Zusammenfassung
An extracellular protein with strong absorption at 406 nm was purified
from cell-free culture fluid of latex-grown Xanthomonas sp. strain
35Y. This protein was identical to the gene product of a recently
characterized gene cloned from Xanthomonas sp., as revealed by determination
of m/z values and sequencing of selected isolated peptides obtained
after trypsin fingerprint analysis. The purified protein degraded
both natural rubber latex and chemosynthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene)
in vitro by oxidative cleavage of the double bonds of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene).
12-oxo-4,8-dimethyltrideca-4,8-diene-1-al (m/z 236) was identified
and unequivocally characterized as the major cleavage product, and
there was a homologous series of minor metabolites that differed
from the major degradation product only in the number of repetitive
isoprene units between terminal functions, CHO-CH2--and--H2-COCH3.
An in vitro enzyme assay for oxidative rubber degradation was developed
based on high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and spectroscopic
detection of product carbonyl functions after derivatization with
dinitrophenylhydrazone. Enzymatic cleavage of rubber by the purified
protein was strictly dependent on the presence of oxygen; it did
not require addition of any soluble cofactors or metal ions and
was optimal around pH 7.0 at 40 degrees C. Carbon monoxide and cyanide
inhibited the reaction; addition of catalase had no effect, and
peroxidase activity could not be detected. The purified protein
was specific for natural rubber latex and chemosynthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene).
Analysis of the amino acid sequence deduced from the cloned gene
(roxA rubber oxygenase) revealed the presence of two heme-binding
motifs (CXXCH) for covalent attachment of heme to the protein. Spectroscopic
analysis confirmed the presence of heme, and approximately 2 mol
of heme per mol of RoxA was found.
Nutzer