The peptide hydrolase system of Lactobacillus reuteri

Peptide hydrolase system of Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098, a lactic acid bacteria of sourdough origin, was investigated. This microorganism has a broad range of peptidases consisting of an active aminopeptidase, X-Prolyl-dipeptidylaminopeptidase, dipeptidase and tripeptidase. Aminopeptidase, iminopeptidase and endopeptidase are most likely located in the cytoplasmic fraction showing no detectable association with the cell membrane, while dipeptidase and tripeptidase are mainly associated with the latter fraction. The peptidases are metalloenzymes activated by Co²⁺ and inhibited by Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺ and by metal-complexing reagents. The aminopeptidase activity inhibited by EDTA can be restored by Mn²⁺ while that of di- and tripeptidase treated with 1,10-phenantroline can be restored by Zn²⁺ and Co²⁺, respectively.     

Purification and some properties of a cysteine proteinase from sorghum malt variety SK5912

A cysteine proteinase from sorghum malt variety SK5912 was purified by a combination of 4 M sucrose fractionation, ion‐exchange chromatography on Q‐ and S‐Sepharose (fast flow), gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G‐100 and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Phenyl Sepharose CL‐4B. The enzyme was purified 8.4‐fold to give a 13.4% yield relative to the total activity in the crude extract and a final specific activity of 2057.1 U mg^?1 protein. SDS—PAGE revealed two migrating protein bands corresponding to apparent relative molecular masses of 55 and 62 kDa, respectively. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6.0 and 50 °C, not influenced across a relatively broad pH range of 5.0–8.0 and retained over 60% activity at 70 °C after 30‐min incubation. It was highly significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited by Hg²⁺, appreciably (P < 0.01) inhibited by Ag⁺, Ba²⁺ and Pb²⁺ but highly significantly (P < 0.001) activated by Co²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Sr²⁺. The proteinase was equally highly significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited by both iodoacetate and p‐chloromercuribenzoate and hydrolysed casein to give the following kinetic constants: K_m = 0.33 mg ml^?1; V_max = 0.08 µmol ml^?1 min^?1. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ENDOPEPTIDASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS ATCC 948

Intracellular, ca 55 kDa monomeric endopeptidase (PsPepO) from Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 948 was purified to homogeneity by chromatography on Q-Sepharose, Sephacryl 200, Phenyl-Superose and Mono Q. It was strongly inhibited by the metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10 phenanthroline and by dithiothreitol, but less strongly by EDTA; it was stimulated by Co²⁺. Activity was optimal at pH 7.0 and 40–45C, with considerable activity at pH 5.0 and 12C. The enzyme was relatively heat-stable with a D_80Cvalue of 1.2 min. It did not hydrolyze α_s1-, β-or κ-casein (CN) and peptides with less than 5 amino acids but readily hydrolyzed α_s1-CNfl-23, α_s1-CN f157-164, α_s1-CN f165-199 and various β-CN fragments and peptide hormones. On α_s1-CN fl-23, α_s1-CN f165-199, insulin B-chain and bradykinin, it mainly catalyzed the hydrolysis of peptide bonds in which a hydrophobic amino acid (most commonly Phe or Leu) residue occupied the P'₁position. β-CN f193- or 194-209, which are the source of bitter peptides in cheese ripening, were hydrolyzed slowly or not at all. β-CN fragments from the sequence 58-70 were degraded or did not inhibit the endopeptidase activity as well as β-CN f193-209. The characteristics of the endopeptidase of Ps. fluorescens ATCC 948 were compared with those of lactococcal endopeptidases.     

Purification and Some Properties of a Protease from Sorghum Malt Variety KSV8–11

A protease from sorghum malt variety KSV8–11 was purified by a combination of dialysis against 4 M sucrose, ion‐exchange chromatography on Q‐Sepharose (Fast flow), gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G‐100 and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Phenyl Sepharose CL‐4B. The enzyme was purified 5‐fold to give a 14.1% yield relative to the total activity in the crude extract and a final specific activity of 1348.9 U mg^?1 protein. SDS‐PAGE revealed a single migrating protein band corresponding to a relative molecular mass of 16 KDa. Using casein as substrate, the purified protease had optimal activity at 50°C and maximal temperature stability between 30°C and 40°C but retained over 64% of its original activity after incubation at 60°C for 30 min. The pH optimum was 5.0 with maximum stability at pH 6.0 but 60% of the activity remained after 24 h between pH 5.0 and 8.0. The protease was inhibited by Ag⁺, Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, Mg²⁺, iodoacetic acid (IAA) and p‐chloromercuribenzoate (p‐CMB), stimulated by Cu²⁺, Sr²⁺, phenylmethylsulfonyl‐fluoride (PMSF) and 2‐mercaptoethanol (2‐ME) while Mn²⁺ and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) had no effect. The purified enzyme had a K_m of 18 mg·mL^?1 and a V_max of 11.1 μmol · mL^?1 · min^?1 with casein as substrate.     

PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF CYCLODEXTRIN GLUCANOTRANSFERASE FROM AN ALKALOPHILIC BACILLUS sp. 7-12

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (EC 2.4.1.19) (CGTase) are industrially important enzymes for production of cyclodextrin (CD) from starch. γ‐CD yield of CGTase from alkalophilic Bacillus species is usually much lower than β‐CD, while from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. 7‐12. γ‐CD yield is close to β‐CD. A CGTase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. 7‐12 was purified and characterized. When purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE‐cellulose column chromatography and Sepharose CL‐6B column chromatography, the enzyme obtained consisted of a single band that did not dissociate into subunits by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Molecular weight of the purified enzyme was determined to be 69,000 Da by SDS‐PAGE. The enzyme showed a K_mof 1.24 mg/mL and V_max0.101 µM/min when potato starch was used as substrate. The enzyme was stable below 70C with an optimum activity at 60C, and stable at pH range 6–10 with an optimum pH at 8.5. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺and slightly inhibited by Sn²⁺, Mn²⁺. The ions Ca²⁺and K⁺, EDTA and DTT had no influence on the enzyme activity.     

Purification and some properties of a novel raw starch‐digesting amylase from Aspergillus carbonarius

A medium was developed to obtain the maximum yield of raw starch‐digesting amylase from Aspergillus carbonarius (Bainier) Thom IMI 366159 in submerged culture with raw starch as the sole carbon source. The amylase was purified to apparent homogeneity by sucrose concentration and ion exchange chromatography on S‐ and Q‐Sepharose (fast flow) columns. SDS‐PAGE revealed two migrating protein bands corresponding to relative molecular masses of 31.6 and 32 KDa. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6.0–7.0 and 40 °C, was uninfluenced across a relatively broad pH range of 3.0–9.0 and retained over 85% activity between 30 and 80 °C after 20 min incubation. The enzyme was strongly activated by Co²⁺ and only slightly by Fe²⁺, while Ca²⁺, Hg²⁺, EDTA and N‐bromosuccinamide elicited significant repression of the enzyme activity. The enzyme hydrolysed amylopectin (K_m 0.194 mg ml ⁻¹), glycogen (K_m 0.215 mg ml ⁻¹), pullulan (K_m 0.238 mg ml ⁻¹), amylose (K_m 0.256 mg ml ⁻¹) and raw potato starch (K_m 0.260 mg ml ⁻¹), forming predominantly maltose and relatively smaller amounts of glucose. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Purification and characterization of a dipeptidase from Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus

A metal-dependent dipeptidase has been purified from a cell-free extract of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus B14 by ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, metal chelating affinity chromatography with immobilized Cu²⁺, and repeated FPLC anion exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 51 kD by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as well as by gel filtration, which indicates that it does not consist of subunits. The enzyme was most active at pH 7 and 50°C. Reducing agents, like dithiothreitol and β-mercaptoethanol, increased enzyme activity while metal chelating agents had an inhibitory effect. Enzyme activity, inhibited by EDTA and EGTA, could be partially restored by Co²⁺ and Mn²⁺. The enzyme was most active on dipeptides containing an aminoterminal hydrophobic amino acid such as Leu-Leu and Leu-Gly. Kinetic studies indicated that the dipeptidase had a higher affinity for the first substrate mentioned. The K_m-values for both substrates were about 0·56 and 1·23 mM, with turnover numbers of 870 and 480 s⁻¹, respectively.     

Purification and characterization of CEP from Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis

The cell-envelope proteinase (CEP) of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis LB12 was released from cells by treatment with lysozyme, purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatographed on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and Sephacryl S-300 HR. The purified CEP is a monomer structure and has molecular mass of about 53 kDa. Optimal activity occurred at pH 7.5 and 40 °C. It is a metallopeptidase, activated by Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, inhibited by Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺ and EDTA, and a serine proteinase which is inhibited by PMSF. The sequence of the first 13 amino acids of the N-terminal of the CEP was determined to be Asp-Val-Phe-Ala-Pro-His-Met-Ala-Asn-Val-Ala-Ala-Val, and the whey protein hydrolysate produced by the CEP displayed ACE-inhibitory activity.     

