[Purification and properties of guinea pig liver ornithine transcarbamylase]

Ornithine transcarbamylase, the enzyme which catalyzes the formation of citrulline from ornithine and carbamoylphosphate, has been purified from guinea pig liver. By the procedure indicated in the present paper a 200 fold purification of the enzyme has been achieved. Using both the purified fraction and the crude extract, a parallel determination of some physicochemical properties has been carried out. The pH of maximal activity of OTC was 7.8 for both preparations. The maximal stability of the enzyme with respect of pH showed a plateau over the range of pH 7 to 9.5 in the purified fraction, whereas the crude extract exhibited a major stability which lay between pH and 10. Both OTC preparations showed similar behavior regarding thermal stability, the enzyme being still active at a 50 degrees C temperature. The values of the apparent Km's proved to be 4.4 mM for the substrate ornithine and 5 mM for carbamoylphosphate.