Isolation and properties of a sialidase fromTrypanosoma rangeli

In the culture supernatant ofTrypanosoma rangeli, strain El Salvador, a sialidase was present with an activity of 0.1 U/mg protein as determined with the 4-methylumbelliferyl glycoside of -N-acetylneuraminic acid as substrate. This enzyme was purified about 700-fold almost to homogeneity by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and Blue Sepharose, and affinity chromatographies on 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydroneuraminic acid and horse submandibular gland mucin, both immobilized on Sepharose. The pH optimum is at 5.4–5.6, and the molecular weight was determined by gel chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis to be 70 000. The substrate specificity of the enzyme is comparable to bacterial, viral and mammalian sialidases with cleavage rates for the following substrates in decreasing order: N-acetylneuraminyl-(2–3)-lactose> N-glycoloylneuraminy-(2–3)-lactose> N-acetylneuraminyl-(2–6)-lactose >sialoglycoproteins>gangliosides>9-O-acetylated sialoglycoproteins.4-O-Acetylated derivatives are resistant towards the action of this sialidase. The enzyme activity can be inhibited by 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid, Hg²⁺ ions, andp-nitrophenyloxamic acid; it is not dependent on the presence of Ca²⁺ Mn²⁺ or Mg²⁺ ions.Abbreviations BSA bovine serum albumin - BSM bovine submandibular gland mucin - CMP cytidine monophosphate - EDIA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - ESM equine submandibular gland mucin - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - Lac lactose - MU-Neu5Ac 4-methylumbelliferyl glycoside of -N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu5Ac N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu5Ac2en 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu4Ac5Gc N-glycoloyl-4-O-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu2en 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydroneuraminic acid - Neu5Gc N-glycoloylneuraminic acid - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride - PSM pig submandibular gland mucin - SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate - Tris tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane Dedicated to Professor Dr. Heinz Mühlpfordt on the occasion of his 65th birthday.