Quaternary structure of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides.

Delta-Aminolevulinic acid synthase (succinyl-CoA: glycine C-succinyltransferase (decarboxylating) EC 2.3.1.37) was purified from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. The purity of the enzyme preparation was established by its behavior in disc electrophoresis in the presence and absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and by analytical ultracentrifugation. The molecular weight of the enzyme as determined by sedimentation equilibrium was found to be about 80,300, a value similar to those obtained by gel filtration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and sucrose gradient centrifugation. The molecular weight of the enzyme, denatured with either sodium dodecyl sulfate or guanidine hydrochloride, was found to be about 45,000 and 41,000, respectively. The dimeric structure was supported by sedimentation in sucrose gradients. Further evidence for the dimetic nature of the enzyme was obtained by gel electrophoresis of the enzyme treated with dimethylsuberimidate and sodium dodecyl sulfate.     

Carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1). The molecular sizes of chicken and pig liver carboxylesterases.

The molecular size of pig liver carboxylesterase has been investigated under a variety of conditions of pH and ionic strength. From equilibrium and velocity sedimentation at pH 4.0 and pH 7.5, and from chromatography on Sephadex G-200,we conclude that the monomeric molecular weight is similar to 65,000 daltons and that the enzyme associates to form trimers. Association equilibrium constants for the monomer-trimer system were estimated to be 0.02 1-2 g-2 at pH 4 (concentration-dependent molecular weight data) and 2 times 10-5 1-2g-2 at pH 7.5 (frontal gel chromatographic results). These studies were aided by comparisons of the properties of the pig liver enzyme with those of chicken liver carboxylesterase, which is shown to exhibit the velocity and equilibrium sedimentation characteristics of a homogeneous protein with molecular weight similar to 65,000. Studies of pig and chicken liver carboxylesterases in 6 M guanidinium chloride, 0.1 M in beta-mercaptoethanol, support the proposition that the monomeric species of these enzymes have molecular weights of similar to 65,000. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS, there is no evidence for a major species of molecular weight less than similar to 65,000 for the pig enzyme, but ca. 50 percent of the chicken esterase is dissociated into two species of molecular weight similar to 30,000.     

Human adenine phosphoribosyltransferase. Affinity purification, subunit structure, amino acid composition, and peptide mapping.

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.7) has been purified 55,000-fold from normal human erythrocytes. The native molecular weight of the enzyme is 38,200 as determined by sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation. The subunit molecular weight is 18,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and 17,000 as determined by gel filtration in guanidine hydrochloride, suggesting that the enzyme is a dimer in its native state. Cross-linking the enzyme with dimethylsuberimidate confirms the dimeric structure and peptide mapping data suggested that the subunits are quite similar if not identical. The amino acid composition reveals that 33% of the residues are hydrophobic.     

Subunit structure and some properties of pyruvate kinase of Neurospora.

Pyruvate kinase isolated from Neurospora and purified to homogeneity has been shown to be a tetramer of molecular weight around 242 000 by gel filtration studies and 239 000 daltons by sedimentation equilibrium measurements. The monomer produced by treatment with guanidine hydrochloride is found to be 51 000-52 000 daltons by sedimentation equilibrium studies; a molecular weight of 62 000 was determined for the monomer generated by SDS treatment by electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The enzyme has an isoelectric point of 6.35-6.41; Substrate saturation kinetics of PEP show a variable extent of cooperativity depending upon the buffer ions employed in the assay. ADP is the most effective phosphoryl group acceptor, GDP and IDP being poor substitutes. A divalent cation, Mg-2+, is required for activity. At low concentrations, Ca-2+ acts as an activator of pyruvate kinase but it is inhibitory at high concentrations. Fructose 1,6-diphosphate is the most potent allosteric activator, fructose 6-phosphate being next in order of effectiveness. Valine is a powerful inhibitor. Phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan are without any effect individually, but their simultaneous presence results in a considerable activation. Alanine does not affect this enzyme appreciably.     

