γ-Butyrobetaine hydroxylase: A unique protective effect of catalase

John S. Blanchard, Sasha Englard, Atsushi Kondo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Catalase stimulates the activity of homogeneous γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase by approximately 300-fold. The stimulation of the hydroxylation reaction elicited by catalase is saturable, and although a number of proteins may be substituted for catalase, none is as effective. γ-Butyrobetaine hydroxylase is also irreversibly inactivated in the presence of one of its substrates, oxygen, and its cofactor, ascorbate. This inactivation of the hydroxylase activity may be prevented by (i) the presence of high concentrations (2 mg/ml) of various proteins, (ii) the presence of catalytic concentrations (20 μg/ml) of catalase, or (iii) the presence of 10 mm histidine or dithiothreitol. Oxidized species of ascorbate do not appear to be responsible for the inactivation process. Time-dependent inactivation is also observed when γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase is preincubated with hydrogen peroxide generated by the glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of glucose. At low concentrations, superoxide dismutase was not as effective as an equivalent protein concentration of catalase in protecting against inactivation, and hydroxyl radical scavengers were completely ineffective. In measurements of γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase activity, the presence of catalase both stimulates the catalytic activity of the hydroxylase and protects the enzyme from inactivation by a product of the interaction of components in the assay mixture, presumably hydrogen peroxide.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)327-334
Number of pages8
JournalArchives of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Volume219
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1982

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

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