PsbY, a novel manganese-binding, low-molecular-mass protein associated with photosystem II.

We describe two related manganese-binding polypeptides with L-arginine metabolizing enzyme activity that can be detected as distinct components (designated PsbY-A1 and PsbY-A2, previously called L-AME) in membranes containing Photosystem II (PS II) from spinach. The polypeptides are bitopic and appear to exist in a heterodimeric form, but only in the chlorophyll a/b lineage of plants. Both proteins are encoded in the nucleus. In spinach and in Arabidopsis thaliana they are both derived from a single-copy gene (psbY) that is translated into a precursor polyprotein of approximately 20 kDa. The processing of the polyprotein is complex and includes at least four cleavage steps. Both polypeptides are exposed N-terminally to the lumenal and C-terminally to the stromal face of the thylakoid membrane.

Some properties of a basic L-amino-acid oxidase from Anacystis nidulans.

An L-amino acid oxidase (L-amino-acid oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating), EC 1.4.3.2) from the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans has been purified to homogeneity with an overall yield of about 10%. Purification included ammonium sulfate fractionation and CM-Sephadex, DEAE-Sephadex, and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The purified enzyme has an absorption spectrum which is characteristic of a flavoprotein, and contains 1 mol FAD per mol enzyme. The native enzyme has a molecular weight of 98 000 as determined by gel exclusion chromatography. Electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels gives a single protein band corresponding to a molecular weight of 49 000, which suggests that the native enzyme is composed of 2 subunits of equal molecular weight. As previously demonstrated, the enzyme catalyzes the oxidative deamination of the basic amino acids: L-arginine, L-lysine, L-ornithine and L-histidine. In the presence of catalase and of any of these amino acids, 0.5 mol O2 is consumed, and 1 mol ammonia is formed for each mol amino acid oxidized. HCN is formed from L-histidine when the L-amino acid oxidase is supplemented with peroxidase. In addition to the unusual substrate specificity of this L-amino acid ozidase, it also has an unusual set of inhibitors including o-phenanthroline as well as divalent cations of which Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ are the most effective ones, but Mg2+ and Ca2+ also inhibit. This inhibition can be reversed by chelating agents such as EDTA. ATP and ADP, but not AMP, can also overcome the inhibition caused by Mg2+, for example. The inhibitory effect of cations can be demonstrated in vivo.

Cyanide formation from histidine in Chlorella. A general reaction of aromatic amino acids catalyzed by amino acid oxidase systems.

The formation of HCN from D-histidine in Chlorella vulgaris extracts is shown to be due to the combined action of a soluble protein and a particulate component. Either horse-radish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) or a metal ion with redox properties can be substituted for the particulate component. Ions of manganese and vanadium are especially effective, as are o-phenanthroline complexes of iron. Cobalt ions are less active. The D-amino acid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.3) from kidney and the L-amino acid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.2) from snake venom likewise cause HCN production from histidine when supplemented with the particulate preparation from Chlorella or with peroxidase or with a redox metal ion. The stereospecificity of the amino acid oxidase determines which of the two stereoisomers of histidine is active as an HCN precursor. Though histidine is the best substrate for HCN production, other naturally occurring aromatic amino acids (viz. tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) can also serve as HCN precursors with these enzyme systems. The relative effectiveness of each substrate varies with the amino acid oxidase enzyme and with the supplement. With respect to this latter property, the particulate preparation from Chlorella behaves more like a metal ion than like peroxidase.

A D-amino acid oxidase from Chlorella vulgaris.

A procedure has been developed for the partial purification from Chlorella vulgaris of an enzyme which catalyzes the formation of HCN from D-histidine when supplemented with peroxidase of a metal with redox properties. Some properties of the enzyme are described. Evidence is presented that the catalytic activity for HCN formation is associated with a capacity for catalyzing the oxidation of a wide variety of D-amino acids. With D-leucine, the best substrate for O2 consumption, 1 mol of ammonia is formed for half a mol of O2 consumed in the presence of catalase. An inactive apoenzyme can be obtained by acid ammonium sulfate precipitation, and reactivated by added FAD. On the basis of these criteria, the Chlorella enzyme can be classified as a D-amino acid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.3). Kidney D-amino acid oxidase and snake venom L-amino acid oxidase, which likewise form HCN from histidine on supplementation with peroxidase, have been compared with the Chlorella D-amino acid oxidase. The capacity of these enzymes for causing HCN formation from histidine is about proportional to their ability to catalyze the oxidation of histidine.