Abstract
SINCE the work of Barron et al. 1–3 it has been generally assumed that sulphydryl enzymes, in contrast to enzymes not requiring free SH-groups for their activity, are exceptionally susceptible to the indirect action of ionizing radiation. This view, which has profoundly influenced radiobiological thinking during the past decade, is not supported by recent experiments in this laboratory. In the present communication results are presented to show that the sulphydryl enzymes muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and yeast alcohol dehydrogenase are inactivated by X-rays with about the same ionic yield as various non-sulphydryl enzymes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barron, E. S. G., Dickman, S., Muntz, J. A., and Singer, T. P., J. Gen. Physiol., 32, 537 (1949).
Barron, E. S. G., and Dickman, S., J. Gen. Physiol., 32, 595 (1949).
Barron, E. S. G., and Johnson, P., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 48, 149 (1954).
Velick, S. F., in “Methods in Enzymology”, edit. by Colowick, S. P., and Kaplan, N. O., 1 (Academic Press Inc., New York, 1955).
Racker, E., in “Methods in Enzymology”, edit. by Colowick, S. P., and Kaplan, N. O., 1 (Academic Press Inc., New York, 1955).
Dale, W. M., Gray, L. H., and Meredith, W. J., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., A, 242, 33 (1949).
Dale, W. M., Biochem. J., 36, 80 (1942).
Forssberg, A., Nature, 159, 308 (1947).
Wallenfels, K., and Sund, H., Biochem. Z., 329, 17 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
PIHL, A., LANGE, R. & ELDJARN, L. Alleged Susceptibility of Sulphydryl Enzymes to Ionizing Radiation. Nature 182, 1732–1733 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/1821732a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1821732a0
- Springer Nature Limited