Purification and characterization of guinea-pig epidermal acid phosphatase

Guinea-pig epidermal acid phosphatase has been purified approximately 120-fold by a procedure including acid treatment, CM-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 5-0 and the optimal temperature for activity was approximately 50 degrees C. The enzyme was not activated by divalent cations or 2-mercaptoethanol, but it was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and by fluoride. The km value for p-nitrophenyl phosphate was 1-31x10-4 M, the molecular weight was about 73,000 as determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and the isoelectric point was 6.1. The enzyme hydrolyzed deoxyribonucleoside monophosphates to deoxyribonucleosides.