Studies on the Mode of Action of Polyoxins

(1) Chitin-UDP acetylglucosaminyltransferase (E.C. 2.4.1.16., chitin synthetase) in the cell-free system from phytopathogenic fungus Piricularia oryzae, and effects of various polyoxins and related compounds on the enzyme activity were studied. Polyoxins A~M, polyoxin A derivatives, polyoxin C derivatives, 5′-amino-5′-deoxyuridine, uridine and thymidine inhibited equally the incorporation of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) into chitin.

(2) Competition between the above inhibitors and UDP-GlcNAc was observed by kinetic studies. The Km for UDP-GlcNAc was determined to be 3.3 × 10^?3 m and the Ki values for polyoxins A~M, except polyoxin C, were found to be in the range of 3.3 × 10^?5 m to 3.4 × 10^?6 m. For polyoxin C, 5′-amino-5′-deoxyuridine and uridine, the Ki values of 2.7 × 10^?3 m, 8.0 × 10^?3 m and 3.0 × 10^?3 m were given, respectively. The inhibitor constants for other related compounds were also calculated.

(3) The values of binding affinity, ?ΔG, for formation of substrate- or inhibitor-enzyme complexes were calculated from the Km or Ki values. In addition, partial binding affinities, ?Δg, for certain moieties or groups of polyoxins were estimated from the ?ΔG. For instance, the ?ΔG values for UDP-GlcNAc and polyoxin L were 5.7 kcal/mole and 9.2 kcal/mole, respectively. And the ?Δg values for the nucleoside moiety (part I), the carbamylpolyoxamic acid moiety (part II) and the carboxyl group at C5′ position of polyoxin L were 5.2, 3.5 and 0.7 kcal/mole, respectively.

(4) From the results obtained, the mechanism of action and relation between chemical structure and competitive inhibition of chitin synthetase were discussed.

     

The Reaction Mechanism of Rat Liver Glyoxalase I and Its Inhibition by MS-3

Glyoxalase I from rat liver was purified about 25-fold by acetone fractionation and ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex and DEAE-cellulose columns. The kinetic study of the enzymatic reaction supported the one-substrate mechanism : the hemimercaptal adduct produced nonenzymatically from methylglyoxal and glutathione is the substrate. The Km value determined was 0.1 mm and similar to that of porcine erythrocytes enzyme but differed significantly from that of yeast enzyme. It was inhibited by free glutathione competitively (Ki 1.2 mm). Kinetic studies on inhibition of glyoxalase I by MS–3 which was obtained from a cultured mushroom, Stereum hirsutum, indicated the inhibition type was competitive with the hemimercaptal adduct (Ki 4.6 × 10^?6 m). By the graphical study of the multiple inhibition kinetics free glutathione and MS–3 were shown to bind at the same sites of the enzyme.     

Kinetic Studies on Crystalline Yeast Phosphoglyceric Acid Mutase

Effects of the substrate and the coenzyme on the crystalline yeast phosphoglyceric acid mutase activity have been investigated. Lineweaver-Burk plots at different concentrations of the substrate (d-3-phosphoglyceric acid: 3×10^?7 to 8×10^?3m) and the coenzyme (d-2, 3-diphosphoglyceric acid: 8×10^?7 to 10^?5m) change in such a way to indicate the involvement of an enzyme-substrate-coenzyme ternary complex as an active intermediate in the enzymic reaction process. It is concluded that the reaction catalyzed by the yeast enzyme follows the sequential pathway and that a phosphorylated enzyme does not participate as an obligatory intermediate in the reaction mechanism, if it occurs. Kinetic studies indicate Km values of 6×10^?4m for d-3-phosphoglyceric acid and 8×10^?7m for d-2, 3-diphosphoglyceric acid. The substrate is a competitive inhibitor of the coenzyme with a Ksi (inhibition constant) of 3.2×10^?3m. The coenzyme inhibition is not observed at concentration tested. A kinetic treatment to determine the mechanism of the enzyme reaction from the experimental data which are obtaind in the range of inhibitory substrate concentrations is presented.     

