A histidine residue in p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase essential for binding of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.

Chemical modification with diethylpyrocarbonate (ethoxyformic anhydride) was examined to demonstrate the existence of an essential histidine residue at the NADPH-binding site of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.2) from Pseudomonas desmolytica. Among some ligands, NADPH was noticeable in protecting the enzyme from the modification-caused inactivation. Although several amino acid residues were modified during the inactivation process, inhibition of the enzyme could be correlated with modification of a single histidine residue which was masked by addition of NADPH. The pK of the essential histidine residue was estimated to be 6.5-6.7. The Kd (Km) for NADPH of the inactivated enzyme was shown to have been increased greatly, although the Kd for substrate (p-hydroxybenzoate) was not changed.