Properties of rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase and the relationship of the enzyme to xanthine oxidase and dehydrogenase.

The properties of the molybdenum iron-sulfur flavoprotein, aldehyde oxidase from rabbit livers, have been further investigated in comparison with bovine milk xanthine oxidase. In agreement with earlier work, the ultraviolet/visible spectra indicate that the flavin and iron-sulfur centres of the enzymes are quite similar to one another. The molybdenum centres have been compared by EPR spectroscopy of molybdenum(V) and regarding re-insertion of the sulfido ligand of molybdenum into the desulfo enzyme forms. The pH optimum for sulfide insertion is approximately 2 lower for aldehyde oxidase than for xanthine oxidase. A detailed comparison of molybdenum(V) EPR signals has been made for the signals known as Arsenite, Slow and Rapid. Computer simulation of spectra in 1H2O and 2H2O, at 9 and 35 GHz was used. Slow signals from the two enzymes are scarcely distinguishable from one another. Under the conditions used, aldehyde oxidase yielded only the Rapid type 2 signal, whereas xanthine oxidase gives both the Rapid type 1 and 2 signals. The nature of the structural difference between the Rapid type 1 and type 2 signal-giving species is discussed. It is concluded that the molybdenum centres of xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase are indeed similar to one another and that such differences as exist between their molybdenum(V) EPR signals and re-sulfuration properties are related to differences only in the substrate-binding sites. N-terminal amino acid analyses have been performed on peptides obtained by trypsin cleavage of aldehyde oxidase. Comparison with a sequence previously deduced [Wright, R. M., Vaitaitis, G. M., Wilson, C. M., Repine, T. B., Terada, L. S. & Repine, J. E. (1993) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 90, 10690-10694] makes it clear that the latter is not, as was assumed, that of a xanthine dehydrogenase but of an aldehyde oxidase. In contrast to the situation with xanthine oxidase, attempts to convert non-proteolysed aldehyde oxidase to a dehydrogenase form by treatment with dithiothreitol were unsuccessful. The reason for this is considered in the light of sequence data in the literature. The location of the NAD(+)-binding site is discussed, and the sequence data are also discussed in relation to the molybdenum, iron-sulfur and substrate-binding sites.