Purification and Properties of α-d-Galactosidase Produced by Corticium rolfsii

An α-d-galactosidase was purified from the culture filtrate of Corticium rolfsii IFO 6146 by a combination of QAE-Sephadex A-50 and SE-Sephadex C-50 chromatography. The purified enzyme was demonstrated to be free of other possibly interfering glycosidases and glycanases. The maximum activity of the enzyme towards p-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyrano-side was found to be at pH 2.5 to 4.5, and the enzyme was fairly active at pH 1.1 to 2.0. The enzyme was stable over a pH range 4.0 to 7.0 at 5°C for 72 hr and relatively unstable at pH 1.1 to 2.0 as compared with endo-polygalacturonase, α-l-arabinofuranosidase and β-d-galactosidase produced by C. rolfsii. The enzymic activity was completely inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions, respectively. Km values were determined to be 0.16 × 10^?3 m for p-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyranoside and 0.26 × 10^?3m for o-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyranoside. The values of V_max were also determined to be 26.6 μmoles and 28.6 μmoles per min per mg for p- and o-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyranoside, respectively.     

Kinetic Properties of Fungal Polyamine Oxidases and Their Application to Differential Determination of Spermine and Spermidine

Polyamine oxidase from Penicillium chrysogenum oxidized spermine rapidly and spermidine slightly at pH 7.5. The apparent Km values for spermine and spermidine were calculated to be 2.25 × 10^?5 m and 9.54 × 10^?6 m, respectively. The relative maximum velocities for spermine and spermidine were 3.37 × 10^?3 m (H₂O₂) per min per mg of protein and 2.08 × 10^?4 m (H₂O₂) per min per mg of protein, respectively. Spermine oxidation of the enzyme was competitively inhibited by spermidine and putrescine. The apparent Ki values by spermidine and putrescine were calculated to be 3.00 × 10^?5 m and 1.80 × 10^?8 m, respectively. On the other hand, polyamine oxidase from Aspergillus terreus rapidly oxidized both spermidine and spermine at pH 6.5. The apparent Km values for spermidine and spermine were 1.20 × 10^?8 m and 5.37 × 10^?7 m, respectively. The relative maximum velocities for spermidine and spermine were 1.55 × 10^?2 m (H₂O₂) per min per mg of protein and 6.20 × 10^?3 m (H₂O₂) per min per mg of protein, respectively.

Differential determination of spermine and spermidine was carried out using the two enzymes. The initial rate was assayed with Penicillium enzyme and the end point was measured afte addition of Aspergillus enzyme. Small amounts of polyamines (25 to 200 nmol of spermine and 25 to 250 nmol of spermidine) were assayed by solving two simultaneous equations obtained from the rate assay method and the end point assay method. The calculated values were in close agreement with those obtained by an amino-acid analyzer.     

Fukiic Acid Isolated from the Hydrolysate of a Polyphenol in Petasites japonicus

d-Glucose-isomerizing enzyme was purified in a crystalline form with a good yield from the cells of Bacillus coagulans, strain HN-68, and some phsicochemical properties were investigated.

The purified enzyme was homogeneous on both ultracentrifugal and disc-electrophoretical analyses. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 175,000 and 160,000 from the sedimentation-viscosity method and the gel filtration method, respectively.

The sedimentation coefficient , partial specific volume, at 280 mμ, and the nitrogen content of the enzyme were determined to be 10.2×10^?13 sec, 0.705 cm³g^?1, 10.6 and 16.2%, respectively. The integral numbers of amino acid residues per molecule calculated on the basis of 160,000 were as follows; Lys₁₂₀, His₄₉, Arg₆₁, Asp₁₈₂, Thr₈₇, Ser₇₀, Glu₁₃₆, Pro₄₄, Gly₁₀₆, Ala₁₄₀, Half-Cys₀, Val₅₃, Met₂₇, Ileu₅₁, Leu₁₃₄, Tyr₅₈, Phe₉₆, Try₁₃, and amide-ammonia₈₀.

