Basis of thermostability in pig heart lactate dehydrogenase treated with O-methylisourea

Acetamidination of pig heart lactate dehydrogenase (L-lactate:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.27) with ethyl acetimidate resulted in an increase of thermostability, and covalent bridge formation between pairs of lysine residues is observed. Guanidination with O-methylisourea of the enzyme also increases the thermostability, but such a bridge seems not to be formed. Increased thermostability of guanidinated enzyme is considered to be due to the shift of the pK values of the lysine residues from 10.5 to 12.5 after guanidination. Modification experiments with carbodiimide reveals that the enzyme contains 4.6 pairs of neighboring lysine and carboxyl residues per subunit, and amide bonding between 3.2 pairs results in an increase of thermostability. Guanidination of 4.6 Lys/subunit of the enzyme yields an enzyme derivative with considerably increased thermostability. Salt bridge formation between the 4.6 pairs of neighboring carboxyl and guanidinated lysine residues per subunit might make a major contribution to the increased thermostability of the guanidinated enzyme.