Polynucleotide phosphorylase from plant cells

The isolation of polynucleotide phosphorylase (EC 2. 7. 7. 8) from suspension cultured plant cells of parsley (Petroselinum sativum) and from tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum) is described. The procedure includes an ultracentrifugation step, a glycerol density gradient centrifugation and preparative gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. Isoelectric focusing gives rise to a major component (pI ≈ 7.5) and to a minor one (pI ≈ 5). The enzyme contains five subunits with apparent Mr values of 160 000, 140 000, 70 000, 34 000 and 12 000, the 70 000-dalton one being a glycoprotein.