Acylase I-Catalyzed Deacetylation of N-Acetyl-l-cysteine and S-Alkyl-N-acetyl-l-cysteines
摘要:
The aminoacylase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was identified as acylase I after purification by column chromatography and electrophoretic analysis. Rat kidney cytosol was fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, and the proteins were separated by ion-exchange column chromatography, gel-filtration column chromatography, and hydrophobic interaction column chromatography. Acylase activity with NAC and N-acetyl-L-methionine (NAM), a known substrate for acylase I, as substrates coeluted during all chromatographic steps. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the protein was purified to near homogeneity and had a subunit M-r of 43 000, which is identical with the M-r of acylase I from porcine kidney and bovine liver. n-Butylmalonic acid was a slow-binding inhibitor of acylase I and inhibited the deacetylation of NAC with a K-i of 192 +/- 27 mu M These results show that acylase I catalyzes the deacetylation of NAG. The acylase I-catalyzed deacetylation of a range of S-alkyl-N-acetyl-L-cysteines, their carbon and oxygen analogues, and the selenium analogue of NAM was also studied with porcine kidney acylase I. The specific activity of the acylase I-catalyzed deacetylation of these substrates was related to their calculated molar volumes and lag P values. The S-alkyl-N-acetyl-L-cysteines with short (C-0-C-3) and unbranched S-alkyl substituents were good acylase I substrates, whereas the S-alkyl-N-acetyl-L-cysteines with long (>C-3) and branched S-alkyl substituents were poor acylase I substrates. The carbon and oxygen analogues of S-methyl-N-acetyl-L-cysteine and the carbon analogue of S-ethyl-N-acetyl-L-cysteine were poor acylase I substrates, whereas the selenium analogue of NAM was a good acylase I substrate.
An improved method for the synthesis of S-alkylated cysteine derivatives with branched alkyl chains is reported. These compounds can be obtained in good yield and high purity by refluxing the cysteine thiol with the appropriate alkyl bromide in a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.