1, 4-alpha-Glucan phosphorylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae purification, subunit structure and amino acid composition.

1. A 1,4-alpha-glucan phosphorylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae has been purified about 80-fold with an over-all yield greater than 35%. The purified enzyme has been shown to be homogeneous by gel electrophoresis at different pH-values, by isoelectric focusing, by dodecylsulfate electrophoresis and by ultracentrifugation. 2. The molecular weight of the native enzyme has been determined to be 180 000 by ultra-centrifugation studies, in good agreement with the value of 189 000 estimated by gel permeation chromatography. 3. The enzyme dissociates in the presence of 0.1% dodecylsulfate or 5 M guanidine hydrochloride into polypeptide chains. The molecular weight of these polypeptide chains has been found to be 88 000 by dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 99 000 by sedimentation equilibrium studies, indicating that the native enzyme is composed of two polypeptide chains. 4. The enzyme contains pyridoxalphosphate with a stoichiometry of two moles per 180 000 g protein, confirming that the 1,4-alpha-glucan phosphorylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae is a dimeric enzyme. 5. The amino acid composition of the enzyme has been determined, and its correspondence to that of 1,4-alpha-glucan phosphorylases from other sources is discussed. 6. The pI of the enzyme has been shown to be 5.3 and its pH-optimum to be about pH 5.9. The enzyme is stable in the range from pH 5.9 to 10.5.     

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

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

Studies on thyroid hormone-binding proteins. I. The subunit structure of human thyroxine-binding globulin and its interaction with ligands.

Thyroxine-binding globulin was isolated from human plasma by ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatographic separations on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex, gel chromatography, and two different electrophoretic procedures. The highly purified was homogeneous when subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation analyses, and immunochemical determinations. The weight average molecular weight as determined by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugations was 54,000 and by sedimentation diffusion data 55,000. Amino acid analyses indicated a minimum of 110 amino acid residues per molecule. By determination of the minimum in the curve for the fraction of maximum deviation from the amino acid analyses it was found that the minimum molecular weight for the polypeptide was 12,200. Carbohydrate analyses demonstrated the presence f equimolar amounts of amnnose, galactose, and glucosamine, and the carbohydrate portion constituted 7.5% of the total weight. The amino acid analyses suggested that thyroxine-binding globulin is composed of 4 subunits. Molecular weight determinations by gel chromatography in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride indicated the presence of three species of globulin with apparent molecular weights 52,000, 25,000, and 13,500, respectively. Prolonged storage in guanidine hydrochloride promoted a more than 60% yield of the monomeric species. Moreover, a half-molecule of thyroxine-binding globulin was isolated and shown to consist of two polypeptide chains of similar molecular weight...     

Molecular weight of Escherichia coli β-galactosidase in concentrated solutions of guanidine hydrochloride

The molecular weight of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase was determined in 6m- and 8m-guanidine hydrochloride by meniscus-depletion sedimentation equilibrium, sedimentation velocity and viscosity. Sedimentation equilibrium revealed heterogeneity with the smallest component having a molecular weight of about 50000. At lower speeds, the apparent weight-average molecular weight is about 80000. By use of a calculation based on an empirical correlation for proteins that are random coils in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride, sedimentation velocity gave a molecular weight of 91000, and the intrinsic viscosity indicated a viscosity-average molecular weight of 84000. Heating in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride lowered the viscosity of beta-galactosidase in a variable manner.     

Purification and properties of phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

A procedure for the purification of phosphofructokinase from brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) is reported. Treatments with organic solvents and heat were avoided and chromatographic and filtration techniques in the presence of phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride were mainly used. The purified enzyme is homogeneous in disc gel electrophoresis and according to sedimentation velocity and equilibrium measurements in the ultracentrifuge. The isoelectric point determined by focusing was 5.3. Absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism spectrum are given. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme determined by gel filtration was 720 000, in agreement with that of the enzyme in the raw extract. This confirms the results of sedimentation velocity experiments which gave a value of SO20, W equals 19.4. Alkaline treatment leads to a dissociation of the native enzyme, yielding an inactive species with a molecular weight of 360 000. In 6M guanidine hydrochloride the enzyme dissociates into subunits with a mean molecular weight of 90 000 as obtained by ultracentrifugation analysis. This suggests a structure composed of 8 monomers. The specific activity of the enzyme was 116 U/mg under optimum conditions. The enzyme activity was proportional to the enzyme concentration in the range of 6 times 10- minus 12 M to 3 times 10- minus 7 M. The Michaelis constants and Hill coefficients for fructose 6-phosphate and AMP, the pH optima, and the stability properties of the enzyme are reported. Furthermore, the activation energy is given and it is shown that under saturating conditions, a straight Arrhenius plot obtains, whereas the plot is discontinuous at high ATP concentrations and at pH 7.6.     

Studies of the quaternary structure and the chemical properties of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium.

Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase (EC 2.7.6.1) was purified to virtual homogeneity from Salmonella typhimurium cells by a modification of previously published procedures. The molecular weight of the subunit was determined to be 31,000 +/- 3,000 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and sedimentation equilibrium analysis of the enzyme dissolved in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was determined. Proline was identified as the only NH2-terminal residue. PRPP synthetase is apparently composed of identical or nearly identical subunits. NATIVE PRPP synthetase exists in multiple states of aggregation under all conditions. However, two predominant states were demonstrated under certain conditions. A form with molecular weight of 320,000 +/- 20,000 was found at pH 7.5 in the presence of MgATP. At pH 8.2 to 8.6, with or without MgATP, the predominant form corresponded to a molecular weight of 150,000 to 200,000; sedimentation equilibrium and velocity analysis indicated 160,000 +/- 15,000 as the most reliable molecular weight. More highly aggregated forms were observed at 4 degrees and higher protein concentrations. Removal of inorganic phosphate from PRPP synthetase by dilution or dialysis resulted in disaggregation. The fundamental unit of PRPP synthetase appears to consist of five (or possibly six) subunits, which can associate to form a dimer (10 or 12 subunits) and more highly aggregated forms. A pentameric subunit structure is consistent with the multiple species resolved by electrophoresis of the native enzyme in discontinuous polyacrylamide gel systems. Visualization of PRPP synthetase by negative staining with uranyl acetate and electron microscopy revealed fields of very asymmetric molecules, the dimensions of which corresponded to the M = 160,000 form. Dimers and higher aggregates of this unit were also seen. An unusual model, in which the five subunits are asymmetrically arranged, accounts very well for the electron microscopic appearance of the enzyme. The tendency of the enzyme to aggregate is viewed as a consequence of the unsatisfied bonding regions of the fundamental asymmetric unit.     

Rat muscle 5'-adenylic acid aminohydrolase. I. Purification and subunit structure.

AMP deaminase (AMP aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.6) has been purified to apparent homogeneity from rat muscle. The preparation exhibits a single polypeptide band with a molecular weight of 60,000 on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme has a sedimentation coefficient of 11.3 S. Analysis by sedimentation equilibrium techniques showed the nat-ive enzyme to have a molecular weight of 238,000, whereas the enzyme, when analyzed in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and 10 mM 2-mercaptoethanol, had a molecular weight of only 59,500. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was determined and peptide mapping was performed on a tryptic digest of S-carboxymethylated enzyme. NH2-terminal analysis by both the dansylation and cyanate procedures failed to identify a free NH2 terminus. Treatment of the enzyme with carboxypeptidase A resulted in the release of approximately 0.5 mol each of valine and leucine per 60,000 g of enzyme. The data presented indicate that hte native enzyme has a tetrameric structure consisting of four polypeptide chains each having a molecular weight of 60,000. The COOH-terminal analysis can be interpreted either as an indication of subunit heterogeneity or as a result of incomplete digestion of a -X-Leu-Val sequence at the end of a single type of polypeptide chain. Tryptic peptide maps strongly support the latter interpretation and suggest that the subunits are essentially identical.     

Studies on regulatory functions of malic enzymes. VI. Purification and molecular properties of NADP-linked malic enzyme from Escherichia coli W.

NADP-linked malic enzyme [EC 1.1.1.40] was highly purified from Escherichia coli W cells. The purified enzyme was homogeneous as judged by ultracentrifugation and gel electrophoresis. The apparent molecular weights obtained by sedimentation equilibrium analysis, from diffusion and sedimentation constants, and by disc electrophoresis at various gel concentrations were 471,000, 438,000, and 495,000, respectively. The subunit molecular weights obtained by sedimentation equilibrium analysis in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate were 76,000 and 82,000, respectively. The sedimentation coefficient (S(0)20, W) was 13.8S, and the molecular activity was 44,700 min-1 at 30 degrees C. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was determined, and the results were compared with those of NAD-linked malic enzyme from the same organism and those of pigeon liver NADP-linked malic enzyme. The partial specific volume was calculated to be 0.738 ml/g. The Km value for L-malate was 2.3 mM at pH 7.4. Malonate, tartronate, glutarate, and DL-tartrate competitively inhibited the activity. The saturation profile for L-malate exhibited a marked cooperativity in the presence of both chloride ions and acetyl-CoA. However, acetyl-CoA alone did not show cooperativity or produce inhibition in the absence of chloride ions. Vmax and Km were determined as a function of pH. The optimum pH for the reaction was 7.8. Inspection of the Dixon plots suggested that three ionizable groups of the enzyme are essential for the enzyme activity. In addition to the oxidative decarboxylase activity, the enzyme preparation exhibited divalent metal ion-dependent oxaloacetate decarboxylase and alpha-keto acid reductase activities. Based on the above results, the molecular properties of the enzymatic reaction are discussed.     

Bovine kidney alkaline phosphatase. Purification, subunit structure, and metalloenzyme properties.

Kidney alkaline phosphatase was purified to homogeneity. It is a glycoprotein of about 172,000 molecular weight. Analyses of the subunit structure by sedimentation equilibrium in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicate that the alkaline phosphatase is a dimer comprising two very similar or identical subunits of about 87,000 molecular weight. The native enzyme contains 4.5 +/- 0.2 g atoms of zinc per mol of protein. Reconstitution experiments from the apophosphatase show that binding of 4 Zn2+ per mol of dimer is essential for full activity. The kinetic data of Zn2+ binding to the apoprotein require at least a two-step mechanism, in which one of the steps corresponds to a conformational change within the enzyme. This paper also presents data concerning amino acid composition, sugar content, enzyme stability, absorbance index, and sedimentation velocity.     

Properties and quaternary structure of ribulosediphosphate carboxylase from the leaves of Elymus (Psathyrosachys) junceus

The enzyme ribulosdiphosphate carboxylase was isilated from the leaves of Elymus (Psathyrosachys) junceus. The enzyme was found homogenous during disc-electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and analytical ultracentrifugation. The sedimentation coefficient for the enzyme is 17,4S. The enzyme molecular weight as determined by the sedimentation equilibrium technique is equal to 540000. The enzyme molecule consists of 2 types of subunits, i.e. the larger subunit has m.w. of 55000, the smaller one--12900. The number of large subunits is 8, that of small ones--8. The specific activity of the homogenous enzyme makes up to 2,45 mkmoles of CO2 per min per mg of protin (pH 8,0, 30 degrees). The purified enzyme was stable in Mg2+- and dithiothreitol-containing buffers for 3--4 weeks at 4 degrees and for 5--6 months at --20 degrees. The amino acid composition of the enzyme molecule is similar to that of the enzyme from spinach leaves.     

