Isozymes of beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase from Pea Seeds (Pisum sativum L.).

Four isozymes of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (beta-NAHA) from pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.) have been separated, with one, designated beta-NAHA-II, purified to apparent homogeneity by means of an affinity column constructed by ligating p-aminophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-d-thioglucosaminide to Affi-Gel 202. The other three isozymes have been separated and purified 500- to 1750-fold by chromatography on Concanavalin A-Sepharose, Zn(2+) charged immobilized metal affinity chromatography, hydrophobic chromatography, and ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex. All four isozymes are located in the protein bodies of the cotyledons. The molecular weight of each isozyme is 210,000. beta-NAHA-II is composed of two heterogenous subunits. The subunits are not held together by disulfide bonds, but sulfhydryl groups are important for catalysis. All four isozymes release p-nitrophenol from both p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminide and p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-d-galactosaminide. The ratio of activity for hydrolysis of the two substrates is pH dependent. The K(m) value for the two substrates and pH optima of the isozymes are comparable to beta-NAHAs from other plant sources.