Purification and properties of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from the corpus luteum

Cytoplasmic NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (isocitrate: NADP+ oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.42) was purified 290-fold from the 15,000 x g supernatant fraction of porcine corpora lutea. The major purification step was by anion-exchange chromatography with an FPLC mono P column. Enzyme lability was overcome by including Mg2+, DL-isocitrate, dithiothreitol and glycerol in the elution buffers. The molecular weight of the denatured enzyme was found to be 48,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Stokes' radius was estimated to be 3.7 nm by gel filtration and the isoelectric point was 4.8 as determined by chromatofocusing. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 57.8 units/mg and a broad optimal pH for activity from 7.5 to 9.0. The Km for the substrates DL-isocitrate and NADP+ were 13 and 12 microM, respectively. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against the purified enzyme. Protein (Western) blotting showed an immunological similarity between the cytoplasmic enzyme of the ovary, liver, adrenal gland and heart. A difference was demonstrated between the ovarian enzyme and the heart mitochondrial enzyme. The substrate turnover number and Mr of the ovarian enzyme were similar to those found for the enzyme from the liver and adrenal gland.     

Purification and characterization of NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase from an alkalophilic Bacillus

We have succeeded in purifying to homogeneity a very labile NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (isocitrate: NADP+ oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.42) from a strain of alkalophilic Bacillus, by a simple method, with an overall yield over 76% of the original activity. The molecular weight on Sephadex G-200 was around 90,000; and that by electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels was about 44,000. The sedimentation coefficient (s020,w) and isoelectric point of the enzyme were determined to be 3.22 S and pH 4.7, respectively. The enzyme required Mn2+ for the reaction and for stability. The optimum pH for the reaction was in the range 7.8-8.4 at 30 degrees C; the optimum temperature at pH 8.0 was 75 degrees C; the activation energy of the reaction was 6.2 kcal/mol. The Km values for threo-Ds-isocitrate, DL-isocitrate, and NADP+ were 5.4 microM, 9.9 microM, and 7.3 microM, respectively. This enzyme was inhibited by NADPH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate, phosphoenol pyruvate, cis-aconitate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and oxaloacetate. In addition, it was subject to a concerted inhibition by a combination of glyoxylate and oxaloacetate, and also to a cumulative inhibition by nucleoside triphosphates.     

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.     

Modulation of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase in aging

NADPH is an important cofactor in many biosynthesis pathways and the regeneration of reduced glutathione, critically important in cellular defense against oxidative damage. It is mainly produced by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, and NADP(+)-specific isocitrate dehydrogenases (ICDHs). Here, we investigated age-related changes in ICDH activity and protein expression in IMR-90 human diploid fibroblast cells and tissues from Fischer 344 rats. We found that in IMR-90 cells the activity of cytosolic ICDH (IDPc) gradually increased with age up to the 46-48 population doubling level (PDL) and then gradually decreased at later PDL. 2',7'-Dichloro-fluorescein fluorescence which reflects intracellular ROS generation was increased with aging in IMR-90 cells. In ad libitum-fed rats, we noted age-related, tissue-specific modulations of IDPc and mitochondrial ICDH (IDPm) activities and protein expression in the liver, kidney and testes. In contrast, ICDH activities and protein expression were not significantly modulated in diet-restricted rats. These data suggest that modulation of ICDH is an age-dependent and a tissue-specific phenomenon.     

Purification and stabilization of a monomeric isocitrate dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Monomeric isocitrate dehydrogenase was expressed in Corynebacterium glutamicum cells harboring pEK-icdES1, a plasmid carrying the gene for the enzyme. Two- to three-fold higher expression levels of the recombinant enzyme were observed in such cells when grown in fermentors, compared to those grown in shaker incubators. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, FPLC Mono Q anion-exchange chromatography, and affinity gel chromatography. Approximately 4 mg of 98% pure recombinant enzyme was obtained per liter of bacterial culture. Our results also include optimum buffer conditions for purification and storage of the enzyme.     