Purified enzyme preparation obtained from Bacillus coagulans, strain HN-68 requires Co²⁺ for d-glucose- and d-ribose-isomerizing activities and Mn²⁺ for d-xylose-isomerizing activity. The values of Km for d-glucose, d-xylose and d-ribose were 9×10^?2, 1.1×10^?3, 7.7×1O^?m and of the relative V_max were 0.52, 1.1 and 0.25 mg/min at 40°C, respectively. d-Glucose-isomerizing activity was inhibited by d-xylose and d-ribose. However, there was not a difference among three activities of the enzyme with respect to following properties: Activation energy was 14,600 cal per mol. The enzyme was inhibited in a competitive manner by tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, d-xylitol, d-sorbitol and d-mannitol, and the Ki values for these inhibitor were 3×10^?4, 2.5×10^?3, 2.9×10^?2 and 7×10^?2m, respectively. The ratio of three activities did not change by heat- and pH-treatments. Mn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ protected strongly the enzyme from heat denaturation. The enzyme can isomerize d-glucose, d-xylose and d-ribose to their corresponding ketose, but the kinetic constants and induction studies indicated that ^d-xylose is the natural substrate for the enzyme.     

Inhibition of l-Alanine Adding Enzyme by Glycine

l-Alanine adding enzymes from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus which catalyzed l-alanine incorporation into UDPMurNAc were partially purified and the properties of the enzymes were examined. The enzyme from B. subtilis was markedly stimulated by reducing agents including 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, glutathione and cysteine. Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ activated l-alanine adding activity and their optimal concentrations were 2 to 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. The optimum pH was 9.5 and the Km for l-alanine was 1.8×10^?4m. l-Alanine adding reaction was strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethyl-maleimide. Among glycine, l- and d-amino acids and glycine derivatives, glycine was the most effective inhibitor of the l-alanine adding reaction. The enzyme from B. cereus was more resistant to glycine than that from B. subtilis. Glycine was incorporated into UDPMurNAc in place of l-alanine, and the Ki for glycine was 4.2×l0^?3m with the enzyme from B. subtilis. From these data, the growth inhibition of bacteria by glycine is discussed.     

Crystalline d-Mannitol:NAD Oxidoreductase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides

The crystalline d-mannitol dehyrogenase (d-mannitol:NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.67) catalyzed the reversible reduction of d-fructose to d-mannitol. d-Sorbitol was oxidized only at the rate of 4% of the activity for d-mannitol. The enzyme was inactive for all of four pentitols and their corresponding 2-ketopentoses. The apparent optimal pH for the reduction of d-fructose or the oxidation of d-mannitol was 5.35 or 8.6, respectively. The Michaelis constants were 0.035 m for d-fructose and 0.020 m for d-mannitol. The enzyme was also found to be specific for NAD. The Michaelis constans were 1 × 10^?5 m for NADH₂ and 2.7 × 10^?4 m for NAD.     

Purification and Crystallization of d-Arabinose (l-Fucose) Isomerase from Aerobacter aerogenes by Polyethylene Glycol

d-Arabinose(l-fucose) isomerase (d-arabinose ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.3) was purified from the extracts of d-arabinose-grown cells of Aerobacter aerogenes, strain M-7 by the procedure of repeated fractional precipitation with polyethylene glycol 6000 and isolating the crystalline state. The crystalline enzyme was homogeneous in ultracentrifugal analysis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sedimentation constant obtained was 15.4s and the molecular weight was estimated as being approximately 2.5 × 10⁵ by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200.

Optimum pH for isomerization of d-arabinose and of l-fucose was identical at pH 9.3, and the Michaelis constants were 51 mm for l-fucose and 160 mm for d-arabinose. Both of these activities decreased at the same rate with thermal inactivation at 45 and 50°C. All four pentitols inhibited two pentose isomerase activities competitively with same Ki values: 1.3–1.5 mm for d-arabitol, 2.2–2.7 mm for ribitol, 2.9–3.2 mm for l-arabitol, and 10–10.5 mm for xylitol. It is confirmed that the single enzyme is responsible for the isomerization of d-arabinose and l-fucose.     

