Adenosine deaminase in chicken-egg yolk and its relation to homologous enzymes in liver and plasma of the adult hen.

Chicken egg yolk contains an adenosine deaminase that was investigated after purifying about 500 times. It has a pH optimum at 6.5, aKm of 6.6 times 10(-5) mol/l and an approximate molecular weight of 14000; higher molecular forms could not be detected. It was compared with the adenosine deaminases of chicken liver and blood plasma. From this comparison it is evident that this protein has undergone certain changes during the successive events leading to its final structure (secretion by the liver, transport through blood plasma to the oocytes and development of the egg): a common subunit with an approximate molecular weight of 15000 may be the basis of the physiological diversifications. Substrate specificity of the purified extracts extends to cytidine and guanosine also, although certain observations point to different enzymes being involved. Deoxyadenosine is also deaminated. Cu2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ are inhibiting and free -SH seems essential for activity.