Substrate-free structure of a monomeric NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase: an open conformation phylogenetic relationship of isocitrate dehydrogenase

Both monomeric and dimeric NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) belong to the metal-dependent beta-decarboxylating dehydrogenase family and catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation from 2R,3S-isocitrate to yield 2-oxoglutarate, CO2, and NADPH. It is important to solve the structures of IDHs from various species to correlate with its function and evolutionary significance. So far, only two crystal structures of substrate/cofactor-bound (isocitrate/NADP) NADP+-dependent monomeric IDH from Azotobacter vinelandii (AvIDH) have been solved. Herein, we report for the first time the substrate/cofactor-free structure of a monomeric NADP+-dependent IDH from Corynebacterium glutamicum (CgIDH) in the presence of Mg2+. The 1.75 A structure of CgIDH-Mg2+ showed a distinct open conformation in contrast to the closed conformation of AvIDH-isocitrate/NADP+ complexes. Fluorescence studies on CgIDH in the presence of isocitrate/or NADP+ suggest the presence of low energy barrier conformers. In CgIDH, the amino acid residues corresponding to the Escherichia coli IDH phosphorylation-loop are alpha-helical compared with the more flexible random-coil region in the E. coli protein where IDH activation is controlled by phosphorylation. This more structured region supports the idea that activation of CgIDH is not controlled by phosphorylation. Monomeric NADP+-specific IDHs have been identified from about 50 different bacterial species, such as proteobacteria, actinobacteria, and planctomycetes, whereas, dimeric NADP+-dependent IDHs are diversified in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We have constructed a phylogenetic tree based on amino acid sequences of all bacterial monomeric NADP+-dependent IDHs and also another one with specifically chosen species which either contains both monomeric and dimeric NADP+-dependent IDHs or have monomeric NADP+-dependent, as well as NAD+-dependent IDHs. This is done to examine evolutionary relationships.     

Inactivation of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase by nitric oxide

Recently, we demonstrated that the control of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance and oxidative damage is one of the primary functions of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) through to supply NADPH for antioxidant systems. NO donors such as S-nitrosothiols, diethylamine NONOate, spermine NONOate, and 3-morpholinosydnomine N-ethylcarbamide (SIN-1)/superoxide dismutase inactivated ICDH in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibition of ICDH by S-nitrosothiol was partially reversed by thiol, such as dithiothreitol or 2-mercaptoethanol. Loss of enzyme activity was associated with the depletion of the cysteine-reactive 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) and the loss of fluorescent probe N,N'-dimethyl-N(iodoacetyl)-N'-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl) ethyleneamine accessible thiol groups. Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with tryptic digestion of protein, we found that nitric oxide forms S-nitrosothiol adducts on Cys305 and Cys387. These results indicate that S-nitrosylation of cysteine residues on ICDH is a mechanism involving the inactivation of ICDH by NO. The structural alterations of modified enzyme were indicated by the changes in protease susceptibility and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. When U937 cells were incubated with 200 microM SNAP for 1 h, a significant decrease in both cytosolic and mitochondrial ICDH activities were observed. Furthermore, stimulation with lipopolysaccharide significantly decreased intracellular ICDH activity in RAW 264.7 cells, and this effect was blocked by NO synthase inhibitor N(omega)-methyl-L-arginine. This result indicates that ICDH was also inactivated by endogenous NO. The NO-mediated damage to ICDH may result in the perturbation of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms and subsequently lead to a pro-oxidant condition.     

NADP(+)-dependent D-xylose dehydrogenase from pig liver. Purification and properties.

An NADP(+)-dependent D-xylose dehydrogenase from pig liver cytosol was purified about 2000-fold to apparent homogeneity with a yield of 15% and specific activity of 6 units/mg of protein. An Mr value of 62,000 was obtained by gel filtration. PAGE in the presence of SDS gave an Mr value of 32,000, suggesting that the native enzyme is a dimer of similar or identical subunits. D-Xylose, D-ribose, L-arabinose, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, D-glucose and D-mannose were substrates in the presence of NADP+ but the specificity constant (ratio kcat./Km(app.)) is, by far, much higher for D-xylose than for the other sugars. The enzyme is specific for NADP+; NAD+ is not reduced in the presence of D-xylose or other sugars. Initial-velocity studies for the forward direction with xylose or NADP+ concentrations varied at fixed concentrations of the nucleotide or the sugar respectively revealed a pattern of parallel lines in double-reciprocal plots. Km values for D-xylose and NADP+ were 8.8 mM and 0.99 mM respectively. Dead-end inhibition studies to confirm a ping-pong mechanism showed that NAD+ acted as an uncompetitive inhibitor versus NADP+ (Ki 5.8 mM) and as a competitive inhibitor versus xylose. D-Lyxose was a competitive inhibitor versus xylose and uncompetitive versus NADP+. These results fit better to a sequential compulsory ordered mechanism with NADP+ as the first substrate, but a ping-pong mechanism with xylose as the first substrate has not been ruled out. The presence of D-xylose dehydrogenase suggests that in mammalian liver D-xylose is utilized by a pathway other than the pentose phosphate pathway.     

