Characterization of the reactivity of sulphydryl groups in tryptophanase by a dual-monitoring high-performance liquid chromatographic system with a site-directed fluorescent reagent.

Sulphydryl groups of E. coli tryptophanase (L-tryptophan indole lyase, E.C. 4.1.99.1) were made to react with a fluorescent maleimide derivative, N-(4-anilino-1-naphthyl)maleimide(ANM). By carefully controlling the reaction conditions it was possible to limit the extent of sulphydryl group modification. The modified enzyme was digested with (L-1-tosylamide-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone)-trypsin. The fluorescent peptides obtained were analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a C18 column with a dual-monitoring system consisting of a UV and a fluorescence monitor connected in tandem. This was followed by the determination of the amino acid composition of the fluorescent peptides. Comparison of these results with the known, complete primary structure of tryptophanase from the K-12 strain of E. coli allowed the assignment of position 298 to the cysteine residue, which is more selectively modified by ANM under the conditions chosen and is involved in the maintenance of the catalytic activity.