Purification and properties of two multiple forms of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase from guinea-pig testis

NADP+-dependent dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (trans-1,2-dihydrobenzene-1,2-diol: NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.3.1.20) activity in the cytosol of guinea-pig testis was separated into two major and two minor peaks by Q-Sepharose chromatography; one minor form was immunologically cross-reacted with hepatic aldehyde reductase. The two major enzyme forms were purified to homogeneity. One form, which had the highest amount in the tissue, was a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 32,000 and isoelectric point of 4.2, showed strict specificity for benzene dihydrodiol and NADP+, and reduced pyridine aldehydes, glyceraldehyde and diacetyl at low rates. Another form, with a molecular weight of 36,000 and isoelectric point of 5.0, oxidized n-butanol, glycerol and sorbitol as well as benzene dihydrodiol in the presence of NADP+ or NAD+, and exhibited much higher reductase activity towards various aldehydes, aldoses and diacetyl. The pI 5.0 form was more sensitive to inhibition by sorbinil and p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate than the pI 4.2 form and was activated by sulfate ion. The two enzymes did not catalyze the oxidation of hydroxysteroids and xenobiotic alicyclic alcohols and were immunologically different from hepatic 17 beta-hydroxysteroid-dihydrodiol dehydrogenase. The results indicate that guinea-pig testis contains at least two dihydrodiol dehydrogenases distinct from the hepatic enzymes, one of which, the pI 5.0 enzyme form, may be identical to aldose reductase.