Affinity Chromatography of Phenylalanine Hydroxylase

Abstract
Four independent methods established that the structure of a previously reported pteridine affinity adsorbent, 6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin.sbd.CH-Sepharose, is 5(CH-Sepharosyl)-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroprotein. A novel reaction, the carbodiimide-promoted coupling of a carboxyl group to N-5 of a tetrahydropterin, is described. Two novel adsorbents, 5-formyl-tetrahydrofolate.sbd.AH-Sepharose and 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate.sbd.AH-Sepharose, are described which may be useful not only in the study of phenylalanine hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.1) but also in the study of folate-metabolizing enzymes.