The Primary Structure of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Eight different types of peptide mixtures from [14C]carboxymethylated yeast alcohol dehydrogenase were obtained using trypsin with or without prior maleylation of the substrate, chymotrypsin, pepsin, microbial proteases or CNBr. Each mixture was fractionated by exclusion chromatography and peptides were further purified on paper. From results of analyses of all fragments it seems possible to to deduce a primary structure of 347 unique residues in three segments. Together, the segments can account for the whole protein monomer with the exception of a small connecting region. Many unfavourable structures complicated the determination and made single sequence conclusions tentative, but known data are consistent and for most segments of the monomer results are abundant. Several microheterogeneities in the protein are indicated and one apparent amino acid exchange is characterized, suggesting that different types of subunits occur. This may probably be correlated with genetic polymorphism in yeast. Multiple desamidations are also characterized and a few of these affect particularly labile structures. Many residues are unevenly distributed and unexpected patterns are shown. Elements of repetitive sequences occur, reducing the uniqueness of structures. Hydrophobic segments are found, and the uncharacterized region is, at least in some subunits, in a core-like tryptic segment. These and other aspects of the structure may explain some properties of the monomer, and form the background for evolutionary, structural and functional correlations with related enzymes.