Biosynthesis of bacterial glycogen: purification and structural properties of Rhodospirillum tenue adenosine diphosphate glucose synthetase.

Adenosine diphosphate glucose synthetase from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum tenue has been purified greater than 95%. The molecular weight of the enzyme is approximately 215,000, with a subunit molecular weight of about 51,000. The enzyme appears to be composed of four similar if not identical subunits. Although the amino acid composition of the enzyme is similar to that of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, no apparent homology has been observed between their N-terminal amino acid sequences. Antisera prepared against the R. tenue enzyme can partially inhibit the activities of adenosine diphosphate glucose synthetases from other photosynthetic bacteria.