Studies on d-Glucose-isomerizing Activity of d-Xylose-grown Cells from Bacillus coagulans,Strain HN-68

d-Glucose-isomerizing enzyme has been extracted in high yield from d-xylose-grown cells of Bacillus coagulans, strain HN-68, by treating with lysozyme, and purified approximately 60-fold by manganese sulfate treatment, fractionation with ammonium sulfate and chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex column. The purified d-glucose-isomerizing enzyme was homogeneous in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation and was free from d-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase. Optimum pH and temperature for activity were found to be pH 7.0 and 75°C, respectively. The enzyme required specifically Co⁺⁺ with suitable concentration for maximal activity being 10^?3 m. In the presence of Co⁺⁺, enzyme activity was inhibited strongly by Cu⁺⁺, Zn⁺⁺, Ni⁺⁺, Mn⁺⁺ or Ca⁺⁺. At reaction equilibrium, the ratio of d-fructose to d-glucose was approximately 1.0. The enzyme catalyzed the isomerization of d-glucose, d-xylose and d-ribose. Apparent Michaelis constants for d-glucose and d-xylose were 9×10^?2 m and 7.7×10^?2 m, respectively.     

Kinetic Properties of a Dipeptidase from Streptococcus cremoris

Some kinetic properties of a dipeptidase purified from a cell-free extract of Streptococcus cremoris H 61 were investigated. The Km values of this enzyme for various dipeptides were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 comprised mainly of neutral dipeptides, such as Leu-Gly, Leu-Leu and Leu-Ala, which had relatively low Km values (in the range 4.0-6.6 mm). Group 2 consisted of dipeptides with aromatic large amino acids either at the N- or C-terminal positions, like Leu-Phe, Phe-Ala and Leu-Tyr, which had very low Km values (in the range 1.0-2.4 mm). Group 3 was made up by dipeptides with acidic or basic amino acids at the N-terminals; His-Ala and Glu-Val were typical of this group. These had very high Km values (in the range 10–20 mm). Substantial substrate competition was found to exist in the presence of His-Ala. Bestatin inhibited the enzyme competitively with Leu-Gly and was found to have an apparent Ki value of 3.0 × 10^?8 m for the enzyme. Further, the enzyme was completely inhibited by EDTA at a concentration of 2.0 × 10^?5 m. On the other hand, once the activity was inhibited by EDTA, it could be restored by Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺ in the acidic pH side, and by Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ in the alkaline pH side.     

Purification and Properties of 5-Ketogluconate Reductase from Gluconobacter liquefaciens

5-Ketogluconate reductase (5KGR) from the cell free extract of Gluconobacter liquefaciens (IFO 12388) was partially purified about 120-fold by a procedure employing ammonium sulfate fractionation, and DEAE-cellulose-, hydroxylapatite- and DEAE-Sephadex A-50-column chromatographies. NADP was specifically required for the oxidative reaction of gluconic acid. The optimum pH for the oxidation of gluconic acid (GA) to 5-ketogluconic acid (5KGA) by the enzyme was 10.0 and for the reduction of 5KGA was 7.5. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 50°C for both reactions of oxidation and reduction. The enzyme was considerably unstable and lost all of its activity within 3 days. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited with p-chloromercuribenzoate and mercury ion, but remarkably stimulated by EDTA (1 × 10^?3m). Apparent Km values were 1.8 × 10^?2m for GA, 0.9 × 10^?3m for 5KGA, 1.6 × 10^?5 m for NADP, and 1.1 × 10^?5 m for NADPH₂.     

