Malate dehydrogenase from thermophilic Humicola lanuginosa and Mucor pusillus: purification and comparative properties of the enzymes with differing thermostabilities

Abstract

Malate dehydrogenase (L-malate:NAD⁺ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37) was purified from the thermophiles Humicola lanuginosa and Mucor pusillus. The H. lanuginosa enzyme was homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulphate – polyacrylamide gels, while the M. pusillus enzyme was more than 95% pure. The two enzymes appeared to be composed of two subunits of equal size, each of 36 000 daltons (H. lanuginosa) or 33 000 daltons (M. pusillus). The native enzymes revealed molecular weights of 68 000 as determined by gel filtration. The isoelectric points of malate dehydrogenase from H. lanuginosa and M. pusillus were 3.9 and 4.2, respectively. The reduction of oxaloacetate by the H. lanuginosa enzyme was optimum at pH 8.5–9 with apparent K_m's of 0.12 mM for oxaloacetate and 0.027 mM for NADH. On the other hand, M. pusillus enzyme snowed a pH optimum of 7.8–8.5 with apparent K_m's of 0.075 mM for oxaloacetate and 0.1 mM for NADH. The L-malate oxidation reaction was catalyzed optimally at pH 10 by the H. lanuginosa enzyme with apparent K_m's of 5.8 mM for malate and 0.1 mM for NAD, while the M. pusillus enzyme catalyzed it optimally between pH 9.5 and 10 with apparent K_m's of 4.44 mM for malate and 0.16 mM for NAD. The optimum temperature for reduction of oxaloacetate was 50 °C for both the enzymes. The H. lanuginosa enzyme was resistant to heat inactivation at 40 °C, but lost 60% of its activity after 15 min at 50 °C. Mucor pusillus enzyme, on the other hand, retained 90% activity at 60 °C after 10 min. The two enzymes were protected from heat inactivation by monovalent cations (viz Na⁺, K⁺, and NH₄⁺), as well as citrate, which may possibly involve conformational changes.