Guanine deaminase functions as dihydropterin deaminase in the biosynthesis of aurodrosopterin, a minor red eye pigment of Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Dihydropterin deaminase, which catalyzes the conversion of 7,8-dihydropterin to 7,8-dihydrolumazine, was purified 5850-fold to apparent homogeneity from Drosophila melanogaster. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 48 kDa by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, indicating that it is a monomer under native conditions. The pI value, temperature, and optimal pH of the enzyme were 5.5, 40 degrees C, and 7.5, respectively. Interestingly the enzyme had much higher activity for guanine than for 7,8-dihydropterin. The specificity constant (k(cat)/K(m)) for guanine (8.6 x 10(6) m(-1).s(-1)) was 860-fold higher than that for 7,8-dihydropterin (1.0 x 10(4) m(-1).s(-1)). The structural gene of the enzyme was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis

SUBMITTER: Kim J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2749116 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature