Synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase isozymes from rat and mouse livers. Immunochemical studies.

The alpha- and beta-forms of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase in rat liver were completely fractionated by chromatography on a hydrophobic resin, phenyl-Sepharose. The alpha-form was eluted in low-ionic strength buffer, and the beta-form was eluted with 50% dimethylsulfoxide. The alpha-form is less sensitive to dimethylsulfoxide, whereas the beta-form is strikingly stimulated by dimethylsulfoxide, after removal of the dimethylsulfoxide. The levels of the alpha-form activity in rat liver after treatment with ethionine and adenine for 2 consecutive days, and those of the beta-form activity in mouse liver on the 12th day after transplantation of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, were increased several fold compared to normal liver. Immunochemical titrations with specific antibody against the beta-form as well as kinetic studies indicated that the observed increase in the levels of each activity from the S-adenosylmethionine synthetase isozymes is due to an increase in the cellular content of the enzyme.