Aspartate aminotransferase from chicken heart cytosol. Characterization of SH-groups]

Homogeneous aspartate aminotransferase has been prepared from chicken heart cytosol. The purification procedure includes fractionation with NH4-sulfate and with ethanol, chromatography on ion-exchange cellulose DE-32 and on hydroxylapatite. Crystallization of the enyme is described. The enzyme was shown to contain 4 SH-groups per protein subunit of molecular weight 50 000. Two of the SH-groups are fully buried, they can be blocked with thiol reagents only upon denaturation of the protein. One exposed SH-group is readily modified at alkaline pH by iodoacetamide, N-ethymaleimide or tetranitromethane, without any inhibition of enzymic activity; this group readily reacts also with 5,5,-ditthiobis (2-nitrobenzoate) and p-mercuribenzoate. One SH-group is semi-buried: it is inaccessible to the above-mentioned reagents at pH 8, but can be blocked by p-mercuribenzoate at pH about 5. Blocking with p-mercuribenzoate of two SH-groups-the exposed and the semi-buried one-lowers enzymic activity to 70% of the initial value. Syncatalytic modication of a SH-group observed in aspartate aminotransferase from pig heart cytosol does not occur in chicken enzyme.