Product yield in oxygenation of linoleate by soybean lipoxygenase: the value of the molar extinction coefficient in the spectrophotometric assay.

Two iodimetric methods and a gravimetric method were used to determine the spectrophotometric molar absorptivity of the purified product of lipoxygenase-catalyzed dioxygenation of linoleate (13-LS-hydroperoxy-cis,trans-9,11-octadecadienoate). Earlier determinations had led to the use of values varying from 24,000 to 28,000 M-1 cm-1 for epsilon at 235 nm. In the current work, the two iodimetric values (spectrophotometric and titrimetric) average 22,500, while gravimetric analysis of scrupulously purified material gives 22,900. Final 235-nm absorbancies for lipoxygenase runs over a wide range of linoleic acid concentrations up to 200 microM give a constant final percentage completion. If one assumes a 100% reaction, epsilon is 23,600. Each method has less than 1.5% standard error; the average of the three independent methods is 23,000 +/- 580 (2.5%), all being lower than the previous values. In the enzyme-catalyzed reaction of linoleate at less than 200 microM substrate, only 235-nm-absorbing material is formed. Above 200 microM linoleate, yields at 235 nm decrease and yields of materials absorbing at 280 nm increase (the latter is known to arise from lipoxygenase-catalyzed reaction of linoleyl hydroperoxide). Below 200 microM substrate, linoleate purified by HPLC produces only one HPLC-observable product, 13-linoleyl hydroperoxide. At higher substrate concentrations other HPLC peaks arise, again with higher wave-length absorptions. Spectrophotometric data using the epsilon determined here agree with those from the O2 electrode. It is concluded that at S less than 200 microM, saturating air, and sufficient enzyme, soybean lipoxygenase-1 produces a sole product and the reaction proceeds to completion.