Conversion of catalase to the secondary catalase-peroxide complex (compound II) by alpha-methyldopa.
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A catalase that exhibits a high level of activity and a rapid reaction with organic peroxides has been purified from Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans T-2-2T (EKTA catalase). The amino acid sequence of EKTA catalase revealed that it is a novel clade 1 catalase. Amino acid residues in the active site around the protoheme are conserved in the primary structure of EKTA catalase. Although the general interactions of molecules larger than hydrogen peroxide with catalases are strongly inhibited because of the selection role of long and narrow channels in the substrate reaching the active site, the formation rate of reactive intermediates (compound I) in the reaction of EKTA catalase with peracetic acid is 77 times higher than that of bovine liver catalase (BLC) and 1200 times higher than that of Micrococcus luteus catalase (MLC). The crystal structure of EKTA catalase has been determined and refined to 2.4 A resolution. The main channel structure of EKTA catalase is different from those of BLC and MLC. The rate constant of compound I formation in catalases decreased with an increase in the molecular size of the substrate. For EKTA catalase with a larger bottleneck 15 A from the iron (entrance of narrow channel) in the main channel, a lower rate of reduction in compound I formation rate with an increase in the molecular size of substrates was found. The increase in the rate constant of compound I formation in these catalases was directly proportional to the increase in the size of the bottleneck in the main channel when molecules of substrates larger than H2O2, such as organic peroxides, are used in the reaction. The results indicate that the size of the bottleneck in the main channel in catalase is an important factor in defining the rate of compound I formation corresponding to the molecular size of the substrates, and this was demonstrated. The Leu149-Ile180 and Asp109-Met167 combinations at the entrance of the narrow channel in EKTA catalase determine the size of the bottleneck, and each atom-to-atom distance for the combination of residues was larger than those of corresponding combinations of amino acid residues in BLC and MLC. The combination of these four amino acids is quite specific in EKTA catalase as compared with the combinations in other catalases in the gene database (compared with more than 432 catalase genes in the database).
Methoxypolyethylene glycols of 1900 daltons (PEG-1900) or 5000 daltons (PEG-5000) were covalently attached to bovine liver catalase using 2,4,6-trichloro-s-triazine as the coupling agent. Rabbits were immunized by the intravenous and intramuscular routes with catalase modified by covalent attachment of PEG-1900 to 43% of the amino groups (PEG-1900-catalase). The intravenous antiserum did not yield detectable antibodies against PEG-1900-catalase or native catalase, as determined by Ouchterlony and complement fixation methods, whereas the intramuscular antiserum contained antibodies to both PEG-1900-catalase and catalase. PEG-1900 did not react with either antiserum. Catalase was prepared in which PEG-5000 was attached to 40% of the amino groups (PEG-5000-catalase). This catalase preparation did not react with either antiserum. PEG-1900-catalase retained 93% of its enzymatic activity; PEG-5000-catalase retained 95%. PEG-5000-catalase resisted digestion by trypsin, chymotrypsin, and a protease from Streptomyces griseus. PEG-1900-catalase and PEG-5000-catalase exhibited enhanced circulating lives in the blood of acatalasemic mice during repetitive intravenous injections. No evidence was seen of an immune response to injections of the modified enzymes. Mice injected repetitively with PEG-5000-catalase remained immune competent for unmodieied catalase, and no evidence of tissue or organ damage was seen.
