Partial purification and properties of L-asparagine synthetase from mouse pancreas.

l-Asparagine synthetase was partially purified from mouse pancreas to a final mean specific activity of 0.10 unit/mg of protein. The enzyme exhibited an l-glutaminase activity which was not affected by l-asparate, NH(4)Cl, ATP-MgCl(2), l-glutamate, AMP (sodium salt) or sodium pyrophosphate. The l-glutamine-dependent l-asparagine synthetase activity of the partially purified enzyme from mouse pancreas was markedly decreased by freezing for 7 days at -87 degrees C in the presence of 1mm-dithiothreitol, but effectively protected from inactivation by high concentrations (10mm) of the thiol reagent. The l-glutaminase activity of the enzyme was inhibited by antagonists of l-glutamine (e.g. 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine, 5-chloro-4-oxo-l-norvaline, 5-diazo-4-oxo-l-norvaline and NSC-163501) and thiol-reactive compounds (e.g. 2-amino-4-arsenophenol hydrochloride, maleimide, mucochloric acid and ZnCl(2)), but not by aminomalonic acid, the next lower homologue of l-aspartate, nor by l-homoserine beta-adenylate, an analogue of the presumed transitory covalent intermediate. The complete forward reaction catalysed by l-asparagine synthetase from mouse pancreas appears to be irreversible and essentially stoicheiometric under the conditions examined. Mouse pancreas contains a proteolytic inhibitor of l-asparagine synthetase separable from the enzyme by ion-exchange column chromatography. The inhibitor is activated by incubation at 4 degrees C for 110h and inactivated by soya-bean trypsin inhibitor, di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate and boiling.