A deoxyribonuclease from Chlamydomonas reinhardii. 1. Purification and properties

A deoxyribonuclease has been purified more than 2000-fold from the green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardii. The enzyme is most active on denatured DNA. Optimum activity is at pH 8.5, in 80 mM Tris-HCl buffer and 2 mM CaCl2. Other divalent cations can replace Ca2+ with varying lower efficiency. EDTA and inorganic phosphate are strongly inhibitory, while ATP and high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol are slightly inhibitory. The molecular weight is approximately 35 000, the Stokes radius is 2.7 nm, and the sedimentation coefficient 2.8 S. It is a single polypeptide chain, and the frictional ratio of 1.27 suggests it is only slightly asymetrical. The isoelectric point is 9.5. This enzyme has been termed exonuclease 1.