title: N-acetyldopamine quinone methide/1,2-dehydro-N-acetyl dopamine tautomerase. A new enzyme involved in sclerotization of insect cuticle.
abstract: The enzyme system causing the side chain desaturation of the sclerotizing precursor, N-acetyldopamine (NADA), was solubilized from the larval cuticle of Sarcophaga bullata and resolved into three components. The first enzyme, phenoloxidase, catalyzed conversion of NADA to NADA quinone and provided it for the second enzyme (NADA quinone isomerase), which makes the highly unstable NADA quinone methide. Quinone methide was hydrated rapidly and nonenzymatically to form N-acetylnorepinephrine. In addition, it also served as the substrate for the last enzyme, quinone methide tautomerase, which converted it to 1,2-dehydro-NADA. Reconstitution of NADA side chain desaturase activity was achieved by mixing the last enzyme fraction with NADA quinone isomerase, obtained from the hemolymph of the same organism, and mushroom tyrosinase. Therefore, NADA side chain desaturation observed in insects is caused by the combined action of three enzymes rather than the action of a single specific NADA desaturase, as previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston 02125.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Saul
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugumaran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004175:Diptera / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; D007535:Isomerases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D007814:Larva; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: C061411:N-acetyldopamine quinone methide; C053357:1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamine; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C060479:N-acetyldopamine desaturase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase; D007535:Isomerases; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C057265:quinone methide isomerase; C061410:quinone methide tautomerase; D004298:Dopamine