Studies on Metabolic Pathway of NAD in Yeast

The properties of yeast 5′-nucleotidase, one of NAD-metabolic system in yeast, were studied.

1) The enzyme has optimum pH at 5.8~6.1 for its activity and is most stable at pH 6. It is inactivated completely at 55°C for 6 min, pH 7, but never at 40°C for 6 min. 2) The enzyme hydrolyzes only 5′-nucleotides of guanine, adenine, hypoxanthine, uracil and cytosine, but never splits nicotinamide mononucleotide, thiamine monophosphate, ribose 5-monophosphate and flavin mononucleotide. 3) The enzyme seems to have specially high affinity for 5′-AMP. 4) The enzyme activity is accelerated by addition of Co⁺⁺ and Ni⁺⁺, but inhibited by Ag⁺, Cu⁺⁺, EDTA, I₂ and N-bromosuccimide. Mg⁺⁺, KCN, NaF and thiol reagents except p-chloromercuribenzoate have no effects. 5) Nucleosides have inhibitory effects, among which adenosine is most effective inhibitor. 6) The activity is reduced up to 30% by dialysis against 1 mm EDTA solution, and the reduced activity is completely reactivated by addition of Co⁺⁺ or Ni⁺⁺, but not by Mn⁺⁺ or Mg⁺⁺.