Glutamate dehydrogenase from pumpkin cotyledons: characterization and isoenzymes

Glutamate dehydrogenase from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Pior. cultivar Dickinson Field) cotyledons was found in both soluble and particulate fractions with the bulk of the activity in the soluble fraction. Both enzymes used NAD(H) and NADP(H) but NAD(H) was favored. The enzymes were classified as glutamate-NAD oxidoreductase, deaminating (EC 1.4.1.3). Both enzymes were heat stable, had a pH optimum for reductive amination of 8.0, and were inhibited by high concentrations of NH(4) (+) or alpha-ketoglutarate. The soluble enzyme was more sensitive to NH(4) (+) inhibition and was activated by metal ions after ammonium sulfate fractionation while the solubilized particulate enzyme was not. Inhibition by ethylenediaminetetraacetate was restored by several divalent ions and inhibition by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate was reversed by glutathione. Particulate glutamate dehydrogenase showed a greater activity with NADP. The molecular weights of the enzymes are 250,000. Separation of the enzymes by disc gel electrophoresis showed that during germination the soluble isoenzymes increased from 1 to 7 in number, while only one particulate isoenzyme was found at any time. This particulate isoenzyme was identical with one of the soluble isoenzymes. A number of methods indicated that the soluble isoenzymes were not simply removed from the particulate fraction and that true isoenzymes were found.