1. There are conflicting reports as to the protective effect of coadministered native superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase against gastric mucosal lesions in rats with water immersion restraint (WIR) stress. It is unclear how coadministered native SOD and catalase protect against WIR stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions. Therefore, in the present study, we re-examined the protective effect of coadministered native SOD and catalase against gastric mucosal lesions in rats with WIR stress. 2. Gastric mucosal lesions were induced in Wistar rats by 3 h WIR. Rats were injected subcutaneously with a mixture of purified bovine erythrocyte SOD and bovine liver catalase 1 h before the onset of WIR. Ulcer index, serum SOD, catalase and xanthine oxidase (XO), uric acid and gastric mucosal SOD, catalase, XO, myeloperoxidase (MPO; an index of tissue neutrophil infiltration), non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS; an index of lipid peroxidation) were assayed in all rats used. 3. Rats with 3 h WIR showed gastric mucosal lesions. Pre-administration of SOD plus catalase to rats with WIR prevented lesion formation. In the serum of rats with WIR alone, XO activity and uric acid concentration increased, whereas SOD and catalase activities did not change. Pre-administration of SOD plus catalase to rats with WIR did not affect increased serum XO activity and uric acid concentration, but did increase serum SOD and catalase activities. In the gastric mucosa of rats with WIR alone, increases in MPO activity and TBARS concentration and a decrease in NP-SH concentration occurred, whereas XO, SOD and catalase activities did not change. Pre-administration of SOD plus catalase to rats with WIR attenuated the changes in gastric mucosal MPO activity and TBARS and NP-SH concentrations, but did not affect gastric mucosal XO, SOD and catalase activities. Pre-administration of SOD plus catalase (in an inactivated form) to rats with WIR had no effect on gastric mucosal lesion formation and the levels of serum and gastric mucosal parameters studied. 4. These results indicate that coadministered native SOD and catalase protect against gastric mucosal lesions in rats with WIR stress and suggest that this protective effect of coadministered native SOD and catalase could be due to their activity to scavenge XO-derived active oxygen species that are increased in the blood.
We have identified a novel peroxisomal targeting sequence (PTS) at the extreme COOH terminus of human catalase. The last four amino acids of this protein (-KANL) are necessary and sufficient to effect targeting to peroxisomes in both human fibroblasts and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, when appended to the COOH terminus of the reporter protein, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase. However, this PTS differs from the extensive family of COOH-terminal PTS tripeptides collectively termed PTS1 in two major aspects. First, the presence of the uncharged amino acid, asparagine, at the penultimate residue of the human catalase PTS is highly unusual, in that a basic residue at this position has been previously found to be a common and critical feature of PTS1 signals. Nonetheless, this asparagine residue appears to constitute an important component of the catalase PTS, in that replacement with aspartate abolished peroxisomal targeting (as did deletion of the COOH-terminal four residues). Second, the human catalase PTS comprises more than the COOH-terminal three amino acids, in that COOH-terminal-ANL cannot functionally replace the PTS1 signal-SKL in targeting a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase fusion protein to peroxisomes. The critical nature of the fourth residue from the COOH terminus of the catalase PTS (lysine) is emphasized by the fact that substitution of this residue with a variety of other amino acids abolished or reduced peroxisomal targeting. Targeting was not reduced when this lysine was replaced with arginine, suggesting that a basic amino acid at this position is required for maximal functional activity of this PTS. In spite of these unusual features, human catalase is sorted by the PTS1 pathway, both in yeast and human cells. Disruption of the PAS10 gene encoding the S. cerevisiae PTS1 receptor resulted in a cytosolic location of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase appended with the human catalase PTS, as did expression of this protein in cells from a neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy patient specifically defective in PTS1 import. Furthermore, through the use of the two-hybrid system, it was demonstrated that both the PAS10 gene product (Pas10p) and the human PTS1 receptor can interact with the COOH-terminal region of human catalase, but that this interaction is abolished by substitutions at the penultimate residue (asparagine-to- aspartate) and at the fourth residue from the COOH terminus (lysine-to-glycine) which abolish PTS functionality. We have found no evidence of additional targeting information elsewhere in the human catalase protein. An internal tripeptide (-SHL-, which conforms to the mammalian PTS1 consensus) located nine to eleven residues from the COOH terminus has been excluded as a functional PTS. Additionally, in contrast to the situation for S. cerevisiae catalase A, which contains an internal PTS in addition to a COOH-terminal PTS1, human catalase lacks such a redundant PTS, as evidenced by the exclusive cytosolic location of human catalase mutated in the COOH-terminal PTS. Consistent with this species difference, fusions between catalase A and human catalase which include the catalase A internal PTS are targeted, at least in part, to peroxisomes regardless of whether the COOH-terminal human catalase PTS is intact.
