title: Human dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase: purification and characterization of a recombinant protein.
abstract: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is the most abundant sulfated steroid transformed in human tissues and serves as a precursor for steroid hormones. Recombinant human dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (DHEA-ST) expressed in glutathione sulfotransferase fusion form in E. coli was purified using glutathione sepharose 4B affinity adsorption chromatography, a Factor Xa cleavage step, and Q-sepharose fast flow column chromatography. The homogeneous preparation had an activity toward dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) of 150+/-40 nmol/min per mg of protein under the assay conditions at an overall yield of 38.4%. The recombinant human DHEA-ST was shown to have a subunit mass of 34 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, while having a molecular mass of 67.2 kDa by Superose-12 gel filtration. Our results indicate that the active recombinant enzyme expressed in E. coli is a homodimer.Biochemical properties for purified DHEA-ST were studied using DHEA as a substrate. The optimum pH ranged from pH 7 to 8, and the optimum temperature 40-45 degrees C. Ninety percent of basal DHEA-ST activity remained even after the enzyme was treated at 45 degrees C for 15 min. The 50% inactivation concentration of NaCl for DHEA-ST activity was determined to be around 500 mM. The K(m) value for DHEA was 1.9+/-0.3 microM and V(max)=190+/-18 nmol/min per mg of protein at 37 degrees C, pH 7.5.
authors.affiliation: MRC Group in Oncology and Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, CHUL Research Center and Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada G1V 4G2.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C019998:dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase