Abstract

The steady-state kinetics of tyrosine hydroxylase [L-tyrosine, tetrahydropteridine: oxygen oxidoreductase (3-hydroxylating); EC 1.14.16.2] frequently exhibits complex features which confound interpretation of the results. Using an assay-enzyme system which is essentially devoid of the major mitigating kinetic features, a comprehensive kinetics data base has been compiled. The studies employed L-tyrosine, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin, and oxygen as substrates, and 3-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)L-alanine, a deazapterin, 3-iodo-L-tyrosine, and dopamine as product, substrate analogue, and product analogue inhibitors, respectively. All three reactants were varied pairwise, and all inhibitors (except dopamine) were tested with each of the three substrates as variable substrate. The entire data base was interpreted exclusively in terms of models for classic saturation kinetics of enzyme catalysis, providing an internally consistent kinetic model and evidence for a sequential mechanism with partially ordered sequences for substrate addition and product release. Some possible mechanisms and experimental variables relating these results to more complex kinetics of tyrosine hydroxylase are considered briefly.