Influence of pH on the removal of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate from phosphorylase b

A method to break the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-phosphorylase b bond using hydroxylamine and slightly acid pH is put forward and described in the present paper. This method does not involve drastic conditions or deforming reagents. The influence of pH and protein concentration on the removal of PLP from phosphorylase has also been studied, resulting in an order of -0.3 with respect to the enzyme, a value that implies a complex reaction. An additional conclusion is that an increase in the protein concentration entails better protection of the enzyme from attack by hydroxylamine.