The kinetics of hydrolysis of synthetic glucuronic esters and glucuronic ethers by bovine liver and Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase.

1. The relative rates of hydrolysis of synthetically prepared beta-d-glucuronic esters [aglycone: benzoic acid, veratroic (3,4-dimethoxybenzoic) acid, indol-3-ylacetic acid and ethylbutyric acid], and beta-d-glucuronic ethers (aglycone: phenolphthalein, p-nitrophenol, 3,4-dimethoxyphenol, 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol) by commercial preparations of beta-glucuronidase from bovine liver and Escherichia coli were investigated. The rates of hydrolysis of all compounds tested were followed by measuring the formation of glucuronic acid under conditions which do not affect the glycosidic ester bond. 2. The pH profiles of the substrates in reaction with the enzyme from both sources were determined, and substrate-saturation curves at the optimal pH for each substrate were constructed; double-reciprocal plots of activity against concentration were linear. 3. Comparison of kinetic data indicates that neither the type of sugar-aglycone linkage, nor the aglycone structure alone can explain the observed K(m) and V(max.) values. 4. alpha-d-Glucuronic esters of benzoic and veratroic acid resisted hydrolysis by beta-glucuronidase from both sources.