Preparation and Some Properties of a Dimeric Form (S‐s) of Horse Muscle Acylphosphatase

Abstract

The use o f sodium selenite as a catalyst in the presence o f oxygen was a suitable technique to obtain in good yield an interchain S-S dimeric form of horse muscle acylphosphatase. The dimer so obtained possesses kinetic properties very similar to those o f the native enzyme. On the other hand the dimer has shown a generally lower stability in respect o f the thermal inactivation, particularly in the acidic environment, to the lyophilization and to the proteolytic attack. As regards the 8 M urea inactivation, the dimer is not able to completely regain its activity by dilution, showinga behaviour quite different from that of the native enzyme.