Aspergillus quadricinctus and characterisation as a phosphopantetheine containing multienzyme complex

Aspergillus quadricinctus was grown under iron limitation to induce the enzymes for ferrichrome biosynthesis. The mycelium was disintegrated by ultraturrax homogenization, and ferrichrome synthetase was purified by column chromatography on DEAE cellulose, hydroxyapatite and Bio-Gel A-5m. The enzyme was almost homogeneous in single fractions as shown in gel electrophoresis under non-denaturating conditions. By fast-protein liquid chromatography on Superose 6, the purified ferrichrome synthetase (molecular weight 9.6.10(5) dissociated partly into an enzyme complex with reduced ferrichrome synthetase activity of 8 x 10(5) Da, one acetylhydroxyornithine (AHO) activating protein of 5.5 x 10(5) Da and one glycine activating protein of 4 x 10(5) Da. After SDS treatment the AHO activating protein dissociated into subunits of 9 x 10(4) Da, while the glycine activating protein dissociated into subunits of 5 x 10(4) Da and 4 x 10(4) Da in a molar ratio of 6:1. No subunits were found after SDS treatment of the larger of the two ferrichrome synthetizing enzyme complexes. Pantetheine was detected in protein bands of defined molecular weights (4 x 10(4), 9 x 10(4) and greater than 3.4 x 10(5) after SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gel slices were cut out, and the growth factor activity for Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 was analyzed. The calculated content was 2 mol of pantetheine per mol of ferrichrome synthetase of 9.6 x 10(5) Da.     

Characterization of rat adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase using a monospecific antibody

An antibody to a highly pure enzyme preparation was developed to facilitate detailed studies of rat adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase regulation. Lipoprotein lipase was purified by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography followed by preparative isoelectric focusing. The enzyme migrated as a single broad band on SDS disc gel and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with an apparent molecular mass of 67 000 and 62 000 Da, respectively. The amino acid composition of the purified rat enzyme was virtually identical to that of bovine milk. A major protein component with no lipase activity co-eluted with the enzyme from the affinity column, but was separated by the isoelectric focusing step. The molecular mass was slightly lower (58 000 Da) but the amino acid composition of this protein was similar to that of the enzyme. An antibody raised against the purified rat enzyme was highly potent and was effective in inhibiting rat heart lipoprotein lipase, but not the salt-resistant hepatic lipase. Analysis of crude acetone-ether adipose tissue preparation on SDS slab polyacrylamide gel coupled to Western blotting revealed five protein bands = (62 000, 56 000, 41 700, 22 500, 20 000 Da). Similarly, following affinity purification by immunoadsorption, the purified antibody reacted with five equivalent protein bands. Fluorescent concanavalin A binding data indicated that the 56 kDa band is a glycosylated form of lipoprotein lipase. Pretreatment of adipose tissue with proteinase inhibitors revealed that the lower molecular mass proteins (41 700 and 20 000 Da) were degradation products of lipoprotein lipase, and the 22 500 Da band could be accounted for by non-specific binding.     

Purification and characterization of homogeneous sunflower seed acid phosphatase

Acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) from sunflower seed was purified 1800-fold to homogeneity using both conventional and affinity chromatographic methods. The purified enzyme was a mixture of two enzyme forms distinguishable by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Gel exclusion chromatography, which did not distinguish between the two forms, gave an apparent M, of 103 000. Preparative PAGE permitted the separation of the two forms, and SDS-PAGE showed that they contained equivalent peptide subunits of apparent M, 56 000 and 52 000. Amino acid analysis indicated that both enzyme forms have similar amino acid compositions. Data on substrate specificity and pH dependence is presented. The kinetic constants for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate as catalysed by sunflower seed acid phosphatase were independent of pH in the range 3-5. The enzyme was competitively inhibited by inorganic phosphate and non-competitively inhibited by phosphomycin.     

Cloning, sequencing, and overexpression of the genes encoding coenzyme B12-dependent glycerol dehydratase of Citrobacter freundii.

The genes encoding coenzyme B12-dependent glycerol dehydratase of Citrobacter freundii were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The B12-free enzyme was purified to homogeneity. It consists of three types of subunits whose N-terminal sequences are in accordance with those deduced from the open reading frames dhaB, dhaC, and dhaE, coding for subunits of 60,433 (alpha), 21,487 (beta), and 16,121 (gamma) Da, respectively. The enzyme complex has the composition alpha2beta2gamma2. Amino acid alignments with the subunits of the recently sequenced diol dehydratase of Klebsiella oxytoca (T. Tobimatsu, T. Hara, M. Sakaguchi, Y. Kishimoto, Y. Wada, M. Isoda, T. Sakai, and T. Toraya, J. Biol. Chem. 270:7142-7148, 1995) revealed identities between 51.8 and 70.9%.     

