Properties of meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate D-dehydrogenase from Bacillus sphaericus

meso-alpha,epsilon-Diaminopimelate D-dehydrogenase, which has been purified to homogeneity from the extract of Bacillus sphaericus IFO 3525, has a molecular weight of about 80,000 and consists of two subunits identical in molecular weight (approximately 40,000). The enzyme has a high substrate specificity. In addition to meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate, lanthionine is deaminated by the enzyme to a far lesser extent. NADP+ is the exclusive cofactor. The pH optima were at about 10.5 for the deamination of meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate and at 7.5 for its amination. L and D isomers of alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate and meso-alpha,delta-diaminoadipate competitively inhibit the oxidation of meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies show that the reductive amination proceeds through a sequential ordered ternary-binary mechanism. NADPH binds first to the enzyme followed by L-alpha-amino-epsilon-ketopimelate and ammonia, and the products are released in the order of meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate and NADP+. The Michaelis constants are as follows: meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelate (2.5 mM), NADP+ (83 micro M), NADPH (0.2 mM), L-alpha-amino-epsilon-ketopimelate (0.24 mM), and ammonia (12.5 mM). The pro-S hydrogen at C-4 of the dihydronicotinamide ring of NADPH is transferred to the substrate; the enzyme is B-stereospecific. Fluorometric study on binding of NADPH to the enzyme revealed that the enzyme contains two coenzyme binding sites per molecule.