E. coli K-12 균주에서 ${gamma}-Glutamylcysteine$ synthetase를 정제하고 효소적 방법에 의한 글루타치온 합성에 관련된 특성을 검사하였다. 정제한 효소의 활성은 L-glutamate의 농도가 60 mM 까지 증가와 더불어 증가하였으나, 60 mM L-cysteine 에서는 50% 그리고 45 mM glycine 에서는 40%의 효소활성이 감소되었다. 효소의 활성은 반응산물 중의 하나인 ADP 뿐만 아니라 환원형 글루타치온에 의해서 감소되었다. 그러므로 환원형 글루타치온 뿐만 아니라 glutathione synthetase의 기질인 glycine은 ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase 활성을 저해하므로 글루타치온 생산을 위해서는 ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase 반응과 glutathione synthetase의 두 분리된 반응으로 이루어진 생반응계를 고안하는 것이 바람직하다. 또한 글루타치온 합성반응으로 부터 생성되는 ADP는 ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase의 활성을 감소시키므로 글루타치온 합성을 위해서 ATP 재생계의 도입이 필요하다.
${gamma}-Glutamylcysteine$ synthetase was purified from E. coli K-12 strain and its properties related to the in vitro synthesis of glutathione by enzymatic method were investigated. The activity of purified ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase was increased with increasing concentration of L-glutamate up to 60 mM, while it was decreased by about 50% and 40% under 60 mM of L-cysteine and 45 mM of glycine, respectively. The enzyme activity was reduced not only by ADP, one of the reaction products, but also by the reduced form of glutathione. Therefore, because the reduced glutathione as well as glycine which is the substrate for glutathione synthetase inhibit the activity of ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase, it is recommended to design a bioreactor system with two separate reactions for glutathione synthesis : one with ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase reaction and the other glutathione synthetase reaction. In addition since ADP, resulted from these reactions, reduces the activity of ${gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase, it is necessary to introduce an ATP regeneration system for glutathione synthesis.