Purification and properties of ornithine carbamoyltransferase from loggerhead turtle liver

Ornithine carbamoyltransferase has been purified from the liver of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta by a single-step procedure using chromatography on an affinity column to which the transition-state analogue, delta-N-(phosphonoacetyl)-L-ornithine (delta-PALO), was covalently bound. The procedure employed yielded an enzyme which was purified 373-fold and was judged to be homogeneous by nondenaturing and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme showed a specific activity of 224. The molar mass of the C. caretta enzyme was approximately 112 kDa, the single band obtained by SDS-PAGE indicated a subunit molar mass of 39.5 kDa; hence, the enzyme is a trimer of identical subunits. It catalyzes an ordered sequential mechanism in which carbamoyl phosphate binds first, followed by L-ornithine. The Michaelis constants were 0.858 mM for L-ornithine and 0.22 mM for carbamoyl phosphate, the dissociation constant of the enzyme-carbamoyl phosphate complex was 0.50 mM.     

A Simple and Efficient Method for the Purification of Membrane-Bound Levansucrase from Zymomonas mobilis

A new and efficient method for the purification of levansucrase from cell-free extracts of a flocculant mutant of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988 was developed. Levansucrase activity was almost completely recovered and purified by a factor of 15 after precipitation with 0.1 m MnCl₂ as a first capturing step. The enzyme was homogeneously purified by ultrafiltration and anion-exchange chromatography and exhibited a levan-forming activity of 39.2 U mg⁻¹. The native enzyme formed large aggregates with an apparent molecular mass of more than 10⁶ Da as determined by size-exclusion chromatography, whereas denaturing SDS-PAGE indicated an apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa for the subunits. Received: 10 October 2000 / Accepted: 17 November 2000     

The GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor is a heterotetramer of homologous alpha and beta subunits.

The GABAA receptor has been purified to homogeneity from bovine cerebral cortex. Under stringent conditions of isolation, the GABAA receptor was shown to consist only of alpha (Mr 53 000) and beta (Mr 57 000) subunits. A densitometric scan of SDS-PAGE gels under reducing conditions showed that these subunits were present in a 1:1 ratio. A model of the receptor as a heterologous tetramer alpha 2 beta 2 is proposed. Monoclonal antibodies have been raised to the purified bovine GABAA receptor. One of these antibodies, 1A6, was shown to react with both the alpha and beta subunits of the purified receptor. The subunits were still positive in immunoblots following the removal of the carbohydrate moieties of the respective polypeptides by endoglycosidase F treatment. This antibody has been employed to demonstrate antigenic cross-reactivity between the GABAA receptors of three vertebrate species. It is further proposed that there is partial amino acid sequence homology between the alpha and beta polypeptides and hence that they are derived from a single ancestral gene.     

Gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase from Haloferax sp. D1227

Gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase from the extreme halophile Haloferax sp. D1227 (Hf. D1227) was purified using a three-step procedure. The enzyme was found to be a homotetramer of 42 000 ± 1000 Da subunits, with a native molecular weight of 174 000 ± 6000 Da. The optimal salt concentration, temperature, and pH for enzyme activity were 2 M KCl or NaCl, 45°C, and pH 7.2, respectively. The gene encoding Hf. D1227 gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Haloferax volcanii. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited a 9.2% excess acidic over basic amino acids typical of halophilic enzymes. Four novel histidine clusters and a possible extradiol dioxygenase fingerprint region were identified. Received: November 19, 1997 / Accepted: May 12, 1998     

A novel multienzyme complex from a newly isolated facultative anaerobic bacterium, Paenibacillus sp. TW1

A multienzyme complex from newly isolated Paenibacillus sp. TW1 was purified from pellet-bound enzyme preparations by elution with 0.25% sucrose and 1.0% triethylamine (TEA), ultrafiltration and Sephacryl S-400 gel filtration chromatography. The purified multienzyme complex showed a single protein band on non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native-PAGE). The high molecular mass of the purified multienzyme complex was approximately 1,950 kDa. The complex consisted of xylanase and cellulase activities as the major and minor enzyme subunits, respectively. The complex appeared as at least 18 protein bands on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and as 15 xylanases and 6 cellulases on zymograms. The purified multienzyme complex contained xylanase, α-L-arabinofuranosidase, carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), avicelase and cellobiohydrolase. The complex could effectively hydrolyze corn hulls, corncobs and sugarcane bagasse. These results indicate that the multienzyme complex that is produced by this bacterium is a large, novel xylanolytic-cellulolytic enzyme complex.     

Comparative receptor study in gamete chemotaxis of the seaweeds Ectocarpus siliculosus and Cutleria multifida. An approach to interspecific communication of algal gametes

The terminal component of the electron transport chain, cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c: oxygen oxidoreductase) was purified from Bacillus subtilis W23. The enzyme was solubilized with alkyglucosides and purified to homogeneity by cytochrome c affinity chromatography. The enzyme showed absorption maxima at 414 nm and 598 nm in the oxidized form and at 443 nm and 601 nm in the reduced form. Upon reaction with carbon monoxide of the reduced purified enzyme the absorption maxima shifted to 431 nm and 598 nm. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the purified enzyme is composed out of three subunits with apparent molecular weights of 57 000, 37 000 and 21 000. This is the first report on a bacterial aa3-type oxidase containing three subunits. The functional properties of the enzyme are comparable with those of the other bacterial cytochrome c oxidases. The reaction catalyzed by this oxidase was strongly inhibited by cyanide, azide and monovalent salts. Furthermore a strong dependence of cytochrome c oxidase activity on negatively charged phospholipids was observed. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis experiments strongly indicated a transmembranal localization of cytochrome c oxidase.