Enzymatic hydrolysis of 7-phenylacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid by immobilized penicillin G acylase

Enzymatic parameters such as pH, temperature and substrate concentration were studied for the hydrolysis of 7-PADCA by penicillin G acylase. Optimum pH and temperature were 8.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively. Km value of soluble and immobilized enzyme for 7-PADCA was 2.3 x 10(-5) M and 7.5 x 10(-5) M, respectively. At 7-PADCA concentration of 5% and an IME: 7-PADCA ratio of 1:2.5, the hydrolysis was complete in 110 min.

[Morpho-functional analysis of isogenic strains of Escherichia coli-- producers of penicillinacylases]

A population of Escherichia coli strains producing penicillinacylase (PA) and differing in the level of their enzyme activity was studied. Their structural-functional analysis showed that selection according to the property of PA production yielded strains with aberrations in the processes of cell division. The population of microbial cells producing PA had a correlation between its morphological composition and enzyme activity, and the two characteristics depended on the conditions under which the strains were cultivated. The highest enzyme activity was exerted by normally dividing cells. A type of colonies optimal for stabilising the level of PA production was determined for the enzyme-producing strain. The structure of cell envelopes, their composition and permeability changed considerably as the ability to synthesize PA increased. The results allow one to specify further rational selection of strains superproducing the enzyme on the basis of changes in the membrane permeability.

Affinity and hydrophobic interactions of penicillin amidase

Binding of penicillin amidase from E. coli 436 to aniline-, benzylamine- and phenylethylamine-Sepharose was studied. Binding of the enzyme to aniline-Sepharose was exclusively due to hydrophobic interactions. Benzylamine-Sepharose binds the enzyme due to affinity interactions in the absence of ammonium sulphate and due to hydrophobic interactions in the presence of ammonium sulphate. A conformational change in the penicillin amidase molecule due to ammonium sulphate there by exposing the side chain binding site as a hydrophobic core is suggested.

Molecular cloning of the penicillin G acylase gene from Arthrobacter viscosus

Penicillin G acylase was purified from the cultured filtrate of Arthrobacter viscosus 8895GU and was found to consist of two distinct subunits with apparent molecular weights of 24,000 (alpha) and 60,000 (beta). The partial N-terminal amino acid sequences of the alpha and beta subunits were determined with a protein gas phase sequencer, and a 29-base oligonucleotide corresponding to the partial amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit was synthesized. An Escherichia coli transformant having the penicillin G acylase gene was isolated from an A. viscosus gene library by hybridization with the 29-base probe. The resulting positive clone was further screened by the Serratia marcescens overlay technique. E. coli carrying a plasmid designated pHYM-1 was found to produce penicillin G acylase in the cells. This plasmid had an 8.0-kilobase pair DNA fragment inserted in the EcoRI site of pACYC184.

Cloning and characterization of the genes for two distinct cephalosporin acylases from a Pseudomonas strain

Pseudomonas sp. strain SE83 converts cephalosporin C and 7 beta-(4-carboxybutanamido)cephalosporanic acid (GL-7ACA) to 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7ACA). A DNA library of this strain was constructed in Escherichia coli and screened for the ability to deacylate GL-7ACA to 7ACA. Apparently, two distinct genes, designated acyI and acyII, were cloned on 4.8- and 6.0-kilobase-pair BglII fragments, respectively. The enzymes encoded by the two genes showed different substrate specificities, and the acyII-encoded enzyme was found to yield 7ACA from cephalosporin C by direct deacylation. Expression of the two genes in E. coli was strongly dependent on a promoter of the vector. The coding regions for acyI and acyII were localized on the 2.5- and 2.8-kilobase-pair fragments, respectively, by subcloning experiments, and high expression of both genes was obtained by placing them under the control of the lacUV5 promoter. The acyII-encoded enzyme was purified and shown to be composed of two nonidentical subunits with molecular weights of 26,000 and 57,000. Maxicell analysis revealed three acyII-specific polypeptides, two of which corresponded to the above subunits. The third polypeptide with a molecular weight of 83,000 was suggested to be the precursor of both subunits.

