Abstract
The kynureninase-type enzymes of three fungi and one bacterium were isolated and examined kinetically for their ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of L-kynurenine and L-3-hydroxykynurenine. The phycomycete Rhizopus stolonifer was found to contain a single, constitutive enzyme with Km for L-3-hydroxykynurenine and L-kynurenine of 6.67 times 10-minus 6 and 2.5 times 10-minus 4 M, respectively. The ascomycetes Aspergillus niger and Penicillium roqueforti each contain an enzyme, induced by L-tryptophan, with similar Km for L-3-hydroxykynurenine and L-kynurenine ranging from 5.9 times 10-minus 5 to 14.3 times 10-minus 5 M, as well as a constitutive enzyme with Km for the two substrates of similar to 4 times 10-minus 6 M and 10-minus 4 M. The bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens has a single, inducible enzyme with Km for L-3-hydroxykynurenine and L-kynurenine of 5 times 10-minus 4 and 7 times 10-minus 5 M. In addition, significant differences in maximal velocities (Vmax) were observed in two cases. The Vmax of the inducible activity from P. fluorescens was 4.5 times greater for L-kynurenine than L-3-hydroxykynurenine, whereas the Vmax of the constitutive activity from R. stolonifer was 2.5 times greater for L-3-hydroxykynurenine. It is concluded (i) that the constitutive activities are hydroxykynureninases involved in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide from L-tryptophan, (ii) that the inducible activities are kynureninases involved in the catabolism of L-tryptophan to anthranilate, and (iii) that R. stolonifer and P. fluorescens, respectively, carry the most specific examples of each type of enzyme.
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