Reactions of prostaglandin H synthase in the presence of the stabilizing agents diethyldithiocarbamate and glycerol

Both cyclooxygenase and peroxidase reactions of prostaglandin H synthase were studied in the presence and absence of diethyldithiocarbamate and glycerol at 4 °C in phosphate buffer (pH 8.0). Diethyldithiocarbamate reacts with the high oxidation state intermediates of prostaglandin H synthase; it protects the enzyme from bleaching and loss of activity by its ability to act as a reducing agent. For the reaction of diethyldithiocarbamate with compound I, the second-order rate constant K2,app, was found to fall within the range of 5.8 × 106 ± 0.4 × 106 M−1∙s−1 < K2,app < 1.8 × 107 ± 0.1 × 107 M−1∙s−1. The reaction of diethyldithiocarbamate with compound II showed saturation behavior suggesting enzyme–substrate complex formation, with kcat = 22 ± 3 s−1, Km = 67 ± 10 μM, and the second-order rate constant k3,app = 2.0 × 105 ± 0.2 × 105 M−1∙s−1. In the presence of both diethyldithiocarbamate and 30% glycerol, the parameters for compound II are kcat = 8.8 ± 0.5 s−1, Km = 49 ± 7 μM, and k3,app = 1.03 × 105 ± 0.07 × 105 M−1∙s−1. The spontaneous decay rate constants of compounds I and II (in the absence of diethyldithiocarbamate) are 83 ± 5 and 0.52 ± 0.05 s−1, respectively, in the absence of glycerol; in the presence of 30% glycerol they are 78 ± 5 and 0.33 ± 0.02 s−1, respectively. Neither cyclooxygenase activity nor the rate constant for compound I formation using 5-phenyl-4-pentenyl-1-hydroperoxide is altered by the presence of diethyldithiocarbamate. It is suggested that kinetic studies on this enzyme can be performed in the presence of diethyldithiocarbamate, if one is cognizant of the rate of reaction of the stabilizing agent with compounds I and II and corrects for it if necessary.Key words: prostaglandin H synthase, diethyldithiocarbamate, cyclooxygenase, peroxidase, stabilizing agents.