Purification and Characterization of 2,3-Dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-Dioxygenase from Comamonas sp. SMN4

2,3-Dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase (23DBDO), an enzyme of the biphenyl biodegradation pathway encoded by the bphC gene of Comnmonas sp. SMN4, was expressed and purified using column chromatographies. SDS-PAGE of purified 23DBDO showed a single band with a molecular mass of 32 kDa, which was consistent with the data from the gel filtration chromatography (GFC). The purified enzyme exhibited a maximum 23DBDO activity at pH 9.0 and was stable at pH 8.0. The enzyme showed maximum activity at $40^{\circ}C$ and maintained activity at $30^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. Kinetic parameters represented by Michaelis-Menten constants such as $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ values for various substrates were determined by Lineweaver-Burk plots: The purified enzyme 23DBDO from Comamonas sp. SMN4 had the highest catalytic activity for 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl and 3-methylcatechol, and had very poor activity with catechol and 4-methylcatechol.