Enzymatic characterization of 5-methylthioribulose-1-phosphate dehydratase of the methionine salvage pathway in Bacillus subtilis

5-Methylthioribulose-1-phosphate (MTRu-1-P) dehydratase catalyzes the reaction from MTRu-1-P to 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate (DK-MTP-1-P) in the methionine salvage pathway in Bacillus subtilis. The properties of this enzyme remain to be determined. We characterized these properties using a recombinant protein. The enzyme, with a molecular mass of 90 kDa, was composed of four subunits. The K-m and V-max of the enzyme were 8.9 mu M and 42.7 mu mole min(-1) mg protein(-1) at 25 degrees C respectively. Maximum activity was observed at pH 7.5 to 8.5 and 40 degrees C. The activation energy of the reaction from MTRu-1-P to DK-MTP-1-P was 63.5 kJ mol-1. The reaction product DK-MTP-1-P was labile, and decomposed at a rate constant of 0.048 s(-1) to an unknown compound that was not utilized by DK-MTP-1-P enolase, the enzyme catalyzing the next step. The function of this enzyme in the pathway is discussed.