The ability of the H2O2-induced catalase of Salmonella typhimurium to induce cell-mediated immunity against S. typhimurium infection in mice was examined. When exponentially growing cells of S. typhimurium were treated with 20 microM H2O2, the cells resisted killing by 1 mM H2O2 and showed the induction of a new species of catalase in addition to the constitutively produced one. Two molecules of catalases in S. typhimurium were isolated from mutant strains: H2O2-induced catalase (catalase II, 320 kDa), from a regulatory gene-deficient oxyR1 mutant, and constitutive catalase (catalase I, 350 kDa), from a katG gene-deleted mutant. When mice were inoculated with a sublethal dose of live cells, an intensive protective immunity (100% survival at 3 weeks) after challenge with a virulent strain associated with the delayed-type footpad hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to both catalase I and catalase II was induced. Conversely, mice immunized with formalin-killed virulent S. typhimurium did not elicit protective immunity or DTH to either catalase. When mice were immunized with catalase I or catalase II, an enhanced protection (to a certain extent: 50% survival at 3 weeks) was induced in mice immunized with catalase II associated with DTH which did not cross-react with catalase I but not in those given catalase I. These results suggest that H2O2-induced stress proteins, including catalase II, are the dominant antigens for cell-mediated immunity in live cells of S. typhimurium and that a burst of such stress proteins in live salmonellae in phagocytes is responsible for the induction of cell-mediated immunity that is largely involved in the protection of susceptible mice against Salmonella infection.
Since oxygen-free polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) cannot kill Staphylococcus aureus normally, the usual mechanisms for PMN bactericidal activity probably involve hydrogen peroxide or superoxide. Catalase can destroy hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide dismutase breaks down superoxide. Experiments were performed to study the influence of these enzymes (which are found in staphylococci) on virulence for mice or on leukocyte-bacterial interaction. 15 staphylococcal strains were injected i.p. into mice to quantitate virulence. There was good correlation between staphylococcal catalase activity and mouse lethality (r equals 0.88) but no correlation between staphylococcal superoxide dismutase activity and mouse lethality (r equals 0.14). Exogenous catalase (10,000 U/ml) increased the virulence of low-catalase staphylococci, but exogenous superoxide dismutase (200 mug/ml) did not alter the virulence of staphyloccal strains. C14=labeled high-catalase or low-catalase staphylococci were ingested equally well by PMN, with or without the addition of exogenous catalase. A high-catalase staphylococcal strain was killed relatively poorly by PMN, and addition of exogenous catalase (but not superoxide dismutase) decreased the ability of PMN to kill a low-catalase strain. Iodination of bacterial proteins by PMN is related to hydrogen peroxide, and a high-catalase staphylococcal strain was iodinated only 63% as much as a low-catalase strain. Addition of exogenous catalase decreased iodination of the low-catalase strain by 23%. These findings suggest that staphylococcal catalase protects intraphagocytic microbes by destroying hydrogen peroxide produced by the phagocyte. Thus, catalase may be a significant staphylococcal virulence factor.
An alkaline catalase has been purified and characterized from a slightly halophilic and alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus sp. F26. The purification was performed with a four step procedure consisting of ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange, gel filtration and hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and finally achieved a 58.5-fold-purifying over the crude extract. The purified catalase was composed of two identical subunits with a native molecular mass of 140 kD. The native enzyme showed the typical Soret band appearing at 408 nm. The pyridine hemochrome spectrum indicated the presence of protoheme IX as the prosthetic group. The apparent Km value for enzyme activity on H2O2 was calculated to be 32.5 mmol/L. The activity of this catalase was not reduced by dithionite but was strongly inhibited by cyanide, azide, and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (the specific inhibitor of monofunctional catalase). No peroxidase activity of this enzyme was detected when using o-dianisidine, diaminobenzidine (DAB) and p-phenylenediamine as electron donor. Moreover, the N-terminal sequence of this catalase exhibited substantial similarity to the monofunctional catalase subgroup rather than catalase-peroxidase or Mn-catalase one. Therefore, we characterize the purified catalase as a monofunctional catalase. Besides, this monofunctional catalase was thermosensitive and its activity exhibited pH-independent over pH 5-9 but showed a sharp maximum at pH 11. An activity half-life of approximately 49 h was measured when the enzyme was incubated at 20 degrees C and pH 11. To our knowledge, pH 11 is the most alkaline condition for optimum catalysis and enzyme stability among the catalases reported up to now. Furthermore, this monofunctional catalase also showed excellent halo-alkali-stability with a half-life of approximately 90 h at 0.5 mol/L NaCl and pH 10.5. On the other hand, so far as we know, the characterized catalase is the first dimeric monofunctional catalase from alkaliphiles and is also the first monofunctional catalase derived from a natural soda lake, which could partially reflect the oxidative stress response in the corresponding environment.
