SIMPLE EFFICIENT METHODS FOR THE ISOLATION OF MALATE-DEHYDROGENASE FROM THERMOPHILIC AND MESOPHILIC BACTERIA

Malate dehydrogenase from a number of bacteria drawn from several genera and representing the mesophilic, moderately thermophilic and extremely thermophilic classes was isolated by procedures which involve only a small number of steps (in most cases only two), of which the key one is affinity chromatography on 5'-AMP--Sepharose and/or on NAD+--hexane--agarose. Electrophoretic analysis of the native enzymes in polyacrylamide gel and of the denaturated enzymes in sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel revealed no significant protein impurity in the purified preparations. The yields ranged from about 40% to over 80%. The malate dehydrogenases from the extreme thermophiles and from some of the moderate thermophiles are appreciably less efficient catalytically than their mesophilic homologues.