Pig liver fatty acid synthetase: Purification and physicochemical properties

Abstract

This paper reports the first detailed study of the physicochemical properties of a fatty acid synthetase multienzyme complex from a mammalian liver. Fatty acid synthetase from pig liver was purified by a procedure including the following main steps: (i) preparation of a clarified supernatant solution (50,000 g), (ii) ammonium sulfate fractionation, (iii) DEAE-cellulose chromatography to separate 11 S catalase from the 13 S fatty acid synthetase, (iv) a preparative sucrose density gradient step to remove a 7 S impurity, and (v) a calcium phosphate gel step to remove an unusual yellow 16 S heme protein to yield a colorless preparation. The purified fatty acid synthetase was colorless and showed a single symmetrical peak in sucrose density gradient and conventional sedimentation velocity experiments. Fatty acid synthetase was very stable at 4 °C in the presence of 1 m m dithiothreitol and 25% sucrose. Extrapolation to zero protein concentration yielded values of S o 20,w = 13.3 S and D o 20,w = 2.60 × 10 −7cm 2/s for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients of the enzyme. Frictional coefficient values of 1.55 and 1.56 × 10 −7 cm, respectively, were calculated from the values for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients. Based on these frictional coefficient values, the Stokes radius of the enzyme was calculated to be 82.4 Å. Sedimentation and diffusion coefficient data yielded a molecular weight value of M w ( s D ) = 478,000 and sedimentation equilibrium data yielded a value of M w = 476,000. Preliminary intrinsic viscosity measurements at 20 °C gave a value of 7.3 ml/g, indicating that the enzyme is somewhat asymmetric. This is supported by the value of 1.58 calculated for the frictional ratio and by the fact that the values for the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients are both slightly lower than expected for a globular protein of molecular weight 478,000. The enzyme possesses about 90 SH groups per molecule, assuming a molecular weight of 478,000. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the enzyme shows a maximum at 280 nm and an unusual shoulder at 290 nm. The fluorescence spectrum of the enzyme is dominated by tryptophan fluorescence and, over the excitation range of 260–300 nm, there is a single emission maximum at 344 nm.