Wheat-bug damage in New Zealand wheats: Some properties of a glutenin hydrolysing enzyme in bug-damaged wheat

Some properties of a glutenin hydrolysing enzyme present in bug (Nysius huttoni) damaged wheat (Triticum aestivum) were examined using a modified SDS sedimentation test reported previously. The enzyme appears to be a water-soluble alkaline protease with an activity optimum at pH 9.0. It is relatively heat stable, but the temperature optimum for activity is quite low (35–40°C). The enzyme is not inhibited by EDTA or N-ethylmaleimide, but is inhibited by the metal ions Co²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺.     

PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF TRANSGLUTAMINASE FROM STREPTOVERTICILLIUM MOBARAENSE

Transglutaminase (TGase) was separated from the culture broth of an isolated strain of Streptoverticillium mobaraense. The crude enzyme was prepared by centrifugation, ultrafiltration, precipitation by alcohol, centrifugation and freeze‐drying. The yield after these processes was 65–70%. Then the enzyme was purified to homogeneity by chromatography on CM‐cellulose and Sephadex G‐75 on which the yields were about 70% and 80%, respectively; the purified folds reached 2.5–4.7 and 1.08–2.06, respectively. The molecular weight of this TGase was 39,500–40,100 Da by gel filtration chromatography. Optimum enzyme activity was observed in the pH range of 5.0–7.0, and it was maintained stable at 20–40C. The optimal temperature and pH was 52C and 6.0, respectively. At 1 mM and 5 mM metal ion or inhibitors concentration, TGase activity was strongly inhibited by Zn²⁺ and NEM, and not affected obviously by Ba²⁺, Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Na⁺ as well as PMSF and EDTA. The effects of these additions on this TGase were compared with those of other microbial TGases.     

Purification and some properties of α-amylase from post-harvest Pachyrhizus erosus L. tuber

α-Amylase, a starch splitting enzyme, was purified to homogeneity from post-harvest Pachyrhizus erosus L. tuber by successive chromatography on DEAE- and CM-cellulose columns. Purification achieved was 110 fold from the crude extract with a yield of 22.8%. SDS-PAGE showed a molecular weight of 40 kDa for the enzyme. The enzyme is of α-type as it lost total activity in the presence of EDTA, a chelating agent. It is a glycoprotein that contains 2.6% sugar as estimated by the phenol-sulfuric acid method. The enzyme displayed optimum activity at pH 7.3 and 37 °C with an apparent K_m value of 0.29% for starch as substrate. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺ and Zn²⁺, moderately by Li²⁺, Hg⁺ and Cd²⁺ and slightly by Ag⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺. Calcium ion almost doubled the activity whereas Fe³⁺, Mn²⁺ and Na⁺ enhanced it appreciably.     

Purification and characterization of an alkaline pectin lyase produced by a newly isolated Brevibacillus borstelensis (P35) and its applications in fruit juice and oil extraction

An alkaline pectin lyase (PNL) (EC 4.2.2.10) secreted by Brevibacillus borstelensis P35 (GenBank Number: FJ417406) was purified using ammonium sulfate fractionation, anion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-150. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were found to be 8.0 and 60 °C. The enzyme does not loose activity up to 60 °C if exposed for 1 h. The values of K _m and V _max of the enzyme were 0.625 mg/mL and 126.32 s^?1, respectively. The molecular weight was found to be 36 ± 01 kDa. The presence of 10 mM concentration of Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe²⁺ and EDTA, l-cystein, ascorbic acid significantly enhanced the PNL of the purified enzyme. In the course of the laboratory trials, it was demonstrated that PNL from B. borstelensis (P35) could be successfully applied to the production and clarification of fruit juice and oil extraction.     

An extra-cellular alkaline metallolipase from Bacillus licheniformisMTCC 6824: Purification and biochemical characterization

