Control of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase activity in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Purification and properties of the high-activity form of the enzyme.

1. The high-activity form of aminolaevulinate synthetase has been prepared from extracts of semi-anaerobically grown cells of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, which were allowed to become activated in air. Specific activity was 130 000--170 000 nmol of aminolaevulinate/h per mg of protein at 37 degree C. 2. Enzyme fraction Ia prepared on DEAE-Sephadex was a mixture of four active enzymes, pI5.55, 5.45, 5.35 and 5.2, when prepared in either Tris or phosphate buffers and when extracts were activated by air or by cystine trisulphide. 3. The enzyme was further purified by preparative polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in imidazole/veronal buffer, pH 7.6, followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and concentration with DEAE-Sephadex. 4. The most active enzyme, pI 5.55, ran as a single protein band, mol.wt. 49 000, in sodium dodecyl sulphate and 2-mercaptoethanol. The apparent molecular weight under non-denaturing conditions was 62 000--68 000 on Sephadex G-100 or G-200, pH 7.5, and on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, pH 8.5, at enzyme concentrations below 10 000 units/ml, i.e. less than 60 microgram of protein/ml, and the enzyme was mainly monomeric. 5. The enzyme was homogeneous by gel disc electrophoresis at pH 8.9 and 7.6, but a slightly more diffuse band of protein was obtained during electrophoresis in glycine buffer, pH 7.4. 6. Enzyme samples possessed an intrinsic yellow fluorescence when viewed under u.v. light and this fluorescence coincided exactly with enzymic activity on gel electrophoresis. Fluorescence maxima were 420 nm (excitation) and 495 nm (emission). 7. Radioactive 35S-labelled enzyme had 14 atoms of sulphur/mol of protein (or/40 leucine residues) of which 5--6 residues were cyst(e)ine and 8--9 residues were methionine. 8. Mo carbohydrate was detected apart from glucose, which prevented accurate determination of tryptophan with methanesulphonic acid and tryptamine.