Partial purification and properties of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Streptomyces verticillatus

Abstract

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) was purified 40-fold from a cell homogenate of Streptomyces verticillatus. In many respects the enzyme was similar to phenylalanine ammonia-lyases isolated from plants and fungi. It was most active at pH 9.0 and the Km for L-phenylalanine was 1.6 × 10−4 M. It showed no requirement for metal ions but was inhibited by heavy metals, some sulfhydryl reagents, and carbonyl reagents. The Stokes' radius was estimated by gel filtration to be 5.45 nm. Sucrose gradient centrifugation gave an s20,w of 10.0, leading to calculated values of 226 000 and 1.61 for the molecular weight and frictional ratio, respectively, if a partial specific volume of 0.725 ml/g is assumed. The enzyme deaminated o-, m-, and p-fluoro-, p-chloro-, and p-methyl-phenylalanine but was without action on L-tyrosine. It was inhibited by trans-cinnamic acid and certain phenylalanine derivatives, as well as by some less closely related aromatic compounds, but not by trans-cinnamamide.