Radiation-induced polymerization for the immobilization of penicillin acylase

The immobilization of Escherichia coli penicillin acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) was investigated by radiation-induced polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate at low temperature. A leak-proof composite that does not swell in water was obtained by adding the cross-linking agent trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate to the monomer-aqueous enzyme mixture. Penicillin acylase, which was immobilized with greater than 70% yield, possessed a higher Km value toward the substrate 6-nitro-3-phenylacetamidobenzoic acid than the free enzyme form (Km = 1.7 X 10(-5) and 1 X 10(-5) M, respectively). The structural stability of immobilized penicillin acylase, as assessed by heat, guanidinium chloride, and pH denaturation profiles, was very similar to that of the free-enzyme form, thus suggesting that penicillin acylase was entrapped in its native state into aqueous free spaces of the polymer matrix.

Liquid surfactant membrane emulsions. A new technique for enzyme immobilization

Liquid membrane reactors are well known for metal extraction. This technology may also be applied to the immobilization of enzymes in enzyme emulsions. The use of liquid membrane reactors for enzymatic bioconversions has several advantages in comparison to solid membrane reactors and conventional immobilization techniques: there is no membrane fouling, enzyme emulsions can be used in cell-free fermentation broths, in complex mixtures the membrane can preselect the desired substrate for enzymatic reaction, and substances that might decrease the enzyme activity can be excluded. The separation effect is not based on differences in molecular weight but on the chemical behavior of the substances to be separated. Thus, it is not necessary to use cofactors with increased molecular weight for enzymatic reactions, since the coenzyme cannot permeate the liquid membrane. The three systems presented here indicate that enzyme systems can be easily immobilized in liquid surfactant membrane emulsions and there is a broad field of application for enzyme emulsions.

Enzyme action in polymer and salt solutions. I. Stability of penicillin acylase in poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium phosphate solutions in relation to water activity

The stability of penicillin acylase (penicillin aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11) was studied in poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium phosphate solutions. Enzyme stability measured as the half-life of the enzymatic activity and the transition temperature determined by differential scanning calorimetry, correlated well. The enzyme stability could not be related to the water activity as a measure of solute-solvent interaction. It seems to be related more to the concentration of the solutes and much less to the molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol). The stabilizing effect of poly(ethylene glycol) is also discussed in terms of poly(ethylene glycol)-protein interactions.

Enzyme action in polymer and salt solutions. II. Activity of penicillin acylase in poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium phosphate solutions in relation to water activity

Increasing concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium phosphate solutions decreased the enzymatic activity of penicillin acylase (penicillin aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11). Low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) reduced the penicillin acylase activity more than high molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol). The decrease in enzymatic activity seemed to be related to the decrease in water activity in solutions containing poly(ethylene glycol), irrespective of the molecular weight of the polymer. The decrease in enzymatic activity in potassium phosphate solutions was lower than in poly(ethylene glycol) solutions and did not fit the water activity relationship. The decreased enzymatic activity is discussed in relation to the enzyme stability in these solutions.

A sensitive enzymic assay for benzylpenicillin

A method has been developed for the determination of sodium benzylpenicillin concentrations in the range 3.3-33 micrograms/ml. 6-Aminopenicillanic acid is released from the benzylpenicillin by the action of the enzyme penicillin acylase and is estimated from its reaction with fluorescamine at pH 4. 7-Aminocephalosporanic acid shows a similar trend to 6-aminopenicillanic acid in its reaction at pH 4. The open beta-lactam ring form of each compound shows little fluorescence with fluorescamine at pH 4 but shows strong fluorescence in the pH range 7-9. 6-Aminopenicillanic acid and its open beta-lactam ring form give different fluorescent responses to increasing volumes of a solution of the fluorigenic agent at pH 7.8. This effect can be used to estimate concentrations in a mixture of the two components providing other amino material is absent.

