1. Short-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase from seeds of Pinus radiata was examined by acetate- and propionate-dependent PPi–ATP exchange. Reaction mixtures came to equilibrium almost instantly as judged by rates of exchange and analysis of an incubation mixture. 2. The activity of the enzyme was correlated with the concentration of MgP2O72- but not with the concentration of Mg2+, as judged by PPi–ATP exchange and fatty acyl AMP-dependent synthesis of ATP in the presence of PPi. In PPi–ATP exchange assays, no clear relationship between activity and any single species of ATP was apparent. 3. High concentrations of fatty acid inhibited PPi–ATP exchange. PPi–dATP exchange was less than PPi–ATP exchange at low concentrations of fatty acid, but at higher concentrations PPi–dATP exchange exceeded PPi–ATP exchange. The rate of synthesis of fatty acyl-CoA in the presence of dATP was less than with ATP. 4. ATP and propionate inhibited the synthesis of ATP from propionyl-AMP and PPi. The inhibition by ATP was competitive with respect to propionyl-AMP and non-competitive with respect to PPi. The inhibition by propionate was non-competitive with respect to propionyl-AMP and PPi. 5. AMP was a competitive inhibitor of propionyl-AMP-dependent synthesis of ATP and competitively inhibited propionate-dependent PPi–ATP exchange when ATP was the variable substrate. 6. It was concluded that the first partial reaction catalysed by the enzyme is ordered; ATP is the first substrate to react with the enzyme and PPi is probably the only product released.
Insights into substrate specificity, regioselectivity and mechanism of two fatty acid hydratases from Lactobacillus acidophilus from mutational and kinetic studies
