Purification and general properties of argininosuccinate lyase from jack bean, Canavalia ensiformis (L.)DC

1. Argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1) from jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC] seeds was purified 532-fold from an acetone-butanol-dried powder. 2. The enzyme functions reversibly and exhibits maximum stability at 16 degrees . 3. At 16 degrees it has a half-life (t((1/2))) of 263min. 4. The enzyme is both cold-labile (t((1/2)) 131min. at 0 degrees ) and heat-inactivated (t((1/2)) 74min. at 38 degrees ); inactivation appears to be irreversible. 5. Treatment of the acetone-butanol-extracted powder with sodium dodecyl sulphate increased the sensitivity of the enzyme to temperature (t((1/2)) 70min. at 0 degrees ; t((1/2)) 23min. at 38 degrees ). 6. Addition, to the purified enzyme, of a fraction containing lipid from the seed increased the half-life to about 510min. at either 0 degrees or 38 degrees . 7. Arginine or homoarginine, and to a smaller extent some other amino acids or fumarate, protected the enzyme from cold-inactivation. 8. Reactivation attempts with both the cold- and heat-inactivated enzyme failed. 9. The K(m) value for argininosuccinate at pH7.5 is 1.3x10(-4). 10. The enzyme was inactivated completely within 15min. at 16 degrees by 0.5mm-p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, and subsequent exposure to 5mm-cysteine had no restorative effect.

Glyoxalase I, a lyase or an oxidoreductive isomerase?

The 200-fold purification of glyoxaiase I (EC 4.4.1.5) from calf liver is described. This enzyme exhibits two marked anomalies in its kinetic behavior. There is an initial lag phase of a few seconds, and the plot of velocity versus enzyme concentration is nonlinear, reaching a plateau value. These features are correlated with the kinetics of formation of the hemimercaptal of glutathione and methylglyoxal, suggesting that this adduct is the true substrate of glyoxaiase I.