Further Characterization of Aminopeptidase of Rabbit Skeletal Muscle

Further investigation on characterization was conducted on purified neutral aminopeptidase of 160,000 daltons from rabbit skeletal muscle. The enzyme possesses arylamidase activity. The greater part of leucine-β-naphthylamide hydrolyzing activity of the muscle extract was attributed to the enzyme. The Km value for Ala-Gly-Phe-Ala, the most cleavable substrate tested, was 0.25 mm. Substrate inhibition was observed for Val-Val-Val-Ala and Val-Val-Val. The enzyme was inhibited by puromycin in a non-competitive manner, Ki being 4 × 10^?6 m. The enzyme was also inhibited by insulin and the oxidized B-chain of insulin. The tetrapeptide with N-terminal residue of d configuration, tRNA, pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate had no effect on the enzyme. On the basis of all properties determined so far, this muscle aminopeptidase is concluded to be identical to none of the known aminopeptidases from other tissues.     

Regulatory Properties of Prephenate Dehydrogenase and Prephenate Dehydratase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Regulatory properties of the enzymes in l-tyrosine and l-phenyalanine terminal pathway in Corynebacterium glutamicum were investigated. Prephenate dehydrogenase was partially feedback inhibited by l-tyrosine. Prephenate dehydratase was strongly inhibited by l-phenylalanine and l-tryptophan and 100% inhibition was attained at the concentrations of 5 × 10^?2mm and 10^?1mm, respectively. l-Tyrosine stimulated prephenate dehydratase activity (6-fold stimulation at 1 mm) and restored the enzyme activity inhibited by l-phenylalanine or l-tryptophan. These regulations seem to give the balanced synthesis of l-tyrosine and l-phenyl-alanine. Prephenate dehydratase from C. glutamicum was stimulated by l-methionine and l-leucine similarly to the enzyme in Bacillus subtilis and moreover by l-isoleucine and l-histidine. C. glutamicum mutant No. 66, an l-phenylalanine producer resistant to p-fluorophenyl-alanine, had a prephenate dehydratase completely resistant to the inhibition by l-phenylalanine and l-tryptophan.     

Studies on Metabolism of Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid in Bacteria

l-Glutamic acid was formed from d-, l-, and dl-PCA with cell-free extract of Pseudomonas alcaligenes ATCC-12815 grown in the medium containing dl-PCA as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The enzyme(s) involved in this conversion reaction was distributed in the soluble fraction within the cell and in 0.5 saturated fraction at the fractionation procedure with the saturation of ammonium sulfate. Optimum pH of this enzyme(s) lied at pH 8.5 and optimum temperature was 30°C. Cu (5 × 10^?3 m) inhibited the reaction considerably while Ca or Fe accelerated it. PALP (1×10^?3 m) also gave an enhanced activity to some extent. The enzyme preparation converted dextro-rotatory enan-thiomorph of PCA to its laevo-rotatory one which in turn was not converted to the opposite rotation direction by this enzyme. Furthermore, the preparation did not, if any, show d-glutamic acid racemase activity. Isotopic experiments with using dl-PCA-1-¹⁴C revealed that l-glutamic acid-1-¹⁴C was formed by the cleavage of –CO–NH– bond of pyrrolidone ring of PCA. It was concluded that dl-PCA when assimilated by the present bacterium is at first transformed to l-PCA by the optically isomerizing enzyme and subsequently is cleaved to l-glutamic acid probably by the PCA hydrolysing enzyme.     

Tea Leaf Polyphenol Oxidase

The large part of the polyphenol oxidase was solubilized from tea leaf homogenate by addition of Tween-80. After filtration of the solubilized polyphenol oxidase fraction through a Sephadex G-25 column and fractionation of the filtrate with ammonium sulfate, the specific activity of the solubilized enzyme increased about 4 to 5 times as much as that of tea leaf homogenate. Optimum pH of the solubilized enzyme was 5.5, and was almost the same as that of water-insoluble enzyme in the acetone powder. The minimum concentrations required for the maximum activity were about 5×10^?3 m, 4.3×10^?3 m, and 3×10^?3 m for d-catechin, l-epigallocatechin, and l-epigallocatechin-gallate, respectively. d-Catechin showed the highest activity among them. The enzyme activity was inhibited by potassium cyanide and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate.     

