Partially deaminated L-asparaginase

Abstract

Nitrous acid reacts with L-asparaginase to form a partially deaminated L-asparaginase in which the α-NH 2 group of the N-terminal leucine and one of the ε-NH 2 groups of the lysine residues are removed. The modified and crystallized enzyme retains full activity both in vitro and in vivo . It is more acidic than the native enzyme, which may explain its longer half-life in human serum.