| Abstract: | Bull seminal plasma contains high levels of β-glucuronidase. The present study describes the isolation and characterization of β-glucuronidase, and its role in fertilization. β-glucuronidase was purified by ion exchange chromatography, saccharolactone-agarose affinity chromatography, and gel filtration. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 4,414 μmoles/mg protein/min. The purified enzyme showed a single band on 7.5% PAGE. On SDS-PAGE, the enzyme appeared to consist of four identical subunits of Mr 75,000 each. The apparent Km and Vmax for β-glucuronidase were 0.4 mM and 5.7 μmol/min using phenolpthalein mono-β-glucuronic acid as the substrate. β-glucuronidase appeared to accelerate the cumulus dispersion in vitro. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
