| Abstract: | Enolase from Synechococcus PCC 6301 was purified 1450‐fold to electrophoretic homogeneity and a final specific activity of 68 μmol of phosphoenolpyruvate produced·min?1·mg protein?1. Analytical gel filtration and nondenaturing and SDS‐gel electrophoresis demonstrated that this enolase exists as a 118‐kDa homodimer composed of 56‐kDa subunits. The purified enzyme displayed 1) a broad pH‐activity profile with maximal activity occurring at pH 8.0 and 7.5 for the forward and reverse reactions, respectively, 2) a forward‐to‐reverse maximal activity ratio of about 1.6, 3) a Km (2‐phosphoglycerate) of 0.28 mM, and 4) an absolute requirement for a divalent metal cation cofactor that was best satisfied by Mg2+ (Km=0.62 mM). Enolase activity increased by about 200% after the first purification step (60° C heat treatment), whereas addition of increasing amounts of a clarified extract led to a progressive 70% inhibition in the activity of the purified enzyme. This was reflected by a reduction in enolase's Vmax from 73 to 22 U·mg?1 and forward‐to‐reverse activity ratio from 1.6 to 1.3. This inhibition was negated when the clarified extract was either preincubated with trypsin or warmed to approximately 40° for 5 min. Results are indicative of a heat‐labile enolase inhibitor protein in Synechococcus PCC 6301. By contrast, the purified enolase lost no activity when incubated at 70° C for up to 5 min. This study represents the first purification of enolase from the Cyanophyceae. Characterization of the purified enzyme's physical and kinetic features has provided insights into the structural and functional properties of cyanobacterial enolase. |