Mammary glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Molecular weight studies

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was isolated from lactating rat mammary glands by a procedure extended and modified from one previously described. The sedimentation coefficient, S_20,W, was 10.3 in 0.01 m potassium phosphate, pH 6.9, containing 0.1 m NaCl at three protein concentrations between 0.51 and 1.45 mg/ml. The partial specific volume, v?, was 0.735 ml/g as determined by equilibrium sedimentation centrifugation in H₂O and D₂O containing buffers at pH(D) 6.5 containing 0.01 m potassium phosphate and 0.1 m NaCl. In the same buffer, but with 2.0 m NaCl, the apparent partial specific volume, φ′, was 0.756 ml/g. Equilibrium sedimentation of the enzyme at an initial concentration of 0.8 mg/ml was performed in 0.01 m potassium phosphate, pH 6.5, containing 1.0 mm EDTA, 7.0 mm mercaptoethanol, and various concentrations of NaCl between 0 and 2.0 m and with or without 0.1 mm NADP⁺. Weight-average and Z-average molecular weights were calculated and, from these values, the molecular weights of the monomer and dimer were derived. Under these conditions, the enzyme existed principally as a dimer, of molecular weight approximately 235,000, at low salt concentration, and as a monomer, of molecular weight approximately 120,000 in 1.0 m and 2.0 m NaCl. The subunit molecular weight was found to be 64,000 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Equilibrium sedimentation in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride gave a subunit molecular weight of 62,000 (assuming v? was unaltered) or 58,000 or 54,000 (assuming v? is decreased by 0.01 or 0.02, respectively, in 6 m guanidine). We conclude that rat mammary glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase has a molecular weight similar to that of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases isolated from various other mammalian sources with the notable exception of human erythrocyte glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase which, like the microbial glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases thus far examined, has a significantly lower molecular weight.     

Purification properties and subunit composition of pig heart lipoate acetyltransferase.

Lipoate acetyltransferase [acetyl-CoA: dihydrolipoate S-acetyl-transferase, EC 2.3.1.12], the core enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, has been highly purified by gel chromatography on Sepharose 6B and sucrose density gradient centrifugation in the presence of potassium iodide. The native enzyme has a sedimentation coefficient (S020,W) of 26.7S and a diffusion coefficient (D020,W) of 1.25 x 10(-7) cm2.-sec-1. The weight-average molecular weight was estimated to be 1.8 million from the sedimentation equilibrium data. The content of right-handed alpha helix in the enzyme molecule was estimated to be about 25% by optical rotatory dispersion and about 22% from the circular dichroism spectra. The enzyme was found to contain about 23 moles of protein-bound lipoic acid per mole of enzyme; some other properties are also reported. Lipoate acetyltransferase dissociated to yield a single subunit with a molecular weight of 74,000 as estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and by gel filtration on Bio-Gel in 6 M guanidine-HCl. The molecular weight was also estimated to be 74,000 from sedimentation equilibrium data in 6 M guanidine-HCl] containing 0.1 M 2-mercaptoethanol. Evidence is presented that 1 molecule of lipoate acetyltransferase apparently consists of 24 very similar subunits, each of which contains NH2-terminal alanine. Each subunit contains 1 molecule of covalently bound lipoic acid.     

Purification and characterization of a low molecular weight 1,4-beta-glucan glucanohydrolase from the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma viride QM 9414

A low molecular weight 1,4-beta-glucan glucanohydrolase (endoglucanase) (1,4-(1,3;1,4)-beta-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4) has been isolated from culture filtrates of the fungus Trichoderma viride QM 9414 by a two-step procedure of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The isolated enzyme appeared homogeneous upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 2.9, isoelectric focusing in a polyacrylamide gel slab, sedimentation equilibrium analysis and chromatography of the reduced and alkylated enzyme on a column of Sepharose 6B in 6 M guanidine - HCl. A molecular weight was calculated at approx. 20 000 and the isoelectric point was determined at pH 7.52. The purified enzyme was not a carbohydrate-containing protein.     

