Rapid, High-Yield Purification of Rat Liver Glutathione Peroxidase by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

Glutathione peroxidase (GSH:H₂O₂ oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.9) was purified 3500-fold from rat liver with a yield of 42% using high performance liquid chromatography. The crucial purification step was size-exclusion chromatography on a Spherogel TSK-3000SW column, and the purified enzyme eluted as a single peak. The enzyme stained as a single band following SDS-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 105,000, and the subunit molecular weight determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis was 25,000. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated five bands of protein with a broad of enzymatic activity. Isoelectric focusing resulted in a peak of enzymatic activity at pH 6.9 with a shoulder at pH 7.3. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 1,100 μmol of NADPH oxidized per minute per milligram of protein.