[Localization in skin, activation and reaction mechanisms of skin sulfhydryl oxidase].

S-S cross-linking enzyme, skin sulfhydryl oxidase (SSO), catalyzes the formation of disulfide bonds from sulfhydryl groups in skin. The activity of SSO was detected in differing amounts in each of the four layers--stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum with basal cell layer, and dermis--of cow snout skin, with the highest specific activity being recorded in the stratum granulosum. SSO was stimulated to 130-150% of its initial activity by treatment with 1 mg/ml trypsin, chymotrypsin, or urokinase, but was not affected by plasmin or cathepsin D. These findings suggest that SSO may be activated by some kinds of serine proteases during the keratinocyte autolysis process in the stratum granulosum. SSO showed the highest activity with the addition of 5 microM of Cu2+. The atomic absorptive analysis of purified SSO showed 0.5 atoms of Cu in one molecule of SSO. From these findings, it was determined that Cu2+ was essential for the activity of SSO. The molar ratio of the disappearance of DTT, consumption of O2, and production of H2O2 during the enzyme reaction was 1:1.05:0.89. From these findings, the reactions catalyzed by SSO is suggested to be represented by the following equation: (table; see text).