Amino acid substitutions in mutant forms of histidinol dehydrogenase from Neurospora crassa.

Amino acid changes in the enzyme l-histidinol dehydrogenase (l-histidinol-NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.23) have been determined between the wild-type Neurospora crassa and two temperature-sensitive mutants. Comparison was made between amino acid analyses of peptides of differing electrophoretic and chromatographic mobilities resulting from tryptic and chymotryptic digestion of protein from wild-type and mutant K26, and wild-type and mutant K445 strains, respectively. The analyses demonstrate the substitution of aspartic acid for alanine in mutant K26, and leucine for histidine in mutant K445. The effects of the resulting changes in polarity and charge are discussed in relation to the catalytic functioning of the proteins.