Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase from Photobacterium leiognathi has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The circular dichroism spectrum in the UV region of the recombinant protein indicates an higher content of random coil structure with respect to the eukaryotic enzymes. Investigation of the active site by optical, CD, and EPR spectroscopy indicates a different coordination geometry around the catalytic copper site with respect to the eukaryotic enzymes. In particular a different orientation of the metal bridging histidine is suggested. The pH dependence of the copper EPR spectrum shows the presence of a single equilibrium which is at least one unit lower than the pK value observed for the bovine enzyme. Despite such structural differences the catalytic rate of this enzyme is identical to that observed for the eukaryotic Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase, suggesting that the overall electric field distribution is similar to that observed in the eukaryotic enzymes.
Treatment of ornithine carbamoyltransferase from dolphin Stenella with pyridoxal phosphate, followed by reduction with NaBH,, resulted in complete loss of enzyme activity. The phosphate alone or the substrate analogue 2-aminovaleric acid moderately decreased the extent of inactivation, while carbamoyl phosphate plus 2-aminovaleric acid provided complete protection from inactivation. The partially inactivated enzyme showed K,, values for substrates equivalent to those of native enzyme and lowered k,,, values. Two lysyl residues were substantially modified in the absence of ligands but only one of them was responsible for the inactivation of catalytic activity. Modification of a single subunit was sufficient to completely abolish the catalytic activity of the trimeric enzyme. The lysine involved has been identified as lysine 56 on the known primary structure of homologous human liver enzyme.
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