Crystallization of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli

Crystals of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli have been grown out of ammonium sulfate by the hanging drop method of vapor diffusion. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6₁22 or P6₅22, with $\text{a = 124}\text{A}\text{?}\text{and}\text{c = 381}\text{A}\text{?}$, and diffract to 3.8 Å resolution.     

"Kinetic competence" of the 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase tetrahedral intermediate

The tetrahedral intermediate formed at the active site of 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase by reaction of shikimate 3-phosphate with phosphoenolpyruvate was isolated, and its properties in solution and in reaction with enzyme were examined. The intermediate was moderately stable at pH 7.0, with a half-life of 45 min, and showed increasing lifetimes with increasing pH (t1/2 greater than 48 h at pH greater than or equal to 12). The intermediate bound to the enzyme rapidly, with a second order rate constant of 5 x 10(7) M-1 s-1. Upon binding to the enzyme, it reacted to form both products (5-enolpyruvoylshikimate 3-phosphate, Pi) and substrates (shikimate 3-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate) in proportions predicted by the rate constants defined previously for reactions occurring at the active enzyme site (Anderson, K.S. Sikorski, J.A., and Johnson, K. A. (1988b) Biochemistry 27, 7395-7406). The kinetics of binding and dissociation of stable phosphonate analogs of the tetrahedral intermediate (Alberg, D., and Bartlett, P.A. (1989) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111, 2337) were also examined. In comparison to the intermediate, the analogs bound to the enzyme 300-10,000 fold more slowly and at least 300-20,000 times mroe weakly. These results clarify the definitions for kinetic competence of enzyme intermediates and call into question the significance of the slow binding of analogs of transition states or enzyme intermediates.     

Purification of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli.

A procedure for the purification of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli is described. Homogeneous enzyme of specific activity 17.7 units/mg was obtained in 22% yield. The key purification step involves substrate elution of the enzyme from a cellulose phosphate column. The subunit Mr was estimated to be 49 000 by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The native Mr was estimated to be 55 000 by gel filtration, indicating that the enzyme is monomeric.     

Evaluation of 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase substrate and inhibitor binding by stopped-flow and equilibrium fluorescence measurements

The binding of substrates and the herbicide N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine (glyphosate) to enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase was evaluated by stopped-flow and equilibrium fluorescence measurements. Changes in protein fluorescence were observed upon the binding of EPSP and upon the formation of the enzyme-shikimate 3-phosphate-glyphosate ternary complex; no change was seen with either shikimate 3-phosphate (S3P) or glyphosate alone. By fluorescence titrations, the dissociation constants were determined for the formation of the enzyme binary complexes with S3P (Kd,S = 7 +/- 1.2 microM) and EPSP (Kd,EPSP = 1 +/- 0.01 microM). The dissociation constant for S3P was determined by competition with EPSP or by measurements in the presence of a low glyphosate concentration. At saturating concentrations of S3P, glyphosate bound to the enzyme--S3P binary complex with a dissociation constant of 0.16 +/- 0.02 microM. Glyphosate did not bind significantly to free enzyme, so the binding is ordered with S3P binding first: (formula; see text) where S refers to S3P, G refers to glyphosate, and E.S.G. represents the complex with altered fluorescence. The kinetics of binding were measured by stopped-flow fluorescence methods. The rate of glyphosate binding to the enzyme--S3P complex was k2 = (7.8 +/- 0.2) X 10(5) M-1 s-1, from which we calculated the dissociation rate k-2 = 0.12 +/- 0.02 s-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli. Model of binding of phosphoenolpyruvate and D-arabinose-5-phosphate

The crystal structure of 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase (KDOPS) from Escherichia coli was determined by molecular replacement using coordinates given to us by Radaev and co-workers prior to publication. The KDOPS crystals reported by Radaev et al. were grown in the presence of 1.4 M (NH(4))(2)SO(4) and 0.4 M (K/H)(3)PO(4). They are in the cubic space group I23 (a=228.6 A) with a tetramer in the asymmetric unit; the structure has been refined with data to 2.4 A. Our crystals of E. coli KDOPS, grown in 24 % (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500 in the presence of the substrates, 2-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and d-arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P), are also in space group I23 (a=118.2 A), with one subunit in the asymmetric unit.The medium of crystallization, 1.8 M SO(4)/PO(4) versus 24 % PEG, does not significantly affect the conformation of KDOPS. The inter-monomer contacts in both structures are the same. The beta(8)/alpha(8) loop (residues 246 to 251) situated near the entrance to the active site is not seen in the 229 A structure but can be traced in the 118 A structure.Most significantly, Radaev et al. interpreted two SO(4)/PO(4) sites in the 229 A structure as marking the phosphate positions of the substrates, PEP and A5P, after the precedent of DAHPS. In the 118 A structure the inner of these two SO(4)/PO(4) peaks is present at the same position as in the 229 A structure of KDOPS. The outer phosphate peak in the 118 A KDOPS is 3.7 A from the outer SO(4)/PO(4) peak in the 229 A structure and is within hydrogen bonding distance of Arg63 of the same subunit and Arg120 of another subunit. Based on the precedent of the d-erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P) modeled in the active site of DAHPS, we have modeled PEP and A5P in KDOPS and compared the coordination of PEP and A5P in KDOPS with that of PEP and E4P in DAHPS.     