Purification and characterization of a monomeric isocitrate dehydrogenase with dual coenzyme specificity from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodomicrobium vannielii

An isocitrate dehydrogenase able to function with either NADP or NAD as coenzyme was purified to homogeneity from cell-free extracts of the purple photosynthetic eubacterium Rhodomicrobium vannielii using a rapid two-step procedure involving dye-ligand affinity chromatography. The enzyme was obtained in 60% yield with specific activities of 23 U.mg protein-1 (NADP-linked reaction) and 18.5 U.mg protein-1 (NAD-linked reaction). The purified enzyme was monomeric and migrated with an approximate Mr of 75,000-80,000 on both SDS/PAGE and non-denaturing PAGE. Affinity constants (Km values) of 2.5 microM for NADP and 0.77 mM for NAD and values for kcat/Km of 981,200 min-1.mM-1 (NADP) and 2455 min-1.mM-1 (NAD) indicated a greater specificity for NADP compared to NAD. A number of metabolites were examined for possible differential regulatory effects on the NADP- and NAD-linked reactions, using a dual-wavelength assay. Oxaloacetate was found to be an effective inhibitor of both reactions and the enzyme was also sensitive to concerted inhibition by glyoxylate and oxaloacetate. The amino-acid composition and the identity of 39 residues at the N-terminus were determined and compared to other isocitrate dehydrogenases. The results suggested a relationship between the Rm. vannielii enzyme and the monomeric isocitrate dehydrogenase isoenzyme II from Vibrio ABE-1.     

Purification and properties of an NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from Rhizobium meliloti

An NADP⁺-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase has been purified and characterized from Rhizobium meliloti. The enzyme showed Mn⁺⁺ or Mg⁺⁺ requirement. The apparent K_m values were 2.00×10^-5 m and 1.51×10^-5 m for dl-isocitrate and NADP⁺, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by ATP, to a lesser extent by ADP and AMP. -Ketoglutarate also inhibited the enzyme activity. Oxalacetate and glyoxylate together inhibited the enzyme activity. The inhibition was competitive. Studies with thiol inhibitors suggested that the enzyme contained a sulfhydryl group at or near the active site. The enzyme has an approximate molecular weight of 60 000. Fluorescence studies suggested that the enzyme contained tryptophan     

Inactivation of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase by reactive oxygen species

Recently, we demonstrated that the control of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance and the cellular defense against oxidative damage is one of the primary functions of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) through supply of NADPH for antioxidant systems. When exposed to various reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen generated by photoactivated dye, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radical produced by metal-catalyzed Fenton reactions, ICDH was susceptible to oxidative modification and damage, which was indicated by the loss of activity, fragmentation of the peptide as well as by the formation of carbonyl groups. Oxidative damage to ICDH was inhibited by antioxidant enzymes, free radical scavengers, and spin-trapping agents. The structural alterations of modified enzymes were indicated by the increase in thermal instability and binding of the hydrophobic probe 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANSA). The reactive oxygen species-mediated damage to ICDH may result in the perturbation of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms and subsequently lead to a pro-oxidant condition.     

Purification and crystallization of NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli using polyethylene glycol.

A simple and rapid method is presented for purifying the NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (threo-DS-isocitrate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), from Escherichia coli, which relies on fractionation of the enzyme with polyethylene glycol. The shortened preparation results in a 32% relative recovery of purified enzyme at a specific activity of 127 micronmol/min per mg of protein. The Km values for threo-DS-isocitrate, NADP+, NAD+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ are 6.4, 36, 3000, 19.7 and 2.0 micronM, respectively. The stability of the enzyme as a function of dilution and temperature are also reported. Recrystallization of the purified enzyme under different conditions readily produces a variety of single crystals. Crystals grown from ammonium sulfate solutions belong to monoclinic space group C2 with a = 125 A, b = 111 A, c = 83.5 A and beta = 108degrees 45'. Density measurements of these crystals indicate there are two 80 000-dalton dimers per asymmetric unit.     

