Properties of Inosinic Acid Dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis. I. Purification and Physical Properties

Abstract

IMP (inosinic acid or inosine-5′-phosphate) dehydrogenase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from Bacillus subtilis. The purification method yields an enzyme preparation that retains a constant level of inhibition by guanosine 5′-phosphate. The enzyme is membrane bound, and can be removed from membrane material after treatment either with detergents or with phospholipase A. Both the membrane-bound and solubilized forms of IMP dehydrogenase have similar kinetic properties. The soluble enzyme can occur in a number of oligomeric forms, with molecular weights that are multiples of 100 000 daltons. Although both the tetramer and the dimer appear to be catalytically active, no conclusions can yet be drawn about the quaternary structure of the enzymically active form(s).