title: Biodegradative threonine dehydratase. Reduction of ferricyanide by an intermediate of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction.
abstract: The threonine-dependent reduction of ferricyanide catalyzed by the purified biodegradative threonine dehydratase of Escherichia coli has been studied. The rate of production of 2-oxobutyrate in the presence of ferricyanide was lower than that found in the absence of ferricyanide. The concentrations of threonine required for half-maximal effects for the reduction of ferricyanide and, in the presence of the dye, for 2-oxobutyrate production, were 3 mM and 9mM, respectively. Reduction of ferricyanide was accompanied by evolution of CO2, and even within a very short incubation time with the enzyme, the ratio of ferricyanide reduced over CO2 evolved was approximately 7. Stopping the enzyme activity after a brief exposure to threonine at pH 9.7 resulted in the accumulation of an intermediate (with a half-life of 4 min at 25 degrees C) which formed an adduct with N-ethylmaleimide; the accumulated intermediate, in the absence of N-ethylmaleimide, reduced ferricyanide with concomitant evolution of CO2. We conclude from these results that 2-aminocrotonate is the intermediate which serves as a source of reducing equivalent for ferricyanide, and nonstoichiometric amount of ferricyanide reduction may be attributed to some secondary reactions of ferricyanide with compounds derived from the oxidation product of 2-aminocrotonate.
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005292:Ferricyanides; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013913:Threonine Dehydratase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005292:Ferricyanides; D013913:Threonine Dehydratase; D005033:Ethylmaleimide