Crystallization and some properties of glutamate dehydrogenase from rat liver

1. Glutamate dehydrogenase (L-glutamate:NAD(P) oxidoreductase, EC 1.4.1.3) from rat liver has been crystallized with a method carefully avoiding all denaturating agents. A 236-fold purification was achieved at a yield of 20%. The specific activity was 185 units/mg protein. The enzyme was homogeneous by analytical zone electrophoresis and sedimentation studies. The s0(20),w value was 13.2. 2. Sedimentation studies in the analytical ultracentrifuge and the behaviour of the enzyme in the disc-electrophoresis revealed that glutamate dehydrogenase from rat liver did not undergo a reversible association-dissociation reaction as reported of glutamate dehydrogenase of nearly all other mammalians. 3. Using antibodies prepared against crystalline bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase, no immunological differences between the rat and the bovine liver enzyme could be observed.