Purification and properties of Bacillus subtilis aspartate transcarbamylase.

Aspartate transcarbamylase from Bacillus subtilis has been purified to apparent homogeneity. A subunit molecular weight of 33,500 +/- 1,000 was obtained from electrophoresis in polyarcylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate and from sedimentation equilibrium analysis of the protein dissolved in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was determined to be 102,000 +/- 2,000 by sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analysis. Aspartate transcarbamylase thus appears to be a trimeric protein; cross-linking with dimethyl suberimidate and electrophoretic analysis confirmed this structure. B. subtilis aspartate transcarbamylase has an amino acid composition quite similar to that of the catalytic subunit from Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase; only the content of four amino acids is substantially different. The denaturated enzyme has one free sulfhydryl group. Aspartate transcarbamylase exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was neither inhibited nor activated by nucleotides. Several anions stimulated activity 2- to 5-fold. Immunochemical studies indicated very little similarity between B. subtilis and E. coli aspartate transcarbamylase or E. coli aspartate transcarbamylase catalytic subunit.     

Purification of undegraded ceruloplasmin from outdated human plasma

A method for the rapid isolation of homogeneous undegraded ceruloplasmin from outdated human plasma is reported. The procedure consists of a precipitation step with polyethylene glycol 4000, batchwise adsorption and elution from QAE-Sephadex, and gradient elution from DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. Ceruloplasmin was purified 1740-fold and the yield from outdated plasma was 67%. The purified ceruloplasmin was found to be homogeneous on anionic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, isoelectric focusing, and low-speed equilibrium centrifugation. The isoelectric point as determined by isoelectric focusing was 4.4. The purified enzyme was sensitive to storage; when a sample was resubmitted to PAGE after 4 months of storage at 4 degrees C, two bands were obtained and the fast-moving band showed no oxidase activity. The molecular weight estimated by gel electrophoresis and sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation was 130,000.     

Nonidentical subunits of pyrocatechase from Pseudomonas arvilla C-1.

Pyrocatechase [catechol:oxygen, 1,2-oxidoreductase (decyclizing), EC 1.13.11.1] from Pseudomonas arvilla C-1 has been reported to contain 2 g atoms of iron/mol of enzyme, based on a molecular weight of 90,000, determined by sedimentation and diffusion constants (Y. Kojima, H. Fujisawa, A. Nakazawa, T. Nakazawa, F. Kanetsuna, H. Taniuchi, M. Nozaki, and O. Hayaishi, 1967, J. Biol. Chem., 242, 3270–3278). The molecular weight was estimated again by sedimentation equilibrium and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and found to be 63,000 and 60,000, respectively. The enzyme was also found to contain 1 g atom of iron/mol of enzyme, based on a molecular weight of 63,000. The enzyme was dissociated into two bands on polyarcylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of either sodium dodecyl sulfate or 8 m urea, and was separated into two subunits, α and β, by CM-cellulose chromatography using a buffer solution containing 8 m urea. The molecular weights of the α and β subunits were determined to be 30,000 and 32,000, respectively, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The NH₂-terminal sequences of these subunits determined by Edman degradation were as follows: α subunit, Thr-Val-Asn-Ile-Ser-His-Thr-Ala-Gln-Ile-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gln-Gln-(X)-(X)-Gly -Phe-Gly; β subunit, Thr-Val-Lys-Ile-Ser-His-Thr-Ala-Asp-Ile-Gln-Ala-Phe-Phe-Asn-Gln-Val-(X)-Gly-Leu-Asx. The COOH-terminal amino acid residues were determined to be alanine for the α subunit and glycine for the β subunit by three different methods: carboxypeptidase digestion, tritium labeling, and hydrazinolysis. These results indicate that the enzyme consists of two nonidentical subunits, α and β.