Purification and characterization of epsilon-N-trimethyllysine L-amino oxidase from Neurospora crassa

epsilon-N-Trimethyllysine L-amino oxidase from Neurospora crassa has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. A 1500-fold purification was obtained by centrifugation and successive column chromatography on ion-exchange and gel filtration supports. The enzyme has an estimated molecular weight of 160 000. It transforms epsilon-N-trimethyllysine into alpha-keto, epsilon-N-trimethylhexanoic acid by oxidative deamination. Kinetic studies of this new enzyme are reported and its probable physiological role is discussed.