A study of dithiothreitol inactivation of the enzyme rhodanese.

When air oxidized, partially inactivated rhodanese (EC 2.8.1.1) is treated with dithiothreitol (DTT) to regenerate the reduced essential sulfhydryl group there is an initial reactivation followed by an anomalous slower inactivation. Fully active enzyme shows only inactivation. The inactivated enzyme may be completely reactivated on long incubation with the substrate thiosulfate ion. None of the normal potentialities of DTT appear to be responsible for the inactivation. The results are interpreted in terms of disulfide formation between DTT and an essential enzymic sulfhydryl group with the resulting complex being stabilized by secondary interactions which are particularly favorable due to similarities between DTT and lipoic acid--a normal sulfur acceptor substrate.