Riboflavin synthases of Bacillus subtilis. Purification and properties

A variety of Bacillus and Clostridium strains were found to contain two forms of riboflavin synthase which can be easily separated by density gradient centrifugation. The fast sedimenting species accounts for 12 to 44% of the total riboflavin synthase activity in the strains analyzed. Both riboflavin synthases were purified to apparent homogeneity from cell extracts of a genetically derepressed mutant of Bacillus subtilis. The specific activities of the pure proteins were 50,000 nmol mg-1 h-1 (light enzyme) and 2,000 nmol mg-1 h-1 (heavy enzyme). The sedimentation velocities (S20,w) were 4.1 and 26.5 S, respectively. Light riboflavin synthase showed a molecular weight of 70,000 in sedimentation equilibrium experiments. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a single band corresponding to a molecular weight of about 23,500. Thus the enzyme appears to consist of three identical subunits (alpha type). Heavy riboflavin synthase has a molecular weight of 1,000,000 as shown by sedimentation equilibrium analysis. The protein appears to consist of 2 or 3 alpha subunits and approximately 60 beta subunits. A fragment apparently identical with light riboflavin synthase can be obtained from the heavy enzyme by mild dissociating treatment.