The self-association of chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydratase from Escherichia coli K12

The state of association of chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydratase (EC 5.4.99.5/ 4.2.1.51) from E. coli K12 has been studied using ultracentrifugal techniques. The smallest species inferred is a dimer of molecular weight 73,000–84,000, with a $\text{s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>20,w</mtext>}}{}^0$ of 5.02 S at pH 8.2, I = 0.013 M. This species undergoes a concentration-dependent self-association which results in an equilibrium mixture of dimer, tetramer, and probably octamer, with a M_r of 164,000 at an enzyme concentration of 8.0 mg/ml under the same conditions. Addition of the feedback inhibitor phenylalanine (2 mm) or increase in ionic strength (I = 0.40 M), or a decrease in pH to 7.4 displaces this equilibrium toward the higher-molecular-weight forms of the enzyme, resulting in M_r values of 273,000, 254,000, and 257,000, respectively. This behavior partially explains the allosteric kinetics and inhibitor binding observed previously with this enzyme.