BACKGROUND: Free radicals and antioxidant enzymes (AOEs) may play a critical role in cell proliferation and in the resistance of malignant cells against cytotoxic drugs and radiation. Malignant mesothelioma is a resistant tumor with high levels of manganese superoxide dismutase, a central superoxide scavenging AOE. In the current study, the authors assessed the expression and prognostic role of catalase, an important hydrogen peroxide scavenging AOE, in malignant pleural mesothelioma. METHODS: Catalase expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 5 cases of nonmalignant healthy pleura and in tumor tissue of 32 mesothelioma patients, and by Western blot in 7 continuous human mesothelioma cell lines. The distribution of catalase in mesothelioma cells was assessed by immunoelectron microscopy. Furthermore, to investigate the effect of catalase inhibition in the drug resistance of these cells in vitro, the authors exposed mesothelioma cells with the highest catalase level to epirubicin with and without aminotriazole pretreatment. RESULTS: Nonmalignant mesothelial cells showed no catalase immunoreactivity whereas most mesothelioma cases (24 of 32, 75%) were catalase positive, 17 cases (53%) showing moderate or high expression. Higher catalase expression in mesothelioma was associated with a better prognosis, mean survival rate from diagnosis being 6 and 24 months for negative/low expression and moderate/high expression, respectively. Furthermore, a coordinately high expression of both manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and catalase predicted even more favorable outcome of the mesothelioma patients. Catalase also could be detected in all mesothelioma cell lines, the most resistant cell line showing the highest protein expression and compartmentalization of catalase mainly to peroxisomes. Aminotriazole inhibition of catalase had a marginal effect on the toxicity caused by epirubicin. CONCLUSIONS: Catalase may have multifactorial effects in malignant cells; high catalase and/or coordinated high expression of Mn-SOD and catalase may decrease tumor progression by modulating the cellular redox state, but enhanced antioxidant capacity of mesothelioma cells also may protect tumor cells against exogenous oxidants, at least in vitro.
The production of two kinds of catalase-peroxidase, viz. catalase-2 and catalase-3 of Deinococcus radiophilus varied depending upon growth phases and oxidative stress. A gradual increase in total catalase activity occurred during exponential and stationary phase. Electrophoretic resolution of these catalases in Deinococcal cell extracts revealed the uniform occurrence of catalase-2 and the appearance of catalase-3 only during the late exponential and stationary phase. A substantial increase in total catalase was observed in either hydrogen peroxide- or UV-treated cells. Monitoring of D. radiophilus catalase activity in the oxidative stressed and non-treated cells by gel electrophoresis followed by densitometry revealed the several-fold increase in catalase-3, which is above the constant level of catalase-2. The occurrence of catalase-3 and catalase-2 revealed by fractionation of sucrose-shocked cells suggests that catalase-3 is a cytosolic inducible enzyme whereas catalase-2 is the membrane-associated constitutive enzyme.
The morphogenetic transitions of the N. crassa asexual life cycle are responses to a hyperoxidant state in which probably singlet oxygen is generated. Induction of catalase activity and catalase oxidation by singlet oxygen are consequences of this recurrent hyperoxidant state. Here the biochemical properties and regulation of two large monofunctional catalases are reviewed, and a new catalase-peroxidase gene and activity is described. Catalase-3 is associated to growing and Catalase-1 to non-growing cells. Under stressful conditions one of these catalases is synthesized, depending on whether growth can be continued or a resistant cell has to be made. The catalase-peroxidase Catalase-2 was possibly derived from a bacterial enzyme. In contrast to the other catalases, Catalase-2 had catalase and peroxidase activity. Catalase-2 was expressed under conditions in which vacuolization of hyphae is observed. All three enzymes have a chlorin in its active site instead of ferroprotoheme IX and are resistant to molar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. These and all other catalases tested so far are oxidized by singlet oxygen, probably at the heme moiety. The catalase activity is virtually unaffected by oxidation, but the enzymes are probably degraded more rapidly than the unmodified ones.
