Cross-linking with diimidates of glutamine synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Glutamine synthetase [EC 6.3.2.1] from Bacillus stearothermophilus was modified with diethyl malonimidate (DEM), dimethyl adipimidate (DMA), and dimethyl suberimidate (DMS). DMA modified most epsilon-amino groups. On modification with DMA, formation of 3 to 4 cross-links/subunit resulted in a large increase in thermostability. The activity, allosteric properties and fluorescence spectrum of the enzyme were not changed on cross-linking. The SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic profiles of DEM-, DMA-, and DMS-modified enzymes suggested that the interaction berween six subunits in each of the two hexagonal rings of the protein are heterologous and are different from those between the piled subunits on different rings.

Chemical modification of epsilon-amino groups in glutamine synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus with ethyl acetimidate.

The activity of glutamine synthetase [EC 6.3.2.1] from Bacillus stearothermophilus decreased slightly on modification with ethyl acetimidate. Acetamidination of 25--26 of the 2 epsilon-amino groups/subunit of the enzyme affected the maximum velocity, but not the Michaelis constant. The thermostability of the enzyme was considerably increased on acetamidination. Acetamidination of the enzyme did not affect the circular dichroism, the tryptophan fluorescence or the quenching effects of KI and acrylamide on the tryptophan emission. The fluorescence spectrum of p-toluidinylnaphthalene sulfonate bound to the enzyme changed on acetamidination.