Abstract
Cell‐free extracts of the obligate methanol‐utilizing bacterium Pseudomonas W6 catalyze the oxydation of isocitrate to α‐ketoglutarate in the presence of NAD+ and NADP+. After electro‐focusing of the crude extract of Pseudomonas W6 actually two distinct bands each of NAD+‐linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD+‐IDH) and of NADP+‐linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+‐IDH) could be observed. The NAD+‐IDH was completely separated from the NADP+‐IDH by employing DEAE ion exchange chromatography and further purified by affinity chromatography using Cibacron blue F 3G‐A.The NAD+‐IDH was inhibited by a high energy charge, whereas the NADP+‐IDH was found to be independent of energy charge. Consequently the NAD+‐IDH showed the control behaviour of an enzyme of an energy‐generating sequence which, however, equally fulfils a catabolic and an anabolic function. With respect to the inhibition by reduced pyridine nucleotides and α‐ketoglutarate differences between NAD+‐IDH and NADP+‐IDH were also found. Only the NADP+‐linked enzyme exhibited a feedback inhibition by its reaction products α‐ketoglutarate and NADPH. This control behaviour gives evidence for the biosynthetic function of the NADP+‐IDH. These results confer an amphibolic character to the sequence from citrate to α‐ketoglutarate in the incomplete citric‐acid cycle of Pseudomonas W6.