Purification and characterization of 4-methylmuconolactone methyl-isomerase, a novel enzyme of the modified 3-oxoadipate pathway in nocardioform actinomycetes.

The novel enzyme 4-methyl-2-enelactone methyl-isomerase was detected in, and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from, p-toluate-grown cells of Rhodococcus rhodocrous N75, a nocardioform actinomycete. The enzyme was very thermostable and had a native Mr of 75,500; as the monomer had an Mr of 17,000, the enzyme is probably tetrameric. The new isomerase is highly specific with respect to its lactone substrate, only accepting (+)-(4S)-4-methylmuconolactone (4-carboxymethyl-4-methylbut-2-en-1,4-olide), and the putative isomerization reaction intermediate 1-methylbislactone ((-)-1-methyl-3,7-dioxo-2,6-dioxabicyclo-[3.3.0]octane) as substrates, and yielding (-)-(4S)-3-methylmuconolactone (4-carboxymethyl-3-methylbut-2-en-1,4-olide) as product. Some other lactone analogues acted as competitive inhibitors. Our data suggest that the isomerization does not involve actual methyl migration, but proceeds via the 1-methybislactone.