Regulatory properties of the pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Active enzyme ultracentrifugation studies.

Active enzyme ultracentrifugation studies of the pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EC 1.6.1.1.) show that the enzymatic reaction is catalyzed by a molecular species characterized by an S20,W value of about 34 S, whatever the reduced substrate may be (tri- or diphosphopyridine nucleotide). The filamentous aggregated form of the enzyme (S20,W = 121 S and higher), identified by previous investigations (Cohen, P. T., and Kaplan, N. O. (1970), J. Biol. Chem. 245, 2825-2836; Louie, D. D., Kaplan, N. O., and Mc Lean, J. D. (1972), J. Mol. Biol. 70, 651-664), appears, therefore, to be an inactive species. The physiological implications of the enzyme are discussed. Several lines of evidence lead to the conclusion that the transhydrogenase might act as an essential link between carbohydrate catabolism and the respiratory chain.