The purification of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase from an overproducing strain of Escherichia coli

The Escherichia coli aroA gene which codes for the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSP synthase) has been cloned from the lambda-transducing bacteriophage lambda pserC. The gene has been located on a 4.7 kilobase pair PstI DNA fragment which has been inserted into the multiple copy plasmid pAT153. E. coli cells transformed with this recombinant plasmid overproduce EPSP synthase 100-fold. A simple method for the purification of homogeneous enzyme in milligram quantities has been devised. The resulting enzyme is indistinguishable from enzyme isolated from untransformed E. coli.     

Metal-catalyzed oxidation of phenylalanine-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli: inactivation and destabilization by oxidation of active-site cysteines

The in vitro instability of the phenylalanine-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase [DAHPS(Phe)] from Escherichia coli has been found to be due to a metal-catalyzed oxidation mechanism. DAHPS(Phe) is one of three differentially feedback-regulated isoforms of the enzyme which catalyzes the first step of aromatic biosynthesis, the formation of DAHP from phosphoenolpyruvate and D-erythrose-4-phosphate. The activity of the apoenzyme decayed exponentially, with a half-life of about 1 day at room temperature, and the heterotetramer slowly dissociated to the monomeric state. The enzyme was stabilized by the presence of phosphoenolpyruvate or EDTA, indicating that in the absence of substrate, a trace metal(s) was the inactivating agent. Cu2+ and Fe2+, but none of the other divalent metals that activate the enzyme, greatly accelerated the rate of inactivation and subunit dissociation. Both anaerobiosis and the addition of catalase significantly reduced Cu2+-catalyzed inactivation. In the spontaneously inactivated enzyme, there was a net loss of two of the seven thiols per subunit; this value increased with increasing concentrations of added Cu2+. Dithiothreitol completely restored the enzymatic activity and the two lost thiols in the spontaneously inactivated enzyme but was only partially effective in reactivation of the Cu2+-inactivated enzyme. Mutant enzymes with conservative replacements at either of the two active-site cysteines, Cys61 or Cys328, were insensitive to the metal attack. Peptide mapping of the Cu2+-inactivated enzyme revealed a disulfide linkage between these two cysteine residues. All results indicate that DAHPS(Phe) is a metal-catalyzed oxidation system wherein bound substrate protects active-site residues from oxidative attack catalyzed by bound redox metal cofactor. A mechanism of inactivation of DAHPS is proposed that features a metal redox cycle that requires the sequential oxidation of its two active-site cysteines.     

The 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase of glyphosate-tolerant soybean expressed in Escherichia coli shows no severe allergenicity

The recombinant gene was amplified from the chromosomal DNA of genetically-modified (GM) soybeans and identified as epsps encoding 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) which renders glyphosate resistance. The epsps structural gene was introduced in the pET28(a) plasmid for its expression in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). It was confirmed that the maximal productivity of the EPSPS protein was achieved when cultivating the recombinant strain in a LB broth for 2 h after supplementing 1 mM isopropylbeta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) in a 2 h-culture broth. Since the expressed EPSPS protein was found as an insoluble form in the inclusion body, it was extracted by 6 M urea after sonication, and then purified through immobilized nickel-affinity column chromatography to isolate EPSPS having a molecular mass of 57 kDa. When incubated in simulated gastric fluid containing pepsin at pH 1.5, the purified EPSPS protein was completely digested within 1 min. In addition, the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction of the purified EPSPS protein was not observed in the Sprague Dawley rat system that was administered either orally or subcutaneously. Furthermore, treatment of the EPSPS protein to the culture of the sensitized peritoneal mast cells, or unsensitized but antisera-labeled mast cells, showed neither a remarkable change in the histamine release nor a cytokine production, including interleukin-4 (IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Thus, it can be concluded that the EPSPS protein in the GM soybean showed no significant allergenicity in the Sprague Dawley rats.     

