Alkylamine-dependent amino-acid oxidation by lysine monooxygenase--fragmented substrate of oxygenase.

Lysine monooxygenase catalyzes the oxygenative decarboxylation of L-lysine and produces a corresponding acid amide. L-Alanine was inactive as substrate. However, when propylamine was present, oxidation, but not oxygenation, of alanine was demonstrated with the oxygenase. Alanine was converted to pyruvate, with the liberation of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, but propylamine remained unchanged. Other alpha-monoamino acids were also oxidized in the presence of alkylamines with various carbon chain lengths. The highest oxidase activity was observed when the total chain length of both amino acid and amine was nearly identical with that of lysine. Available evidence indicates that the amine-dependent amino-acid oxidase activity is associated with the lysine oxygenase activity.