Regulation of the catalytic activity and supermolecular structure of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli in an aerosol OT reversed micelle system in octane]

The properties of penicillin acylase from E. coli solubilized by hydrated reversed micelles of Aerozol OT (AOT) in octane were studied. The catalytic activity dependence on the hydration degree, a parameter which determines the size of the micelle inner cavity, represents a curve with three optima, each corresponding to the enzyme functioning either in a dimer form (omega 0 = 23) or in the form of separate subunits--heavy, beta, and light, alpha, at omega 0 = 20 and 14, respectively. Reversible dissociation of the enzyme was confirmed by ultracentrifugation followed by electrophoresis. Preparative isolation of penicillin acylase subunits, their catalytic activity being retained, was shown to be possible.