Solubilization and properties of GDP-fucose: Xyloglucan 1,2-α- l-fucosyltransferase from pea epicotyl membranes

GDP-fucose:xyloglucan 1,2-α- l-fucosyltransferase from pea ( Pisum sativum) epicotyl microsomal membranes was readily solubilized by extraction with the zwitterionic detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (Chaps). When using GDP-[ 14C]fucose as fucosyl donor and tamarind xyloglucan (XG) as acceptor, maximum activation was observed at 0.3% ( w v ) Chaps and the highest yield of solubilized activity at 0.4%. The reaction product was hydrolyzed by Trichoderma cellulase to yield labeled oligosaccharides that peaked on gel permeation chromatography at the same elution volume as pea XG nona-and decasaccharide subunits. The apparent K m for fucosyl transfer to tamarind XG by the membrane-bound or solubilized enzyme was about 80 μ m GDP-fucose. This was 10 times the apparent K m for fucosyl transfer to endogenous pea nascent XG. Optimum activity was between pH 6 and 7, and the isoelectric point was close to pH 4.8. The solubilized enzyme showed no requirement for, or stimulation by, added cations or phospholipids, and was stable for several months at −70 °C. Solubilization and gel permeation chromatography on columns of Sepharose CL-6B enriched the specific activity of the enzyme by about 20-fold relative to microsomes. Activity fractionated on columns of CL-6B with an apparent molecular weight of 150 kDa. The solubilized fucosyltransferase was electrophoresed on nondenaturing polyacrylamide slab gels containing 0.02% ( w v ) tamarind XG, and its activity located by incubation in GDP-[ 14C]fucose, washing, and autoradiographing the gel. A single band of labeled reaction product appeared with an apparent molecular weight of 150 kDa.