Purification and Properties of Ornithine Racemase from <i>Clostridium sticklandii</i>

Abstract

Ornithine racemase has been purified to homogeneity from Clostridium sticklandii, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This is the first racemase known to be highly specific to ornithine. This PLP-dependent enzyme has an M(r) of 92, 000, with a K(m) for L-ornithine of 0.77 +/- 0.05 mM and a k(cat) of 980 +/- 20 s(-1).