Histidine decarboxylase proenzyme

Non-pyridoxal Phosphate Dependent. Figure 2 depicts the postulated mechanism for a non-pyridoxal phosphate catal) zed decarboxylation of histidine to histamine involving a pyruvoyl residue instead of pyridoxal -5 - phosphate (20). Histidine decarboxylases from Lactobacillus 30a and a Micrococcus sp. have been shown to contain a covalently bound pyruvoyl residue on the active site. The pyruvoyl group is covalently bound to the amino group of a phenylalanine residue on the enzyme, and is derived from a serine residue (21) of an inactive proenzyme (22). The pyruvoyl residue acts in a manner similar to pyridoxal phosphate in the decarboxylation reaction. 

When 14C-labeled serine was fed to organisms producing histidine decarboxylase, 14C was incorporated into the bound pyruvoyl group (Fig. 14-11). Thus, serine is a precursor of the bound pyruvate. The enzyme is manufactured in the cell as a longer 307-residue proenzyme which associates as hexamers (designated n6). The active enzyme was found to be formed by cleavage of the n chains between Ser 81 and Ser 82 to form 226-residue a chains and 81-residue (3 chains which associate as (aP)6.270/271 The a chains... 

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