Betaine Accumulation and Betaine-Aldehyde Dehydrogenase in Spinach Leaves

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Abstract
Spinach leaf discs accumulated betaine when exposed to a mannitol solution of -20 bars. The accumulation was 12 .mu.mol/g original fresh weight in a 24-h period. Betaine-aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.8) was assayed in various subcellular fractions prepared from spinach leaves and it was found only in the soluble fraction. This cytosolic enzyme was purified 175-fold and its properties were studied. The enzyme was relatively specific for betaine aldehyde as the substrate with an apparent Km value of 2.08 .times. 10-4 M. It also exerted activity on other aldehyde analogs tested but with lower Vmax and higher Km values. The enzyme was relatively specific for NAD as the coenzyme, having an apparent Km value of 9.46 .times. 10-6 M, lower activities were observed when NADP or 3-acetyl pyridine adenine dinucleotide were tested as electron acceptors. The activity was enhanced by dithiothreitol and inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and the inhibition by p-chloromercuribenzoate was partially reversed by the subsequent addition of dithiothreitol. The activity was inhibited by high concentrations of NaCl and, to a lesser extent, proline. The equilibrium of the enzymic reaction was strongly in favor of betaine formation. The in vitro activity of the enzyme under optimal assay conditions was high enough to account for the amount of betaine accumulated under water stress conditions. The enzyme activity was the same in unstressed leaves and in leaves that had been water stressed for 24 h.