Catalytic mechanism of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase: implications from the structures of magnesium-isocitrate and NADP+ complexes

The structures of NADP+ and magnesium isocitrate bound to the NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli have been determined and refined at 2.5-A resolution. NADP+ is bound by the large domain of isocitrate dehydrogenase, a structure that has little similarity to the supersecondary structure of the nucleotide-binding domain of the lactate dehydrogenase-like family of nucleotide-binding proteins. The coenzyme-binding site confirms the fundamentally different evolution of the isocitrate dehydrogenase-like and the lactate dehydrogenase-like classes of nucleotide-binding proteins. In the magnesium-isocitrate complex, magnesium is coordinated to the alpha-carboxylate and alpha-hydroxyl oxygen of isocitrate in a manner suitable for stabilization of a negative charge on the hydroxyl oxygen during both the dehydrogenation and decarboxylation steps of the conversion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate. The metal ion is also coordinated by aspartate side chains 283' (of the second subunit of the dimer) and 307 and two water molecules in a roughly octahedral arrangement. On the basis of the geometry of the active site, the base functioning in the dehydrogenation step is most likely aspartate 283'. E. coli isocitrate dehydrogenase transfers a hydride stereospecifically to the A-side of NADP+, and models for a reactive ternary complex consistent with this stereospecificity are discussed.     

Purification and characterization of NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from Dictyostelium discoideum

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (threo-d_s-isocitrate: NAD oxidoreductase (decar☐ylating) EC 1.1.1.41) from Dictyostelium dicoideum was purified 161-fold. The purified enzyme was NAD specific and required Mn²⁺ for activity. Isocitrate consumption and 2-oxoglutarate and NADH production were stoichiometric; no NADH oxidase or glutamate dehydrogenase activities were detected. The pH optimum range for activity was pH 7.5–8.5. Reductive car☐ylation of 2-oxoglutarate with NADH could not be demonstrated. Lineweaver - Burk plots of data from initial velocity studies were linear. There was no evidence of allosteric control by reported effectors (AMP, ADP, citrate) of isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. The reaction was inhibited by NADH. The inhibition by NADH was competitive when either isocitrate or NAD was the variable substrate. 2-Oxoglutarate was not inhibitory at concentrations below 4 mm. The Michaelis constant (K_m) and dissociation constant (K_ib) for isocitrate were 0.16 mm; and K_m and dissociation constant (K_ia) for NAD were 0.34 mm. The inhibition constant for NADH was 0.02 mm. The data are consistent with a rapid equilibrium random bi-bi reaction mechanism (Cleland nomenclature). The NAD-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase activity was also demonstrated in crude extracts of isolated mitochondria.     

Enzymatic characterization of a monomeric isocitrate dehydrogenase from Streptomyces lividans TK54

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) is one of the key enzymes in the citric acid cycle, which involves in providing energy and biosynthetic precursors for metabolism. Here, we report for the first time the enzymatic characterization of a monomeric NADP⁺-dependent IDH from Streptomyces lividans TK54 (SlIDH). The icd gene (GenBank database accession number EU661252) encoding IDH was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The molecular mass of SlIDH was about 80 kDa, typical of a monomeric NADP-IDH, and showed high amino acid sequence identity with known monomeric IDHs. The optimal activity of the 6His-tagged SlIDH was found at pH values 8.5 (Mn²⁺) and 9.0 (Mg²⁺), and the optimal temperature was around 46 °C. Heat-inactivation studies showed that about 50% SlIDH activity was preserved at 38 °C after 20 min of incubation. The recombinant SlIDH displayed a 62,000-fold (k_cat/K_m) preference for NADP⁺ over NAD⁺ with Mn²⁺, and a 85,000-fold greater specificity for NADP⁺ than NAD⁺ with Mg²⁺. Therefore, SlIDH is a divalent cation-dependent monomeric IDH with remarkably high coenzyme preference for NADP⁺.     

