Dihydroxyacetone reductase from Mucor javanicus. 1. Isolation and properties.

An NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase has been extracted from the mycelium of the fungus Mucor Javanicus (Wehmer) and enriched 1000-fold with respect to the protein contained in the crude extract after centrifugation at 2600 X g. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration to be about 100 000; electrophoresis under dissociating conditions indicates four subunits of molecular weight about 28 000. Data on stability and activity of the enzyme as a function of pH and temperature are reported.