Catalase was immobilized on the chitosan film that is a natural polymer. Studies were done on free catalase and immobilized catalase on chitosan film concerning the determination of optimum temperature, optimum pH, thermal stability, storage stability, operational stability, and kinetic parameters. It was determined that optimum temperature for free catalase and immobilized catalase on chitosan film is 25 degrees C, and optimum pH is 7.0. It was found as K(m) = 25.16 mM, V(max) = 24042 µmole/min mg protein for free catalase, K(m) = 27.67 mM, V(max) = 1022 µmole/min mg protein for immobilized catalase on chitosan. It was observed that there was a big difference between V(max) value of the free catalase and V(max) value of immobilized catalase on chitosan film whereas there were minor changes in the value of K(m) for free catalase and immobilized catalase. It was found that storage stability at 5 degrees C for immobilized catalase stored wet is greater than free catalase and immobilized catalase stored dry, and immobilized catalase showed a operational stability.
We previously proposed that salicylic acid (SA)-sensitive catalases serve as biological targets of SA in plant defense responses. To further examine the role of SA-sensitive catalases, we have analyzed the relationship between SA levels and SA sensitivity of catalases in different rice (Oryza sativa) tissues. We show here that, whereas rice shoots contain extremely high levels of free SA, as previously reported (I. Raskin, H. Skubatz, W. Tang, B.J.D. Meeuse [1990] Ann Bot 66: 369-373; P. Silverman, M. Seskar, D. Kanter, P. Schweizer, J.-P. Metraux, I. Raskin [1995] Plant Physiol 108: 633-639), rice roots and cell-suspension cultures have very low SA levels. Catalases from different rice tissues also exhibit differences in sensitivity to SA. Catalase from rice shoots is insensitive to SA, but roots and cell-suspension cultures contain SA-sensitive catalase. The difference in SA sensitivity of catalases from these different tissues correlates with the tissue-specific expression of two catalase genes, CatA and CatB, which encode highly distinctive catalase proteins. CatA, which encodes a catalase with relatively low sequence homology to the tobacco SA-sensitive catalases, is expressed at high levels exclusively in the shoots. On the other hand, in roots and cell-suspension cultures, with northern analysis we detected expression of only the CatB gene, which encodes a catalase with higher sequence homology to tobacco catalases. The role of catalases in mediating some of the SA-induced responses is discussed in light of these results and the recently defined mechanisms of catalase inhibition by SA.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while antioxidant enzymes, such as extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and catalase, block radical-induced events. The present study tested if the ex vivo transfer of EC-SOD and catalase genes alone or in combination in the knee joint of rats with monoarticular antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) was anti-inflammatory, and examined the potential mechanisms involved. Synoviocytes isolated from female Wistar rats were immortalized with a retroviral vector SUV19.5. These cells were permanently transfected with an EC-SOD expression plasmid (pEC-SODZeo) or a catalase expression plasmid (pCatalaseZeo) to create cells overexpressing EC-SOD or catalase, as measured by RT-PCR and Western blots. The cells were engrafted in knee joints of animals at the time of the induction of AIA. Three gene transfer groups, an EC-SOD group, a catalase group and a combined therapy group (EC-SOD and catalase) were included in these experiments. Animals in the control group were engrafted with synoviocytes transfected with the plasmid pZeoSV2 without an insert. Clinical and histological assessments were performed, as well as tissue measurements of SOD, catalase and gelatinase activities. Ex vivo gene transfer of EC-SOD and catalase into rat knee joints produced about a six- to seven-fold increase in EC-SOD activity and a two- to three-fold increase in catalase activity compared with the control animals. Rats treated with cells overexpressing EC-SOD, catalase or a combination of EC-SOD and catalase showed significant suppression of knee joint swelling, decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells within the synovial membrane and reduced gelatinase activity in knee joints, compared with animals receiving cells transfected with the plasmid alone. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups treated with cells overexpressing EC-SOD, catalase or a combination of both. Gene therapy involving the local intra-articular overexpression of two antioxidant enzymes, EC-SOD and catalase, was anti-inflammatory in AIA. One mechanism appears to be the suppression of gelatinase activities by both EC-SOD and catalase.
