Further studies on tryptophan hydroxylase from neoplastic murine mast cells

Tryptophan hydroxylase (tryptophan, tetrahydropteridine: oxygen oxidoreductase (5-hydroxylating) EC 1.14.16.4) purified from the neoplastic murine mast cells by hydroxylapatite chromatography following ammonium sulfate fractionation showed maximum activity at pH 6.0 in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetra-hydropteridine and Fe2+, and pH 7.6 to 8.0 in the absence of addED Fe2+. The Km values were 38.5 muM and 22.2 muM for tryptophan, 298 muM and 204 muM for 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetra-hydropteridine, and 6.45% for oxygen in either presence or absence of added Fe-2+, respectively. From kinetic data the reaction mechanism of tryptophan hydroxylation appears to be of the sequential, rather than the ping-pong, type. Tryptophan hydroxylase from mast cells was considerably inhibited by o-phenanthroline like phenylalanine hydroxylase as well as tyrosine hydroxylase from other sources, and its Ki was between 1.2 muM and 4.53 muM. It was found that the inhibition by o-phenanthroline was competitive with respect to both tryptophan and 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine, but not molecular oxygen under the assay conditions employed.