J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 262, Issue 21, 10120-10126, 07, 1987
Structural properties of cyanase. Denaturation, renaturation, and role of sulfhydryls and oligomeric structure in catalytic activity
RM Little and PM Anderson
Cyanase is an inducible enzyme in Escherichia coli that catalyzes
bicarbonate-dependent decomposition of cyanate to give ammonia and
bicarbonate. The enzyme is composed of 8-10 identical subunits (Mr =
17,008). The objective of this study was to clarify some of the structural
properties of cyanase for the purpose of understanding the relationship
between oligomeric structure and catalytic activity. Circular dichroism
studies showed that cyanase has a significant amount of alpha-helix and
beta-sheet structure. The one sulfhydryl group per subunit does not react
with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) unless cyanase is
denatured. Denaturation is apparently complete in 10 M urea or 6 M
guanidine hydrochloride, but is significantly reduced in 10 M urea by the
presence of azide (analog of cyanate) and is incomplete in 8 M urea.
Denatured cyanase could be renatured and reactivated (greater than 85%) by
removal of denaturants. Reactivation was greatly facilitated by the
presence of certain anions, particularly bicarbonate, and by high ionic
strength and protein concentration. The catalytic activity of renatured
cyanase was associated only with oligomer. Cyanase that had been denatured
in the presence of DTNB to give a cyanase-DTNB derivative could also be
renatured at 26 degrees C to give active cyanase-DTNB oligomer. The active
oligomeric form of the cyanase-DTNB derivative could be converted
reversibly to inactive dimer by lowering the temperature to 4 degrees C or
by reduction of the ionic strength and removal of monoanions. These results
provide evidence that free sulfhydryl groups are not required for catalytic
activity and that catalytic activity may be dependent upon oligomeric
structure.