Experimental evolution of penicillin G acylases from Escherichia coli and Proteus rettgeri

Proteus rettgeri and Escherichia coli W were shown to express structurally different penicillin G acylases. The enzymes had similar substrate specificity but differed in molecular weight, isoelectric point, and electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels and did not antigenically cross-react. When the organisms were subjected to environmental conditions which made expression of this enzyme essential for growth, spontaneous mutants were isolated that used different amides as the only source of nitrogen. These mutants acquired the ability to use amides for growth by deregulating the penicillin G acylase and by their evolution to novel substrate specificities. The enzymes expressed by mutants isolated from each genus appeared to have evolved in parallel since each acylase attained similar new substrate specificities when the organisms were subjected to identical selection pressure.

Role of protein subunits in Proteus rettgeri penicillin G acylase

Penicillin G acylase from Proteus rettgeri is an 80,000- to 90,000-dalton enzyme composed of two nonidentical subunits. Both subunits were required for enzymatic activity. The 65,000-dalton beta subunit contained a phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride-sensitive residue required for enzymatic activity, and the 24,500-dalton alpha subunit contained the domain that imparts specificity for the penicillin side chain.

Hydrolysis of N-phenylacetyl-a-methyl-alpha-amino acids by benzylpenicillinacylase

Enzymatic hydrolysis of several racemic N-phenylacetyl-alpha-methyl-alpha-amino acids containing an additional aliphatic, aromatic or polar substitutent on the chiral carbon atom, has been studied by using benzylpenicillinacylase from Escherichia coli A.T.C.C.9637. Both the rate of hydrolysis and the stereoselectivity were found to be considerably lower than in the case of natural alpha-amino acids. Steric and electronic factors in the side chains influencing the stereoselectivity are discussed. Key words. Benzylpenicillinacylase; enzymatic hydrolysis; alpha-methyl-alpha-amino acids.

Kinetic studies on the mechanism of the penicillin amidase-catalysed synthesis of ampicillin and benzylpenicillin

Hydrophobic protein chromatography was used to prepare homogeneous fractions of penicillin amidase (EC 3.5.1.11) from E. coli. The apparent ratios of the rate constants for the deacylation of the acyl-penicillin amidase formed in the hydrolysis of phenylacetylglycine or D-phenylglycine methyl ester, by H2O and 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA), were determined at different concentrations of the latter compound. The ratios were obtained from direct measurements of the initial rates of formation of phenylacetic acid and benzylpenicillin or D-phenylglycine and ampicillin. For the semisynthesis of ampicillin as well as of benzylpenicillin the ratio was found to depend on the concentration of 6-APA. This was observed for heterogeneous and homogeneous enzyme preparations. These results show that 6-APA must be bound to the acyl-enzyme before the deacylation, yielding ampicillin and benzylpenicillin, occurs. The dissociation constant KN for the formation of the complex was estimated to be approximately 10mM. This mechanism in which acyl-enzyme with and without bound nucleophile is involved, is in agreement with the principle of microscopic reversibility. Both acyl-enzymes can be deacylated by H2O. The finding that there is a specific binding site for 6-APA adjacent to the binding site for the phenylacetyl-(D-phenylglycyl-) group in the active site of the enzyme is supported by the observation that 6-APA acts as a mixed inhibitor in the hydrolysis of D-phenylglycine methyl ester. The ionic strength dependence indicates that the binding site for 6-APA of the acyl-enzyme is positively charged.

[Properties of acylase preparations from an actinomycete culture]

A comparative study of some physico-chemical properties of high-purified preparations of extracellular penicillin-V-acylase and aminoacylase, isolated from the actinomycete Streptoverticillium No 62, revealed the difference in pH and temperature optima, in the sensitivity to the ionic composition of buffer solutions, in the enzyme stability during storage. As for the aminoacylase preparation, its thermostability was studied at different pH values, as well as the effect of specific compounds was tested. Similar to other fungal enzymes, the aminoacylase possesses a wide substrate specificity, and by its stereospecificity can be related to L-aminoacylases, while penicillin-V-acylase is a high-specific enzyme, active against phenoxymethylpenicillin.

