Characterization of the Catalytic Properties of Recombinant Acetohydroxyacid Synthase from Tobacco

The nature of the active site of Tobacco acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) in the substrate- and cofactorbinding was studied by kinetics and fluorescence spectroscopy. The substrate saturation curve does not follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics at different temperatures (7, 21 and 37 ${^{\circ}C}$), pH (6.5, 7.5 and 8.5) and buffers (Tris-HCl and MOPS). The concentration of one half of the maximum velocity ($S_{0.5}$) decreased in the following order: pyruvate $\gt$ ThDP $\approx$$Mg^{+2}$ $\gt$ FAD. However, the catalytic efficiency (K$_{cat}/S_{0.5}$) inversely decreased in the following order; FAD $\gt$ $Mg^{+2}$ $\approx$ThDP $\gt$ pyruvate, indicating that the cofactors by in decreasing order; FAD, $Mg^{+2}$, ThDP, affect the catalysis of AHAS. The dissociation constant ($K_d$) of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence decreased with the same tendency of the concentration of one half of the maximum velocity ($S_{0.5}$) decreasing order. This data provides evidence that the substrate and cofactor binding natures of the active site, as well as its activation characteristics, resemble those of other ThDP-dependent enzymes.