TK1299, a highly thermostable NAD(P)H oxidase from Thermococcus kodakaraensis exhibiting higher enzymatic activity with NADPH.

Seven nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase homologs have been found in the genome of Thermococcus kodakaraensis. The gene encoding one of them, TK1299, consisted of 1326 nucleotides, corresponding to a polypeptide of 442 amino acids. To examine the molecular properties of TK1299, the structural gene was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and the gene product was characterized. Molecular weight of the recombinant protein was 49,375 Da when determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight and 300 kDa when analyzed by gel filtration chromatography indicating that it existed in a hexameric form. The enzyme was highly thermostable even in boiling water where it exhibited more than 95% of the enzyme activity after incubation of 150 min. TK1299 catalyzed the oxidation of NADH as well as NADPH and predominantly converted O₂ to H₂O (more than 75%). K(m) value of the enzyme towards NADH and NADPH was almost same (24 ± 2 μM) where as specific activity was higher with NADPH compared to NADH. To our knowledge this is the most thermostable and unique NAD(P)H oxidase displaying higher enzyme activity with NADPH.