Penicillin acylase from the hybrid strains Escherichia coli 5K(pHM12): enzyme formation and hydrolysis of beta-lactam antibiotics with whole cells

Penicillin acylase formation by the hybrid strain Escherichia coli 5K(pHM12) was studied under different culture conditions and reached 200 to 250 mumol of 6-aminopenicillanic acid per min per g of bacteria (wet weight) for penicillin G. The Km of whole-cell acylase was determined with 9 to 11 mM for penicillin G at a pH optimum of 7.8 at 45 degrees C. A competitive product inhibition for phenylacetic acid of Ki = 130 mM was found. 6-Aminopenicillanic acid acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor, with a Ki of 131. The temperature optimum of the reaction lies at 54 degrees C. Penicillin G inhibits the reaction at Ki(S) = 1,565 to 1,570 mM. Whole-cell acylase reacts on a wide spectrum of penicillins and cephalosporins, but those substrates with a delta-aminoadipyl rest are not hydrolized. beta-Lactamase activity of less than 1% relative to the acylase activity was found at reaction temperatures between 28 and 45 degrees C. After a comparison of different methods for the estimation of beta-lactamase activity, we found that high-pressure liquid chromatography is to be preferred. During batch fermentation of E. coli 5K(pHM12), problems of plasmid stability in the host strain arose which were overcome by the addition of 4 mg of tetracycline per liter to the medium as a selective marker.

Activity of penicillin-acylase-producing bacteria against alpha-aminobenzylpenicillins

A method has been developed for the chemical analysis of individual alpha-aminobenzylpenicillin derivatives. This analytical procedure may conveniently be used to determine whether microorganisms possess penicillin acylases which show considerable activity against alpha-aminobenzylpenicillin derivatives. The method is not sufficiently sensitive to determine low levels of enzyme activity. Organisms known to produce penicillin acylases which are active against benzyl- or phenoxymethylpenicillin showed variable responses to alpha-aminobenzylpenicillin substrates. A significant difference in activity profile was noted between the intracellular enzyme of Escherichia coli and the extracellular enzyme of Bacillus megaterium.

[Mechanism of natural penicillin resistance in the causative agent of tularemia]

beta-Lactamase and penicillinacylase were detected in the tularemia causative agent. These enzymes participated in the mechanism of natural resistance of the microorganisms to penicillins. It was shown that the growth temperature had a significant effect on the beta-lactamase activity. The penicillin resistance marker was not eliminated with the use of acridine orange, ethidium bromide or sodium dodecylsulfate.

[E. coli penicillin amidase. Methods for estimating the close ionization constants of ionogenic groups of the enzyme complex with substrates containing free amino groups]

The possible use of various procedures for estimation of the ionization constants of the Michaelis complex by the pH dependence of the maximum enzymatic reaction rate is discussed. It is shown that the procedures described in the literature for estimation of the close ionization constants of the enzyme-substrate complexes have limitations and in some cases cannot be used. The paper presents the methods for estimation of the constants and means for quantitative description of the bell-shaped pH dependence of the kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the biocatalytic reaction. The equations recommended in the paper were used in analysis of the pH dependences of the maximum rate of the reactions during the enzymatic synthesis of cefalexin catalysed with immobilized penicillinamidase (IPA) (CE 3.5. 1.11). The ionization constants of the enzyme-substrate complexes of IPA were compared during hydrolysis and synthesis of the compounds acylated with phenylacetic and aminophenylacetic acids. The effect of the nature of the leaving substrate group and added nucleophilic gent on the electrochemical state of the Michaelis complex is discussed.

