| Abstract: | Growth of Escherichia coli K12 under relatively anaerobic conditions in a medium containing casein hydrolysate, 0.8% glycerol, and 0.8% hydroxyacetone has been found to induce the level of D-1-amino-2-propanol oxidoreductase activity 50- to 100-fold over that in cells grown in casein hydrolysate alone or with 0.8% glycerol added. A large molecular weight form of this oxidoreductase (designated Form L) has been purified to apparent homogeneity in good yield by three simple steps designed to obviate its conversion to a smaller species. The molecular weight of native Form L and its basic subunit are 417,000 +/- 20,700 and 50,500 +/- 2,770, respectively; hence Form L would appear to consist of eight identical subunits. The pH activity profile for Form L shows one optimum in the range of 8.3 to 8.6 and another at pH 10.0 to 10.2. This form of the oxidoreductase has no apparent requirement for added metal ions (rather, numerous divalent transition metal ions are strongly inhibitory) or thiol compounds; it catalyzes the oxidation of several vic-glycols but is completely stereospecific for the D-isomer of 1-amino-2-propanol, utilizes only NAD+ as cosubstrate in the oxidation reaction (Km for NAD+ with DL-1-amino-2-propanol = 1.23 mM), but both NADH and NADPH serve as cosubstrate in the reduction of hydroxyacetone. Oxidoreductase activity of Form L is highly sensitive to inhibition by Hg2+, p-mercuribenzoate, or dithiodipyridine; inhibition by the latter two compounds is completely reversed by adding a thiol in excess. |
