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Steroid Δ^1-dehydrogenase which introduces a double bond into the 1,2 positions of steroid ring A was purified from Arthrobacter simplex, an excellent biotransformer of hydrocortisone into prednisolone. Hydrocortisone-induced cells were disrupted by vigorous agitation with glass beads, and a solubilized enzyme was obtained after centrifugation at 100,000×g for 90 minutes. The enzyme was purified 123-fold in three steps of chromatographic procedures with 13% yield. The last step of testosterone-agarose affinity column decisively contributed to the successful purification. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 98,000 by SDS-PAGE and 100,000 by gel filtration, indicating that this enzyme behaves as a monomer. The enzyme showed demands for artificial electron acceptor, and among the several reagents tested, phenazine methosulfate acted as the most effective electron acceptor. Subcellular distribution of this enzyme was studied by centrifugation experiment. Comparison of the enzyme activities in pelleted membrane and cytosol fractions suggests that the enzyme may be a weakly attached peripheral membrane protein in vivo. But considerable amounts of enzyme was solubilized without any additional treatments for membrane protein.
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