Enzymatic Properties of β-Xylosidase from Malbranchea pulchella var. sulfurea No. 48

Some enzymatic properties of Malbranchea β-xylosidase were investigated. The β- xylosidase activity was inhibited by Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, N-bromosuccinimide, p-chloromercuribenzoate and sodium laurylsulfate, while this activity was activated by Ca²⁺. The enzyme released xylose as the end product even from 10% xylobiose solution without forming any xylooligosaccharides. The enzyme well acted on aryl-β-d-xylosides, but showed no activity on alkyl-β-d-xylosides, and it was practically free from glucosidase activity. The Km and V_max values of this enzyme for xylobiose were calculated to be 2.86 × 10^?8 m and 34.5 μmoles/mg/min, respectively, and these values determined for phenyl-β-d-xyloside were 3.01 × 10^?8 m and 16.2 μmoles/mg/min, respectively.     

Effect of Phytic Acid on the Hydrolysis of Lactose with β-Galactosidase

The effects of phytate on the hydrolysis of lactose with β-galactosidases from bovine liver and Escherichia coli were investigated. The activities of both β-galactosidases were decreased to the same extent by increased concentrations of phytate. The rates of inhibition of β-galactosidase activity from E. coli in a reaction mixture containing 10 mm of phytate were 78.9% and 64.4%, respectively, in the absence of and with 4 mm of Mg^{2 +}. Therefore, it was found that the stimulatory effect of Mg²⁺ was hardly affected by the presence of phytate in the range from 2 to 10 mm. The β-galactosidase activity was also not influenced by preincubating β-galactosidase or lactose with phytate. Kinetic studies showed that the inhibition of β-galactosidase activity by phytate was of an uncompetitive type with a Ki value of 3.46 mm. Therefore, it is considered that phytate may interact with a complex of ß-galactosidase and lactose.     

Further Characterization of Ureido Ring Synthetase from Pseudomonas graveolens

Detailed enzymatic properties of the ureido ring synthetase purified from Pseudomonas graveolens were investigated. Nucleotide specificity studies indicated that CTP, UTP, GTP, and ITP were each tenth to one-fifth as active as ATP. The effect of substrate concentration was examined. The Km values for 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid, biotin diaminocarboxylic acid, NaHCO₃, ATP, and MgCl₂ were 1 × 10^?4 M, 4 × 10^?5 M, 1 × 10^?2 m, 5 × 10^?5 M, and 3 × 10^?3 M, respectively. It was elucidated that only ADP was produced from ATP in both the reaction of desthiobiotin synthesis from 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid and biotin synthesis from biotin diaminocarboxylic acid. The reaction was remarkably inhibited by Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, and As³⁺, while Mn²⁺ remarkably enhanced the enzyme reaction. The reaction was remarkably inhibited by metal-chelating reagents. It was elucidated that ADP had a competitively inhibiting effect on this enzyme reaction. 7,8-DiaminopeIargonic acid, which is the substrate for the desthiobiotin synthesis, competitively inhibited the biotin synthesis from biotin diaminocarboxylic acid. The stoichiometry of the desthiobiotin synthesis indicated that the formation ratio of desthiobiotin to ADP was 1 to 1.     

Synthesis of (1→2)-β-d-Glucan by Cell-free Extracts ofAgrobacterium radiobacter IFO 12665b 1 andRhizobium phaseoli AHU 1133

Particulate preparations from Agrobacterium radiobacter IFO 12665b 1 and Rhizobium phaseoli AHU 1133 have been shown to catalyze the synthesis of (1→2)-β-d-glucan from UDP-d-[¹⁴C]glucose. The (1→2)-β-d-glucans synthesized are suggested to be in a cyclic form without other glycosidic linkages and to consist of a mixture of several components with degrees of polymerization of 17 and more. The enzyme systems from A. radiobacter IFO 12665b 1 and R. phaseoli AHU 1133 both required Mn²⁺ and had optimum activities at pH 7.5 ~ 8, and their Km values for UDP-d-[¹⁴C]glucose were 5 × 10~⁵ m and 3.3 × 10^?5 m, respectively.