Kinetic studies of L-aspartase from Escherichia coli: pH-dependent activity changes

The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of the L-aspartase-catalyzed reaction have been examined in both the amination and the deamination directions. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli exists in a pH-dependent equilibrium between a higher pH form that has an absolute requirement for a divalent metal ion and for substrate activation, and a low pH form that does not require activation by either substrate or metal ions. The interconversion between these enzyme forms is observed near neutral pH in the profiles examined for the reaction in either direction. This pH-dependent activation has not been observed for other bacterial aspartases. Loss of activity is observed at high pH with a pK value of 9. The pH profiles of competitive inhibitors such as 3-nitropropionic acid and succinic acid have shown that the enzyme group responsible for this activity loss must be protonated for substrate binding at the active site. An enzymatic group has also been identified that must be protonated in the amination reaction, with a pK value near 6.5, and deprotonated in the deamination reaction. This group, tentatively assigned as a histidyl residue, fulfills the criteria for the acid-base catalyst at the active site of L-aspartase.