THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF CRYSTALLINE CATALASE

Abstract

In 1933 Stern (2) used the diffusion method of Northrop and Anson (3) to determine the molecular weights of purified catalase from horse liver, pig liver, cow liver, horse kidney, and cow erythrocytes.He found the average value for the molecular weight of catalase to be 68,900, and stated that the catalase molecule has a dimension similar to that of hemoglobin.In 1938 Stern and Wyckoff (4) purified horse liver catalase by adsorption and elution and obtained preparations of a Kat.j. of 4000 to 9000.Using the analytical ultracentrifuge, they observed three components to be present and were able to separate one of these believed to be identical with catalase.It had a Kat.j. of 8500 to 33,400 and a sedimentation constant of s20 = 11 x lo-=.