Protocatechuate 3, 4-dioxygenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.

Protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (PCD) from p-hydroxybenzoate-induced cells of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was purified by heat and protamine sulfate treatment, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose, and Sephadex G-200 column chromatography. The enzyme appears to be homogeneous by ultracentrifugation and acrylamide gel electrophoresis. This is the first report of PCD purified from Acinetobacter. For comparison, crystalline Pseudomonas PCD was also obtained. The enzymes from Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas are quite similar in their molecular weight, molecular size, and iron content. The specific enzyme activity of PCD from Acinetobacter is about one-third of that from Pseudomonas, despite their similar iron content. Visible and circular dichroism spectra indicate some conformational differences between these two enzymes. Protocatechualdehyde, a competitive deadend inhibitor, binds Pseudomonas PCD more effectively than Acinetobacter PCD. p-Hydroxymercuribenzoate, specific for free-SH groups, inhibits only Acinetobacter PCD and shows no effect on Pseudomonas PCD. Amino acid analyses reveal very low proline and methionine content with higher lysine, glutamic acid, and isoleucine compositions for Acinetobacter PCD. Other properties, including active center conformation, were studied and discussed.