The effect of chlorambucil upon lysozyme activity

Chicken egg white lysozyme is progressively inhibited by diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methyl ester (DANME) and by chlorambucil at concentrations of 3.4 x 10(-3) M and 5 x 10(-3) M respectively over a three-hour time period. DANME inhibits lysozyme activity to the extent of 87%, and chlorambucil inhibits the enzyme to the extent of 93%. N,N',N"-triacetylchitotriose [(NAG)3], which binds to subsites A, B and C of the enzyme protects lysozyme from DANME inhibition to the extent of 40% of the total activity when added to the enzyme at a concentration of 3.6 x 10(-3) M prior to the addition of DANME. (NAG)3 protects the enzyme from inhibition by chlorambucil to the extent of 14% of the total activity when added to the enzyme at a concentration of 5.6 x 10(-3) M prior to the addition of chlorambucil. Since DANME reacts exclusively with carboxyl groups, and since aspartic acid 101 is required for binding the carbohydrate substrate at site A, it is suggested that (NAG)3 may bind reversibly to the active site of the enzyme, thereby protecting aspartic acid 101 from esterification by DANME and subsequent inactivation. Chlorambucil, which may react with carboxyl, amino, imidazole and thiol groups, more likely acts upon a larger number of susceptible sites, thereby causing irreversible alkylation and conformation changes. As a bifunctional alkylating agent, it may also cross-link with two available nucleophiles. The K(m) for lysozyme with M. lysodeikticus as a substrate in wholly aqueous medium was determined to be 0.05 mg/mL. The inhibitor exhibits a partially uncompetitive upon pre-incubation with the enzyme, and a mixed inhibition between competitive and noncompetitive when pre-incubated with the substrate.