A novel 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase shows high glyphosate tolerance in Escherichia coli and tobacco plants

A key enzyme in the shikimate pathway, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is the primary target of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate. Identification of new aroA genes coding for EPSPS with a high level of glyphosate tolerance is essential for the development of glyphosate-tolerant crops. In the present study, the glyphosate tolerance of five bacterial aroA genes was evaluated in the E. coli aroA-defective strain ER2799 and in transgenic tobacco plants. All five aroA genes could complement the aroA-defective strain ER2799, and AM79 aroA showed the highest glyphosate tolerance. Although glyphosate treatment inhibited the growth of both WT and transgenic tobacco plants, transgenic plants expressing AM79 aroA tolerated higher concentration of glyphosate and had a higher fresh weight and survival rate than plants expressing other aroA genes. When treated with high concentration of glyphosate, lower shikimate content was detected in the leaves of transgenic plants expressing AM79 aroA than transgenic plants expressing other aroA genes. These results suggest that AM79 aroA could be a good candidate for the development of transgenic glyphosate-tolerant crops.     

Mechanism of inactivation of the beta 2 subunit of Escherichia coli tryptophan synthase by monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies directed against the native form of the beta 2 subunit of Escherichia coli tryptophan synthase strongly inhibit both its tryptophan synthase and its serine deaminase activities. The mechanism of this inactivation is studied here, by monitoring quantitatively the absorption and fluorescence properties of different well-characterized successive intermediates in the catalytic cycle of tryptophan synthase. It is shown that the antibodies interfere specifically with the formation of one or the other of these intermediates. It is concluded that the antibodies either modify or block the molecular flexibility of the protein, thus preventing conformational changes that the protein has to undergo during the catalysis. At least two different stages of the catalytic process, each one sensitive to a different class of antibodies, are shown to involve molecular movements of the polypeptide chain. Indications are given on the regions of the molecule involved in these movements.     

Crystal structure of phenylalanine-regulated 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: In microorganisms and plants the first step in the common pathway leading to the biosynthesis of aromatic compounds is the stereospecific condensation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and D-erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P) giving rise to 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP). This reaction is catalyzed by DAHP synthase (DAHPS), a metal-activated enzyme, which in microorganisms is the target for negative-feedback regulation by pathway intermediates or by end products. In Escherichia coli there are three DAHPS isoforms, each specifically inhibited by one of the three aromatic amino acids. RESULTS: The crystal structure of the phenylalanine-regulated form of DAHPS complexed with PEP and Pb2+ (DAHPS(Phe)-PEP-Pb) was determined by multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing utilizing the anomalous scattering of Pb2+. The tetramer consists of two tight dimers. The monomers of the tight dimer are coupled by extensive interactions including a pair of three-stranded, intersubunit beta sheets. The monomer (350 residues) is a (beta/alpha)8 barrel with several additional beta strands and alpha helices. The PEP and Pb2+ are at the C-ends of the beta strands of the barrel, as is SO4(2-), inferred to occupy the position of the phosphate of E4P. Mutations that reduce feedback inhibition cluster about a cavity near the twofold axis of the tight dimer and are centered approximately 15 A from the active site, indicating the location of a separate regulatory site. CONCLUSIONS: The crystal structure of DAHPS(Phe)-PEP-Pb reveals the active site of this key enzyme of aromatic biosynthesis and indicates the probable site of inhibitor binding. This is the first reported structure of a DAHPS; the structure of its two paralogs and of a variety of orthologs should now be readily determined by molecular replacement.     

Over-production of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase in Escherichia coli: use of the T7 promoter.

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, the product of the Escherichia coli aroA gene, has been overproduced in E. coli BL21(lambda DE3) under the control of the T7 gene 10 promoter and ribosome binding site, to a level of approximately 50% of total cell protein. EPSP synthase is the primary target of the post-emergence herbicide, glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. A simple two step purification is described, which results in 99% pure homogeneous protein (as determined by PAGE). The integrity of the protein has been compared with previously characterized protein from E. coli AB2829(pKD501) by determination of its kinetic parameters, N-terminal protein and DNA sequences, amino acid analysis and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. This new overproducing strain readily provides the gram quantities of highly pure protein required for NMR studies of the active site and the development of novel time-resolved solid-state NMR techniques currently underway in this laboratory.     

