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A convenient and efficient procedure for the purification of cytidine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.5) from Escherichia coli is reported. The key step involves adsorption of the enzyme from a crude ammonium sulfate fraction onto a cytidine-containing affinity resin, followed by elution with 0.5 M borate buffer. Subsequent chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose results in an overall 1690-fold purification, yielding enzyme with a specific activity of 118 units/mg. Cytidine deaminase has an apparent molecular weight of 54,000 as determined by gel filtration, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows a band at molecular weight 35,000. Cytidine deaminase is inhibited by 5-(chloromercuri)cytidine with kinetic behavior typical of active-site-directed inactivation, with KD = 0.09 mM and kinact = 1.25 min-1. The enzyme is protected against inactivation in the presence of substrate, and the inhibition is reversed with high concentrations of mercaptoethanol. This suggests that inactivation is the result of a mercaptide formation between the mercury and an active-site thiol.

Cytidine deaminase (cytidine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.5) from Escherichia coli has been purified to homogeneity through a rapid and efficient two-step procedure consisting of anion-exchange chromatography followed by preparative electrophoresis. The final preparation is homogeneous, as judged by a single band obtained by disc gel electrophoresis performed in the absence and presence of denaturing agents. The native protein molecular weight determined by gel filtration is 56 000. Sodium dodecyl sulfate disc gel electrophoresis experiments conducted upon previous incubation of the enzyme with dimethyl suberimidate suggest an oligomeric structure of two identical subunits of 33 000 molecular weight. The absorption spectrum of the protein reveals a maximum at 277 nm and a minimum at 255 nm. The isoelectric point is at pH 4.35. Amino acid analysis indicates an excess of acidic amino acid residues as well as six half-cystine residues. No interchain disulfide groups have been evidenced. According to Cleland's nomenclature, kinetic analysis shows a rapid-equilibrium random Uni-Bi mechanism. Cytidine deaminase is competitively inhibited by various nucleosides. Km values for cytidine, deoxycytidine, and 5-methylcytidine are 1.8 X 10(-4), 0.9 X 10(-4), and 12.5 X 10(-4) M, respectively.