Stachyose synthesis in mature leaves of Cucumis melo. Purification and characterization of stachyose synthase (EC 2.4.1.67).

Galactinol: raffinose-6-galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.67), a stachyose synthase, was extracted from mature leaves of Cucumis melo cv. Ranjadew and was purified to homogeneity by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, gel-filtration and non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A specific activity of 516 μkat · mg(-1) and a 160-fold purification was achieved. The pH optimum of the enzyme reaction was found to be 6.8 in sodium-phosphate buffer, and the temperature optimum 32° C. The purified enzyme was very sensitive towards SH-poisons but its reaction was hardly affected by changes in the ion composition of the assay medium. The two-substrate enzyme was specific for galactinol and raffmose; uridine-diphosphate galactose and p-nitrophenyl-α-D-galactoside as well as melibiose were not accepted by the purified enzyme. Stachyose synthesis was competitively inhibited by concentrations >4 mM raffinose as well as 2.5 mM galactinol. The K m values determined under non-saturating conditions were 3.3 mM for raffinose and 7.7 mM for galactinol. Myoinositol was a strong competitive inhibitor with a K i of 1.8mM. Galactinol was hydrolyzed in the absence of raffinose with a K m of 0.8 mM. The pure enzyme is a protein with a molecular weight of at least 95 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.1. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed the presence of two subunits of 45 and 50 kDa. Polyclonal antibodies from rabbit were obtained which were specific for the native enzyme but cross-reacted with other proteins separated under denaturing conditions.