[Carboanhydrase from bean leaves].

A highly purified preparation of carboanhydrase from the leaves of the bean Vicia faba var. major (Harz) F. Janthina was obtained. The enzyme was homogeneous during analytical disc-electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and analytical ultracentrifugation. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 270,000. The enzyme molecule contains six Zn atoms, has a quaternary structure and is made up of six subunits with molecular weights of 45,000. Some properties of the enzymes from bean leaves and pea leaves were compared. The enzymes differ in molecular weights and behaviour during DEAE-cellulose chromatography and gel filtration through Sephadex G-200.