Substrate specificity of penicillin amidase from E. coli

1. The kinetic parameters of 12 substrates of penicillin amidase (penicillin amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11) from E. coli have been determined. Most of the penicillin amidase amide substrates containing a phenylacetyl group in the acyl moiety have been shown to have similar catalytic constants of 50 s-1. Substitution of the phenylacetyl group b 2-thienylacetyl group (cephalothin, cephaloridine) having a similar structure leads to a slight decrease in kcat. 2. Nonspecific penicillin amidase substrates, which contain a free amino group in their acyl moiety, are characterized by a strong dependence of kcat, on the structure of the leaving group with Km being constant. To investigate the free amino group influence on the reaction kinetics, pH-dependences of kcat/Km of enzymatic hydrolysis of phenylacetic and D-(-)-alpha-aminophenylacetic acid p-nitroanilides have been studied. It has been shown that enzyme binds the deprotonated form of the substrate only. 3. Under thermodynamically favourable conditions for the synthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics (at low pH), a concentration of the deprotonated substrate form is very low, and the reaction proceeds in the bimolecular regime. The value of the second-order rate constant for the substrate having a free amino group is small even at pH 7.5, and sharply decreases as does the pH. Hence, despite the favourable thermodynamic conditions for the production of all beta-lactam antibiotics, low reaction rate is the basic hindrance for enzymatic synthesis of penicillins and cephalosporins having a free amino group in the acyl moiety.

[Penicillin amidase from E. coli. The kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the enzymatic hydrolysis of 7-phenylacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid catalyzed by an immobile enzyme]

The kinetics of 7-phenylacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-PADCA) catalyzed by immobilized penicillinamidase was studied. The kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the reaction were determined by analysis of the kinetic curves of the reaction product accumulation. Inhibition of the enzymatic reaction by the substrate and hydrolysis products was studied. It was found that the Michaelis complex completely lost its activity after attachment of the substrate second molecule to it. The values of the Michaelis constants, catalytic constant and constants of inhibition by the substrate and reaction products were determined: Km = (9.3 +/- 1.1) . 10(-5) M, kcat = (65 +/- 5) c-1, Ks = (1.4 +/- 0.1) . 10(-2) M, K1 (FAA) = (2.5 +/- 0.3) . 10(-4) M, K1 (7-ADCA) = (1.4 +/- 0.1) . 10(-1) M. The diffusion effect in the kinetic reaction catalyzed by immobilized penicillinamidase is discussed. The values of the Thiele modulus and the actual value of Km were calculated.

Enzymatic biosynthesis of cephalexin

The reaction kinetics of the enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin from 7-aminodeacetoxy cephalosporanic acid and phenylglycine methylester was studied using the synthesizing enzyme obtained from Xanthomonas citri. The activation energy, Km values for 7-aminodeacetoxy cephalosporanic acid and phenylglycine methylester, and Ki value for phenylglycine methylester were determined as 8.63 kcal/mol, 3.7mM, 14.5mM, and 70mM, respectively. The enzyme was found to be constitutive and susceptible to deactivation.

Properties of penicillin amidase immobilized by copolymerization with acrylamide

An enzyme preparation in a spherical granule form was obtained by copolymerization of penicillin amidase (EC 3.5.1.11) (previously modified with maleic anhydride) and acrylamide via a crosslinking agent. As compared with the native enzyme, immobilized amidase is more resistant to heating, has a lower affinity to benzylpenicillin, and is less inhibited by phenylacetate. Its substrate specificity and optimum pH remain unchanged.

[Kinetics of phenylacetamide hydrolysis by immobilized penicillinamidase]

The kinetics of phenylacetamide hydrolysis catalyzed by polyacrylamide gel-immobilized penicillinamidase were studied. The Km and Kp values obtained were compared to the literary data for the specific substrate--benzylpenicillin. It was shown that the type of inhibition by the reaction product was the same, whereas the efficiency of binding of phenylacetic acid depended on the substrate structure.

