Two "acid" forms, Am and Al, of beta-galactosidase from sheep kidney have been isolated and purified 349- and 154-fold, respectively, with a recovery of about 8%. 2. Their mol. wts were about 450,000 and 230,000, respectively. Am seems to be a dimer of Al. The aggregation is stimulated by NaCl. 3. The "acid" beta-galactosidase has a pH optimum between 4.0 and 5.0 for both forms. They are located in the lysosomes. The optimal temperature is 37 degrees C and 40 degrees C for Al and Am forms, respectively. 4. Three peaks were detected by isoelectric focusing. After sialidase treatment, these peaks were obtained at higher pH values. 5. The activation energy values were 10.75 and 11.72 kcal/mol for Am and Al, respectively. 6. A variety of chemicals were tested as possible activators or inhibitors. The enzyme is strongly inhibited by gamma-D-galactonolactone, and the kinetic evidence suggests a competitive inhibition in all cases.