An extra-cellular lipase produced by Bacillus licheniformis MTCC 6824 was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate fractionation, ethanol/ether precipitation, dialysis, followed by anion-exchange chromatography on Amberlite IRA 410 (Cl⁻ form) and gel exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G 100 using Tris–HCl buffer (pH 8.0). The crude lipase extract had an activity of 41.7 LU/ml of culture medium when the bacterium was cultured for 48 h at 37 °C and pH 8.0 with nutrient broth supplemented with sardine oil as carbon source. The enzyme was purified 208-fold with 8.36% recovery and a specific activity of 520 LU/mg after gel exclusion chromatography. The pure enzyme is a monomeric protein and has an apparent molecular mass of 74.8 kDa. The lipase had a V_max and K_m of 0.64 mM/mg/min and 29 mM, respectively, with 4-nitro phenylpalmitate as a substrate, as calculated from the Lineweaver–Burk plot. The lipase exhibited optimum activity at 45 °C and pH 8.0, respectively. The enzyme had half-lives (T_1/2) of 82 min at 45 °C, and 48 min at 55 °C. The catalytic activity was enhanced by Ca²⁺ (18%) and Mg²⁺ (12%) at 30 mM. The lipase was inhibited by Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe² even at low concentration (10 mM). EDTA, at 70 mM concentration, significantly inhibited the activity of lipase. Phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF, 70 mM) completely inactivated the original lipase. A combination of Ca²⁺ and sorbitol induced a synergistic effect on the activity of lipase with a significantly high residual activity (100%), even after 45 min, as compared to 91.5% when incubated with Ca²⁺ alone. The lipase was found to be hydrolytically resistant toward triacylglycerols with more double bonds.     

Purification and characterization of a leucine aminopeptidase from the skeletal muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

An aminopeptidase was purified from the skeletal muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to homogeneity, with 1160-fold purification and a yield of 4.3%. The purification procedure consisted of ammonium sulfate fractionation and sequential chromatographic steps, including DEAE-Sephacel, Sephacryl S-200, hydroxyapatite, Phenyl Sepharose and Macro-Prep High Q columns. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 105 kDa and 100 kDa by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and gel filtration chromatography, respectively, suggesting it to be a monomer. The enzymatic activity was optimal at 35 °C and pH 7.0. The metal-chelating agents EDTA, EGTA and 1,10-phenanthroline specifically inhibited the enzyme activity while inhibitors of other proteinases did not show much effect, indicating that it was a metalloproteinase. Furthermore, bestatin, a specific aminopeptidase inhibitor strongly inhibited its activity. Divalent cations Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ba²⁺ slightly enhanced the enzymatic activity, while Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Fe²⁺ inhibited the activity to different extents. In addition, a sulfhydryl reagent was necessary to maintain its activity. Substrate specificity study revealed that the purified enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed Leu-MCA, followed by Arg-MCA, Ala-MCA and Tyr-MCA and it was thus regarded as a leucine aminopeptidase (LAP, EC 3.4.11.1). The apparent K_m and V_max values of the enzyme were 4.6 μM and 9.6 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively for substrate Leu-MCA. This is the first report concerning purification and characterization of LAP from freshwater fish.     

Multiple forms of polygalacturonase from mango (Mangifera indica L. cv Alphonso) fruit

Polygalacturonase (PG) from mango pulp revealed three isoforms (I, II, III) upon ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography, each having an abundance of 68%, 6% and 26%, and molecular weights (M_r) 40, 51 and 45 kDa, respectively. The pH optimum for the isoforms was between 3 and 4. PG-I was stable over a wide pH range (4–7.5) unlike PG II and III, which were stable at pH 4 and 5, respectively. The optimum temperature was around 40 °C for all the three isoforms. Their apparent K_m for pectic acid was in the range 0.22–0.25 mg ml⁻¹. The V_max for PG I, II and III was 5.7, 3.6 and 4.4 μmol GalA equivalent h⁻¹, respectively. Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Fe²⁺ and EDTA inhibited whereas GalA, Gal, Fuc, Rha and Ara stimulated PG-I activity, in particular. The major endogenous substrates for mango PG were identified to be two rhamnogalacturonans varying in their sugar ratio. These results are discussed in the light of pectin dissolution in vivo in ripening mango.     

Purification and Characterization of a Halotolerant Alkaline Serine Protease from Penicillium citrinum YL-1 Isolated from Traditional Chinese Fish Sauce

A halotolerant alkaline serine protease from Penicillium citrinum YL-1 which was isolated from traditional Chinese fish sauce was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and DEAE 52-Cellulose column, thereby resulting in a 4.66-fold increase in specific activity (110.68 U/mg). The molecular weight (MW) was estimated to be 32.27 kDa using SDS-PAGE analysis. The protease exhibited optimal activity toward the substrate casein at pH 8.0 at 40°C and was stable at pH 6.0–8.0 and 4–30°C. Activity was inhibited by NaCl and retained at 28.3, 21.4 and 18.1% of the initial activity after incubation for 6 h at 20, 25 and 30% NaCl concentrations, respectively. The enzyme was stimulated by Mn²⁺ and inhibited by K⁺, Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺. K_m and V_max of the protease for casein were 1.93 mg/ml and 56.81 μg/(min·ml), respectively. Protease activity was strongly inhibited by phenylmethyl sulfonylfluoride (PMSF), which confirmed the serine protease nature of the enzyme. The protease can hydrolyze tilapia protein in the absence or presence of NaCl (5–30%), thus suggesting that this protease is more halotolerant than the protease from other bacteria with high salinity resistance based on the current literature. These properties make the halotolerant alkaline serine protease a suitable candidate enzyme for fish protein hydrolysis during fish sauce fermentation.     

