Purification and Characterization of Agmatine Iminohydrolase from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer(I)

인삼(Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) Agmatine Iminohydrolase의 정제 및 특성(I)

Agmatine iminohydrolase (EC 3.5.3.12) catalyzes the hydrolysis of agmatine into putrescine. The enzyme seems to be one of the critical enzymes in putrescine biosynthesis. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer by combined method of ammonium sulfate 1 fractionation, DEAR anion exchange column, hydroxyapatite column and agmatine carboxyhexyl Sepharose 4B affinity column. The molecular weight estimated by native pore gadient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 71, 000 Dalton, while that estimated by SDS-PAGE was 70, 000 Dalton, indicating a monomeric enzyme. The optimal pH and temperature were 9.0 and 37$^{\circ}C$, respectively. The Km and 1 Vmax for agmatine were 8.3 mM and 14.4 nmole/hr, respectively. Heat stability of this enzyme was high. The enzyme was observed to be inhibited by polyamines such as putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine. Especially, putrescine was a potent inhibitor of the purified enzyme. These results suggest that polyamines could be important in growth regulation of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer.