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Pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymomonas mobilis. Isolation and partial characterization

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Abstract

Pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) from the ethanol producing bacterium Zymomonas mobilis was purified to homogeneity. This enzyme is an acidic protein with an isoelectric point of 4.87 and has an apparent molecular weight of 200,000±10,000. The enzyme showed a single band in sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight of 56,500±4,000 which indicated that the enzyme consists of four probably identical subunits. The dissociation of the cofactors Mg2+ and thiamine pyrophosphate at pH 8.9 resulted in a total loss of enzyme activity which could be restored to 99.5% at pH 6.0 in the presence of both cofactors. For the apoenzyme the apparent K m values for Mg2+ and thiamine pyrophosphate were determined to be 24 μM and 1.28 μM. The apparent K m value for the substrate pyruvate was 0.4 mM. Antiserum prepared against this purified pyruvate decarboxylase failed to crossreact with cell extracts of the reportedly pyruvate decarboxylase positive bacteria Sarcina ventriculi, Erwinia amylovora, or Gluconobacter oxydans, or with cell extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Abbreviations

Tris-buffer:

0,01 M tris-HCl buffer, containing 1 mM MgCl2 0.1 mM EDTA, 1.0 mM thiamine pyrophosphate, 2 mM mercaptopropanediol, pH 7.0

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  1. Institut für Biotechnologie 1 der Kernforschungsanlage Jülich GmbH, Postfach 1913, D-5170, Jülich, Germany

    S. Bringer-Meyer, K. -L. Schimz & H. Sahm

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  1. S. Bringer-Meyer
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  2. K. -L. Schimz
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  3. H. Sahm
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Bringer-Meyer, S., Schimz, K.L. & Sahm, H. Pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymomonas mobilis. Isolation and partial characterization. Arch. Microbiol. 146, 105–110 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402334

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402334

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