Characterization of a new feedback-resistant 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase AroF of Escherichia coli

Tyrosine feedback-inhibits the 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase isoenzyme AroF of Escherichia coli. Here we show that an Asn-8 to Lys-8 substitution in AroF leads to a tyrosine-insensitive DAHP synthase. This mutant enzyme exhibited similar activities (v=30-40 U mg(-1)) and substrate affinities (K(m)(erythrose-4-phosphate)=0.5 mM, positive cooperativity with respect to phospho(enol)pyruvate) as the wild-type AroF, but showed decreased thermostability. An engineered AroF enzyme lacking the seven N-terminal residues also was tyrosine-resistant. These results strongly suggest that the N-terminus of AroF is involved in the molecular interactions occurring in the feedback-inhibition mechanism.     

Structural basis of glyphosate tolerance resulting from mutations of Pro101 in Escherichia coli 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase

Glyphosate, the world's most used herbicide, is a massive success because it enables efficient weed control with minimal animal and environmental toxicity. The molecular target of glyphosate is 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), which catalyzes the sixth step of the shikimate pathway in plants and microorganisms. Glyphosate-tolerant variants of EPSPS constitute the basis of genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops. A single-site mutation of Pro(101) in EPSPS (numbering according to the enzyme from Escherichia coli) has been implicated in glyphosate-resistant weeds, but this residue is not directly involved in glyphosate binding, and the basis for this phenomenon has remained unclear in the absence of further kinetic and structural characterization. To probe the effects of mutations at this site, E. coli EPSPS enzymes were produced with glycine, alanine, serine, or leucine substituted for Pro(101). These mutant enzymes were analyzed by steady-state kinetics, and the crystal structures of the substrate binary and substrate.glyphosate ternary complexes of P101S and P101L EPSPS were determined to between 1.5- and 1.6-A resolution. It appears that residues smaller than leucine may be substituted for Pro(101) without decreasing catalytic efficiency. Any mutation at this site results in a structural change in the glyphosate-binding site, shifting Thr(97) and Gly(96) toward the inhibitor molecule. We conclude that the decreased inhibitory potency observed for glyphosate is a result of these mutation-induced long-range structural changes. The implications of our findings concerning the development and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds are discussed.     

Purification and properties of tryptophan-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli.

The aroH gene of Escherichia coli, which encodes the tryptophan-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase isoenzyme of the common aromatic biosynthetic pathway, was cloned behind the tac promoter in expression plasmid pKK223-3. The enzyme was overexpressed, purified to homogeneity, and characterized. The native enzyme was found to be a dimeric metalloprotein containing 0.3 mol of iron per mol of subunit and variable amounts of zinc. The activity of the native enzyme was stimulated two- to threefold when assayed in the presence of Fe2+ ions. Pretreatment of the enzyme with Fe2+ also resulted in activation, accompanied by an equivalent increase in iron content. Treatment of the enzyme with chelating agents led to inactivation, which was fully reversed by the presence of Fe2+ in the assay mixture. The native enzyme exhibited a unique absorption profile, having a shoulder of absorbance on the aromatic band with a maximum around 350 nm and a broad, weak band with a maximum around 500 nm. Treatment of the enzyme with Fe2+ enhanced the absorbance at 350 nm and eliminated the band at 500 nm. Treatment with reducing agents caused the disappearance of both bands and destabilized the enzyme. Feedback regulation of the activity of the enzyme was specific for tryptophan, with maximum inhibition at about 70%.     

Mechanistic studies of 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli.

