Purification and properties of a unique superoxide dismutase from Nocardia asteroides.

A unique form of superoxide dismutase was isolated and characterized from Nocardia asteroides GUH-2. This enzyme contains 1 to 2 g atoms each of Fe, Mn, and Zn per mol and exhibits spectral properties suggestive of Fe- or Mn-containing superoxide dismutases. Its Mr = 100,000, and it is composed of four subunits of equal size which are not covalently joined. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was more closely related to the Mn- or Fe-containing enzymes of Mycobacterium species and was least related to the Cu-Zn enzyme of eukaryotes. Azide at 1 and 20 mM inhibits the activity 10 and 41%, respectively, and 5 mM H2O2 inhibits 40%, but 1 or 5 mM cyanide caused trivial effect. The immunofluorescent staining, which was specific for superoxide dismutase of N. asteroides, indicated the association of this enzyme to the outer cell wall of the organism. Further, the enzyme was shown to be selectively secreted into the medium.