Subcellular Localization of Capsaicin-Hydrolyzing Enzyme in Rat Hepatocytes

Capsaicin 가수분해효소의 흰쥐 간세포내 소재확인

Capsaicin(8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the principal pungent component of Capsicum fruits. This work is directed to the capsaicin-hydrolyzing enzyme playing a key role in the rate limiting and critical step of capsaicin metabolism. In order to get precise information on the enzyme's subcellular location, rat liver homogenate was divided into six subcellular fractions by differential centrifugation technique: crude nuclear pellet, PNS(post nuclear supernatant) fraction, lysosomal pellet, cytosol, Tris wash fraction, micrisomes. Capsaicin-hydrolysing enzyme activity was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). This enzyme was found at the highest specific activity in the microsomal fraction and co-distributed with marker enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and nucleoside diphosphatase. This is compatible with the result of ninhydrin color reaction of vanillylamine, primary metabolite of capsaicin hydrolysis, on thin layer chromatography(TLC). This enzyme is most active at pH $8.0{\sim}9.0$. Definite subcellular location of this enzyme will make it easy to proceed with further study.