Evidence for the presence of two nonidentical subunits in NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase of pig heart.

The NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase [threo-D(S)-isocitrate:NAD(+) oxidoreductase (decarboxylating); EC 1.1.1.41] from pig heart is a multisubunit enzyme with a molecular weight of approximately 340,000. Electrophoresis of the enzyme in 10% polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate reveals two discrete bands with molecular weights of 41,000 and 39,000. The two bands exhibit approximately equal intensity when stained with Coomassie Blue, Amido Black, and Bromophenol Blue, suggesting that these polypeptide chains are present in equimolar quantities in the native enzyme. The same two-band pattern is observed when the sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme are blocked by alkylation with iodoacetate prior to electrophoresis, indicating that sulfhydryl oxidation is not responsible for the observed heterogeneity. Each of the subunits appears as a single band when eluted from the gel and again subjected to electrophoresis under the same conditions. Isocitrate dehydrogenase contains a total of 41 lysine and arginine residues per average subunit of 40,000 daltons. The observation of approximately 80 peptides upon paper chromatography and high voltage electrophoresis of tryptic digests of the enzyme is consistent with the existence of two distinct polypeptide chains. Dansylation yields two NH(2)-terminal amino acid derivatives: dansyl-phenylalanine and dansyl-alanine. It is concluded that the NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase is composed of equal numbers of two nonidentical subunits.