Oxidation of tryptophan-P-1 and P-2 by beef liver catalase-H2O2 intermediate: comparison with horseradish peroxidase.

Tryptophan-p-1 (trp-p-1) and p-2, which have high mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, are oxidized by catalase- and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-H2O2 intermediates with optimum pH 5.9 (0.2 M-acetate) in catalase and pH 5.0 (0.2 M-acetate), 8.0 (0.01 M-phosphate) in HRP. The rate constants (k4) of the oxidation in the catalase at pH 5.9 (0.2 M-acetate) were 2965 M-1 x sec-1 for trp-p-1 and 576 M-1 x sec-1 for trp-p-2. In the case of HRP, 1894 M-1 x sec-1, (pH 5.0, 0.2 M-acetate) for trp-p-1 and 705 M-1 x sec-1 (pH 8.0, 0.001 M-phosphate) for trp-p-2 under each optimum condition. The oxidation products of trp-p-1 and p-2 by catalase or HRP lost completely their mutagenic potential in the mutation assay.