Enzyme immobilization techniques on poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) carrier with penicillin amidase as model

Two types of bead-form macroporous carriers based on glycidyl methacrylate with ethylene dimethacrylate copolymers were used for the immobilization of penicillin amidase either directly or after chemical modification. Direct binding through oxirane groups, which is equally efficient at pH 4.2 and 7, is relatively slow and brings about an activity loss at low enzyme concentrations. The most efficient immobilization was achieved on glutaraldehyde-activated amino carrier, irrespective of whether the amino groups were formed by ammonia or 1,6-diaminohexane treatment of the original oxirane carrier. Hydrazine treatment gave lower immobilization yields. The same is true of the azide method independent of the length of the spacer. Most enzyme activity was preserved by coupling the carbodiimide-activated enzyme to the carrier with alkyl or arylamino groups at the end of a longer substituent. Immobilization on diazo-modified carrier gave average results. Rapid immobilization by a lysine-modified phosgene-treated carrier resulted in an activity loss. It is suggested that multipoint and very tight attachment of the enzyme molecule to the matrix decreased the activity. The immobilized activity is quite stable in solution and very stable upon lyophilization with sucrose.

Biochemical properties of penicillin amidohydrolase from Micrococcus luteus

Some biochemical properties of whole-cell penicillin amidohydrolase from Micrococcus luteus have been studied. This whole-cell enzyme showed its maximal activity at 36 degrees C at pH 7.5. It was found that the activation energy of this enzyme was 8.03 kcal (ca. 33.6 kJ) per mol, and this amidohydrolase showed first-order decay at 36 degrees C. The penicillin amidohydrolase was deactivated rapidly at temperatures above 50 degrees C during storage or preincubation for 24 h. The Michaelis constant, Km, for penicillin G was determined as 2.26 mM, and the substrate inhibition constant, Kis, was 155 mM. The whole-cell penicillin amidohydrolase from M. luteus was capable of hydrolyzing penicillin G, penicillin V, ampicillin, and cephalexin, but not cephalosporin C and cloxacillin. This whole-cell enzyme also had synthetic activity for semisynthetic penicillins or cephalosporins from D-(--)-alpha-phenylglycine methyl ester and 6-alpha-aminopenicillanic acid or 7-amino-3-deacetoxycephalosporanic acid.

[Study of E. coli penicillin amidase. The pH dependence of the equilibrium constant of ampicillin enzymatic hydrolysis]

The equilibrium parameters of the hydrolysis of ampicillin catalysed by penicillin amidase were determined within the pH range of 4.5 to 5.5. The values of the ionization constants of the carboxy group of D-(-)-ALPHA-AMINOPHENYLACETIC ACID (PK1=1.80) and amino group of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (pK2=4.60) were estimated and pH-dependence of the effective free energy of ampicillin hydrolysis was calculated. It was shown that the thermodynamic optimum of ampicillin synthesis was at 3.20 (the value of the effective free energy under the experimental conditions was 3.27 kcal/mole). The value of the "true", pH-independent free energy of hydrolysis (deltasigma) of the amide bond in the ampicillin molecule was determined to be equal to 9.72 kcal/mole. The thermodynamic parameters of ampicillin and benzylpenicillin hydrolysis were compared. The amino group in the alpha-position of phenylacetic acid was shown to have a significant effect on the values of "true" free energy of hydrolysis of the penicillin amide bond and free ionization energy in the system.

Purification and properties of penicillin acylase of Bovista plumbea

1. A penicillin acylase (penicillin amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11) formed constitutively in the basidiomycete Bovista plumbea was purifed 220-fold by a combination of two gel filtration runs, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, ultrafiltration and final chromatography on hydroxyapatite. Recovery was 40%. 2. The enzyme was clearly distinguished from penicillin acylases previously characterized: the molecular weight of the purified enzyme was evaluated by gel filtration to be 88 000. Km for the best substrate phenoxymethylpenicillin was 1.67 mM. The maximum of activity occurred at 52 degrees C and pH 7.5. The activation energy calculated by Arrhenius' graphic method was 16.45 kJ/mol. 3. Neither 8-hydroxyquinoline nor EDTA, iodoacetic acid, or the products of enzymatic cleavage, 6-aminopenicillanic acid or phenoxyacetic acid, showed any characteristic inhibition effect. 4. The substrate spectrum of the enzyme was elucidated. Phenoxymethylpenicillin was the best substrate. N-Acylamino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides were not hydrolyzed; affinity occurred only towards penicillins lacking a nitrogen atom in the side chain acid. Penicillins with aryloxy residues possessing hydrophilic groups are favoured above aryl residues and short side chains above bulky ones.

