Separation and characterization of NAD- and NADP-specific succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli K-12 3300.

Two distinct proteins endowed with succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (succinate-semialdehyde:NAD(P)+oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.16) activity were separated and partially purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation or Sephadex G-200 gel-filtration or both. They differ by coenzyme specificity (NAD or NADP), molecular weight, temperature and pH resistance, pH-activity curves, beta-mercaptoethanol activation. Moreover, the NADP-specific enzyme catalyzes only the oxidation of succinate-semialdehyde among a number of aldehydes tested, whereas the NAD-specific form is active also towards n-butyraldehyde. The Km for the substrate is also appreciably different according to the coenzyme specificity, while the Km values for NAD and NADP are quite similar. Finally, the growth of the cells on gamma-aminobutyrate as the sole source of nitrogen resulted in enhanced level of the NAD-dependent succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, with concurrent decrease of the alternate enzyme activity. On the basis of the above results, distinct metabolic roles are suggested for the two enzymes forms.