Purification of xanthine dehydrogenase and sulfite oxidase from chicken liver

Xanthine dehydrogenase and sulfite oxidase from chicken liver are oxomolybdenum enzymes which catalyze the oxidation of xanthine to uric acid and sulfite to sulfate, respectively. Independent purification protocols have been previously described for both enzymes. Here we describe a procedure by which xanthine dehydrogenase and sulfite oxidase are purified simultaneously from the same batch of fresh chicken liver. Also, unlike the protocols described earlier, this procedure avoids the use of acetone extraction as well as a heat step, thus minimizing damage to the molybdenum centers of the enzymes.