Purification and enzymatic characteristics of a novel polyphenol oxidase from lotus seed (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)

A polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from lotus seed was purified by the procedures including ammonium sulphate precipitation and affinity chromatography. The apparent molecular mass was 38.6 kDa by SDS‐PAGE. Kinetic studies showed that the K_m and V_max values for catechol were 6.04 mm and 416.67 U, respectively. The PPO performed optimal activity in 20 °C and pH 7.0. The enzymatic activity could be mainly maintained up to 50 °C and pH 4.0–7.0. The activity could be inhibited by various inhibitors including thiourea, urea, sodium hydrogen sulphite, EDTA·2Na, SDS, citric acid, guanidine hydrochloride, ascorbic acid, sodium sulphite and sodium thiosulphate. The metal ions Ba²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺ could inhibit the activity of PPO, while Cu²⁺ performed obvious enhancement. The enzymatic properties of PPO could probably provide practical application in inhibiting the PPO activity and preventing enzymatic browning in the process of picking, transportation, processing and storage of fresh lotus seeds.     

Purification and characterisation of thermo-alkaline pectinase enzyme from Hylocereus polyrhizus

The thermo-alkaline pectinase enzyme from Hylocereus polyrhizus was purified 232.3-fold with a 73.3 % recovery through ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration, and ion exchange chromatography. Ion exchange chromatography combined with sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that the enzyme was monomeric with a molecular weight of 34.2 kDa. The pectinase exhibited broad specificity towards polygalacturonic acid, arabinan, oat spelt xylan, and pNP-α-glucopyranoside. The optimum pH and temperature were 8.0 and 75 °C, respectively. This enzyme was stable over a wide pH range (3.0–11.0) and at relatively high temperature (85 °C for 1 h). The K_m and V_max values of pectinase towards polygalacturonic acid were 2.7 mg/ml and 34.30 U/mg proteins, respectively. In addition, the enzyme activity was inhibited by Ni²⁺, Al³⁺, and Fe²⁺ and was increased in the presence of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ by 120 and 112 %, respectively. The purified pectinase demonstrated robust stability in response to surfactants and oxidising agents. EDTA, which is a powerful chelating agent, did not exert any significant effect on the enzyme stability. Thus, enzymes with these unique properties may be widely used in different types of industries and biotechnological applications.     

Isolation,purification and properties of the peroxidase from the hull of Glycine max var HH2

Soybean hull peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7), an acidic peroxidase isolated from soybean (Glycine max var HH2) hulls was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a combination of ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE‐Sephadex A‐50 chromatography, concanavalin A‐Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography and Bio‐Gel P‐60 gel filtration. The specific activity of purified peroxidase was about 57‐fold higher than that of crude extract. The yield was about 16.4%. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 38 000 by SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The peroxidase was a glycoprotein containing about 18.7% carbohydrate, approximately one‐quarter of which was shown to be glucosamine residues. It was found to have an isoelectric point of 3.9. The enzyme was most active at pH 4.6 and 45°C, and was stable in the pH range 2.5–11.5. The enzyme could tolerate heating for 10 min at 75°C without being inactivated, and at 85°C, it took 40 min to inactivate the enzyme 50%, confirming that the peroxidase was a novel thermostable enzyme. Fe ²⁺, Fe³⁺, Sn²⁺, CN ⁻ and N₃⁻ inhibited enzyme activity, while Hg²⁺, Ag⁺, Pb ²⁺, Cr³⁺, EDTA and SDS were not significantly inhibitory. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF PUMPKIN LIPOXYGENASE WITH CAROTENE-BLEACHING ACTIVITY

From locally grown pumpkins, an active lipoxygenase preparation with an active carotene-bleaching factor was partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 6.5 and was inactive at pH below 3 and above 10. The maximum activity occurred at 30°C. The apparent K_m determined in the presence of linoleate was 0.33 × 10^?3 M. The heavy metals Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Fe³⁺ were effective inhibitors of this enzyme. Cyanide, fluoride, and L-ascorbic acid also inhibited lipoxygenase activity. Carotene-bleaching activities operated strongly on the lipoxygenase fraction and slightly on the denatured lipoxygenase and hemoproteins treated with heat.