Aspartate kinase (AK , EC 2.7.2.4) from the thermophilic, phototrophic prokaryote, Chloroflexus aurantiacus, was partially purified and separated from homoserine dehydrogenase (HSDH, EC 1.1.1.3). The molecular weights as determined by gel filtration were 130,000 and 46,000, respectively. HSDH had a moderately high thermal stability (50% inactivation at 84 °C) and displayed its activity optimum at 72 °C. By contrast, AK had its activity optimum at 52 °C (with a break-point in the Arrhenius plot at 42 °C) and was much less thermostable (50% inactivation at 67 °C). The Km-values for aspartate and ATP (determined in a pyruvate kinase-coupled test system) were 10.5 and 0.63 mM , respectively. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by L-threonine (Ki = 10 μm) and activated by alanine, isoleucine, valine and methionine. L-Threonine acted as a mixed-type inhibitor in respect to aspartate, and non-competitively in respect to ATP. Contrary to AKs from Rhodospirillaceae, the enzyme from Chloroflexus aurantiacus was not subject to a concerted feedback inhibition by two amino acids of the aspartate family. The regulatory properties of the aspartate kinase are discussed in relation to the cellular amino acid concentrations.

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