Isolation and characterization of NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from the pupa of Bombyx mori.

NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase was found in several tissues of the pupa of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. This enzyme was highly purified from the whole bodies of pupae. This is the first isolation of the enzyme from insect materials. The purified enzyme gave a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The reaction catalyzed by the purified enzyme was readily reversible. The pH optimum for the forward reaction (reduction of NADP+) was 7.8, and that for the reverse reaction (oxidation of NADPH) was 6.6. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 86,000 and was found to be composed of two identical subunits, which have a molecular weight of 44,000. The activity of the enzyme in the forward reaction was slightly inhibited by citrate, oxaloacetate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and others. Citrate stabilized the activity over a wide pH region.     

The human PICD gene encodes a cytoplasmic and peroxisomal NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase.

Human PICD was identified by homology probing the data base of expressed sequence tags with the protein sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Idp3p, a peroxisomal NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. The human PICD cDNA contains a 1242-base pair open reading frame, and its deduced protein sequence is 59% identical to yeast Idp3p. Expression of PICD partially rescued the fatty acid growth defect of the yeast idp3 deletion mutant suggesting that PICD is functionally homologous to Idp3p. Kinetic studies on bacterially expressed PICD demonstrated that this enzyme catalyzed the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to 2-oxoglutarate with a specific activity of 22.5 units/mg and that PICD displayed K(M) values of 76 microM for isocitrate and 112 microM for NADP(+). In subcellular fractionation experiments, we found PICD in both peroxisomes and cytoplasm of human and rat liver cells, with approximately 27% of total PICD protein associated with peroxisomes. The presence of PICD in mammalian peroxisomes suggests roles in the regeneration of NADPH for intraperoxisomal reductions, such as the conversion of 2, 4-dienoyl-CoAs to 3-enoyl-CoAs, as well as in peroxisomal reactions that consume 2-oxoglutarate, namely the alpha-hydroxylation of phytanic acid. As for cytoplasmic PICD, the phenotypes of patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (Luzzatto, L., and Mehta, A. (1995) in The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease (Scriver, C. R., Beaudet, A. L., Sly, W. S., and Valle, D., eds) Vol. 3, 7th Ed., pp. 3367-3398, McGraw-Hill Inc., New York) suggest that PICD serves a significant role in cytoplasmic NADPH production, particularly under conditions that do not favor the use of the hexose monophosphate shunt (Luzzatto et al.).     

Inactivation of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase by singlet oxygen derived from photoactivated rose bengal

Recently, we demonstrated that the control of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance and the cellular defense against oxidative damage is one of the primary functions of NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) by supplying NADPH for antioxidant systems. When exposed to a singlet oxygen-producing system composed of rose bengal (RB) and visible light, ICDH was susceptible to oxidative modification and damage as indicated by the loss of activity and by the formation of carbonyl groups. The structural alterations of modified enzyme were indicated by the increase in susceptibility to proteases and the change in intrinsic fluorescence spectra. Upon exposure to photoactivated RB, a significant decrease in both cytosolic and mitochondrial ICDH activities was observed in HL-60 cells. The singlet oxygen-mediated damage to ICDH may result in the perturbation of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms and subsequently lead to a pro-oxidant condition. When we examined the antioxidant role of cytosolic ICDH against singlet oxygen-induced damage with HL-60 cells transfected with the cDNA for mouse cytosolic ICDH in sense and antisense orientations, a clear inverse relationship was observed between the amount of cytosolic ICDH expressed in target cells and their susceptibility to singlet oxygen-mediated oxidative damage.     

Kinetic studies of a NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from Salmonella typhimurium. Purification and reaction mechanism

The kinetics of a Mn²⁺-requiring, NADP⁺-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from Salmonella typhimurium have been examined by the measurement of initial velocity rates in the presence and absence of the reaction products. The binding of each of the cosubstrates, isocitrate, and NADP⁺, is not independent of the other, and the isocitrate-Mn²⁺ complex is the kinetically important substrate species. All of the reaction products, α-ketoglutarate, CO₂, and NADPH are competitive with both cosubstrates and the mechanism appears to be of the rapid equilibrium random type. The enzyme has been purified to homogeneity and has an isoelectric point at pH 4.0–4.2, and an apparent molecular weight of 102,000.