The anomeric specificity and the steady-state kinetic mechanism of homogeneous 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonate-8-phosphate (KDO8P) synthase were investigated. The open-chain 4-deoxy analogue of arabinose-5-phosphate (Ara5P), which is structurally prohibited from undergoing ring closure, was synthesized and tested as a substrate for the synthase. It was found that the analogue functions as a substrate with a similar kcat value to that of the original substrate. The kcat/Km value for the natural substrate is seven-times greater than that of the 4-deoxy analogue. However, taking into account the 9.5% and approximately 1% concentrations of the aldehyde forms of the 4-deoxy analogue and Ara5P in solution, then the 'true' Km values must be in the range 31.5 microM and 0.26 microM, respectively, requiring about a 3 kcal/mol contribution to the binding energy by the 4-hydroxyl group of Ara5P. The data provides evidence that the enzyme acts upon the acyclic form of the natural substrate. The steady-state kinetic study of KDO8P synthase was analyzed via inhibition using the products KDO8P and inorganic phosphate, and D-ribose-5-phosphate as a dead-end inhibitor. First, intersecting lines in double-reciprocal plots of initial-velocity data at substrate concentrations in the micromolar range suggest a sequential mechanism for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The inhibition by D-ribose-5-phosphate is competitive for Ara5P and uncompetitive for phosphoenolpyruvate (P-pyruvate). These inhibition patterns are consistent with the model wherein P-pyruvate binding precedes that of Ara5P binding. Furthermore, this order of substrate binding was supported by the observations that KDO8P is a competitive inhibitor for P-pyruvate binding, supporting the concept that KDO8P and P-pyruvate bind to the same enzyme form, and noncompetitively with respect to Ara5P. In addition, the inhibition by inorganic phosphate is noncompetitive with respect to both P-pyruvate and Ara5P, suggesting an apparent ordered release of products such that Pi first, followed by KDO8P. In conclusion, these data suggest a steady-state kinetic mechanism for KDO8P synthase where P-pyruvate binding precedes that of Ara5P, followed by the ordered release of inorganic phosphate and KDO8P.     

Identification of the reactive cysteines of Escherichia coli 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase and their nonessentiality for enzymatic catalysis

Reaction of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase of Escherichia coli with the thiol reagent 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) leads to a modification of only 2 of the 6 cysteines of the enzyme, with a significant loss of its enzymatic activity. Under denaturing conditions, however, all 6 cysteines of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase react with DTNB, indicating the absence of disulfide bridges in the native protein. In the presence of shikimate 3-phosphate and glyphosate, only 1 of the 2 cysteines reacts with the reagent, with no loss of activity, suggesting that only 1 of these cysteines is at or near the active site of the enzyme. Cyanolysis of the DTNB-inactivated enzyme with KCN leads to elimination of 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoate, with formation of the thiocyano-enzyme. The thiocyano-enzyme is fully active; it exhibits a small increase in its I50 for glyphosate (6-fold) and apparent Km for phosphoenolpyruvate (4-fold) compared to the unmodified enzyme. Its apparent Km for shikimate 3-phosphate is, however, unaltered. These results clearly establish the nonessentiality of the active site-reactive cysteine of E. coli 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase for either catalysis or substrate binding. Perturbations in the kinetic constants for phosphoenolpyruvate and glyphosate suggest that the cysteine thiol is proximal to the binding site for these ligands. By N-[14C]ethylmaleimide labeling, tryptic mapping, and N-terminal sequencing, the 2 reactive cysteines have been identified as Cys408 and Cys288. The cysteine residue protected by glyphosate and shikimate 3-phosphate from its reaction with DTNB was found to be Cys408.     

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli

3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate (KDOP) synthase catalyzes the production of KDOP from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P). In gram-negative bacteria KDOP is subsequently dephosphorylated, cytidylylated, and linked to lipid A and is required for lipid A incorporation into the outer membrane (Raetz, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 59:129–170, 1990). We have crystallized two forms of KDOP synthase belonging to space groups I23 or I2₁3, one with a = b = c = 118.0 Å and the other with a = b = c = 233 Å.     

Sequential inactivation of zeta-crystallin by o-phthalaldehyde

o-Phthalaldehyde, a bifunctional cross-linking reagent, is commonly used as a probe for the active site of enzymes. In this study, the interaction of o-phthalaldehyde with camel lens zeta-crystallin was examined by activity and fluorescence measurements. Predictably, the oxidoreductase activity of zeta-crystallin was inhibited irreversibly by o-phthalaldehyde in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, and the presence of NADPH with the enzyme appeared to provide a high degree of protection against o-phthalaldehyde inactivation. Interaction of o-phthalaldehyde with zeta-crystallin resulted in formation of isoindole adduct, which exhibited characteristic fluorescence at 415 nm. However, neither inactivation nor modification of the enzyme showed the expected pseudo-first-order kinetics; both events were highly sequential reaching different levels of saturation at different concentrations of o-phthalaldehyde. The modified enzyme had a maximum stoichiometry of 1 mol isoindole/subunit, and bound NADPH to nearly the same extent as unmodified enzyme. Gel filtration experiments suggested that o-phthalaldehyde-modified zeta-crystallin had higher apparent molecular weight than unmodified enzyme, even though the enzyme remained largely monomeric as revealed by electrophoresis on denaturing gel. These results suggested that modification by o-phthalaldehyde might have been so intrusive as to sequentially modify the tetrameric structure of zeta-crystallin.