[Study of penicillin amidase for E. coli. Kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis of 7-phenylacetamidodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid]

Kinetics of hydrolysis of 7-henylacetamidodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid catalyzed by penicillin amidase as a result of which phenylacetic and 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acids are formed was studied. The kinetic parameters of the reaction were determined on the basis of both the dependence of the initial rate of enzymatic hydrolysis on the substrate concentration and the analysis of progress kinetic curves of the product accumulation. The values of Km determined by the two methods were equal to (10 +/- 1) muM and kcat (50 +/- 5) sec-1 and (50 +/- 10) sec-1 respectively. The study of the inhibition of the enzymatic hydrolysis by the reaction products showed that phenylacetic and 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acids were competitive and non-competitive inhibitors of the penicillin amidase activity respectively. The inhibition constants were (55 +/- 8) muM and (12 +/- 1) mM respectively. The physiological role of the enzyme and the effect of the structure of the substrate on the specificity of the enzyme are discussed.

Regulation of penicillin acylase in Escherichia coli by cyclic AMP

1. Cyclic AMP was found to stimulate penicillin acylase activity. 2. It also overcame the repression of glucose and restored enzyme synthesis to the non-repressed levels. 3. The conversion of inactive enzyme precursor into active enzyme was not stimulated by cyclic AMP in cells in which protein synthesis was inhibited by chloramphenicol. 4. Cyclic AMP failed to stimulate enzyme production in cells in which messenger RNA synthesis was arrested by rifampicin or inducer removal. 5. Cyclic AMP appears to participate in the regulation of this enzyme at the transcriptional level.

Penicillinamidohydrolase in Escherichia coli. I. Substrate specificity

Substrate specificity of the bacterial penicillinamidohydrolase (penicillinacylase, EC 3.5.1.11) from Escherichia coli was determined by measuring initial rates of enzyme hydrolysis of different substrates within zero order kinetics. Some N-phenylacetyl derivatives of amino acids and amides of phenylacetic acid and phenoxyacetic acid of different substituted amides of these acids or amides, structurally and chemically similar to these compounds, served as substrates. Significant differences in ratios of initial rates of the enzyme hydrolysis of different substrates were found using a toluenized suspension of bacterial cells or a crude enzyme preparation, in spite of the fact that the enzyme is localized between the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane, in the so-called periplasmic space. N-phenylacetyl derivatives are the most rapidly hydrolyzed substrates. Beta-phenylpropionamide and 4-phenylbutyramide were not utilized as substrates. The substrate specificity of the enzyme is discussed with respect to a possible use of certain colourless compounds as substrates, hydrolysis of which yields chromophor products suitable for a simple and rapid assay of the enzyme activity.

[Preparation and kinetic properties of immobilized benzyl penicillin acylase]

An active insoluble preparation of immobilized benzyl penicillin acylase (IBA) EC 3.5.1.11 has been obtained by its entrapping into polyacrylamide gel lattice. Due to immobilization the preparation maintains up to 87% of its initial activity. The kinetics of IBA at low substrate concentrations obeys the Michaelis-Menten law; however, the apparent KM value decreases and the temperature optimum elevates. The inhibition by the reaction products--6-aminopenicillanic acid and phenylacetic acid--has been found to be 4.3 mM. The resultant IBA preparation proves to be suitable for hydrolysis of 5% benzyl penicillin solutions.