Abstract
Methanol assimilating yeast, Hansenula sp. MS-364 that has high productivity with methanol as carbon and energy source has been preserved at dept. of Microbiological engineering. Purification and properties of alcohol oxidase (E.C.1.1.3.13: oxygen oxidoreductase) were investigated in the methanol assimilating yeast, Hansenula sp. MS-364. Alcohol oxidase is related to the catalytic reaction that degrades alcohol to aldehyde and peroxide. The methanol oxidizing enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography and gel filtration on Sepharose 6B from cell-free extract. The purified enzyme preparation gave a single band in the sodium dodesyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The molecular weight of the enzyme was calculated to be about 576,000 and molecular weight of subunit was also calculated to be 72,000. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme reaction were pH 7.5 and 37$\circ$C, respectively. The enzyme was unstable in acidic pH and higher temperature. The enzyme was not specific for methanol and also oxidized lower primary alcohols. The Km value for methanol was 2.5 mM and that for ethanol was 1.66 mM. The enzyme was heavily inhibited by metal ions such as Hg$^{2+}$, Ag$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$. The high concentration of EDTA and sulfhydryl reagents strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The component of coenzyme was determined to flavin adenine dinucleotide.