Oxidants such as H(2)O(2) play a role in the toxicity of certain DNA-damaging agents, a process that often involves the tumor suppressor p53. H(2)O(2) is rapidly degraded by catalase, which protects cells against oxidant injury. To study the effect of catalase on apoptosis induced by DNA-damaging agents, HepG2 cells were infected with adenovirus containing the cDNA of catalase (Ad-Cat). Forty-eight hours after infection, catalase protein and activity was increased 7-10-fold compared with control cells infected with Ad-LacZ. After treatment with Vp16 or mitomycin C, control cells underwent apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner; however, overexpression of catalase inhibited this apoptosis. Basal levels as well as Vp16- or mitomycin C-stimulated levels of p53 and p21 protein were decreased in the catalase-overexpressing cells as compared with control cells; however, p53 mRNA levels were not decreased by catalase. There was no difference in p53 protein synthesis between catalase-overexpressing cells and control cells. However, pulse-chase experiments indicated that p53 protein degradation was enhanced in the catalase-overexpressing cells. Proteasome inhibitors but not calpeptin prevented the catalase-mediated decrease of p53 content. Whereas Vp16 increased, catalase overexpression decreased the phosphorylation of p53. The protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid did not prevent the catalase-mediated down-regulation of p53 or phosphorylated p53. These results demonstrate that catalase protects HepG2 cells from apoptosis induced by DNA-damaging agents in association with decreasing p53 phosphorylation; the latter may lead to an acceleration in the degradation of p53 protein by the proteasome complex. This suggests that the level of catalase may play a critical role in cell-induced resistance to the effects of anti-cancer drugs which up-regulate p53.
Dialysis of the peroxisomal extract, microsomal extract and cytosol fraction of rat liver against a solution containing 44 mM acetate buffer, pH 4.1, and 22% ethanol resulted in elimination of immature and enzymatically inactive catalase as insoluble precipitates, leaving mature and active catalase in solution. These catalase molecules in the three different subcellular compartments were doubly labeled with injected radioactive amino acids, for 30 min with [3H]leucine and for 90 min with [14C]leucine. The specific radioactivities of peroxisomal catalase remained unchanged upon the dialysis described above. This was also the case with microsomal catalase, however, the values were much higher than those of peroxisomal catalase. On the other hand, cytosol catalase showed remarkably decreased radioactivities after the dialysis, which were comparable to those of peroxisomal catalase, and the immature and inactive catalase which had been removed by this treatment was estimated to be as highly radioactive as the microsomal catalase. By affinity chromatography using anticatalase antibody both the microsomal extract and cytosol fraction were found to contain enzymatically inactive and probably immature catalase, which did not occur in peroxisomal extracts. However, when examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the catalases in the three different subcellular fractions gave identical single bands corresponding to the monomer subunit of this enzyme protein, and no other larger molecule was detected. It was also found that the peroxisomal mature catalase did not migrate in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the same as that in microsomes and in cytosol, the latter two exhibiting the same mobility. Based on these results and others previously obtained, intracellular events in the maturation and transfer of newly synthesized catalase are discussed.
We had previously isolated a facultatively anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrobaculum calidifontis strain VA1. Here, we found that strain VA1, when grown under aerobic conditions, harbors high catalase activity. The catalase was purified 91-fold from crude extracts and displayed a specific activity of 23,500 U/mg at 70 degrees C. The enzyme exhibited a K(m) value of 170 mM toward H(2)O(2) and a k(cat) value of 2.9 x 10(4) s(-1).subunit(-1) at 25 degrees C. Gel filtration chromatography indicated that the enzyme was a homotetramer with a subunit molecular mass of 33,450 Da. The purified catalase did not display the Soret band, which is an absorption band particular to heme enzymes. In contrast to typical heme catalases, the catalase was not strongly inhibited by sodium azide. Furthermore, with plasma emission spectroscopy, we found that the catalase did not contain iron but instead contained manganese. Our biochemical results indicated that the purified catalase was not a heme catalase but a manganese (nonheme) catalase, the first example in archaea. Intracellular catalase activity decreased when cells were grown anaerobically, while under aerobic conditions, an increase in activity was observed with the removal of thiosulfate from the medium, or addition of manganese. Based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified protein, we cloned and sequenced the catalase gene (kat(Pc)). The deduced amino acid sequence showed similarity with that of the manganese catalase from a thermophilic bacterium, Thermus sp. YS 8-13. Interestingly, in the complete archaeal genome sequences, no open reading frame has been assigned as a manganese catalase gene. Moreover, a homology search with the sequence of kat(Pc) revealed that no orthologue genes were present on the archaeal genomes, including those from the "aerobic" (hyper)thermophilic archaea Aeropyrum pernix, Sulfolobus solfataricus, and Sulfolobus tokodaii. Therefore, Kat(Pc) can be considered a rare example of a manganese catalase from archaea.