Purification and Characterization

Nitric oxide synthase, NOS (EC.1.14.13.39), was purified from bovine pancreas over 5,500-fold with a 7.6% yield using 30% ammonium sulfate precipitation, and $2^1$,$5^1$-ADP-agarose and calmodulin-agarose affinity chromatography. The purified bovine pancreatic NOS (bpNOS) showed a single band on SDS-PAGE corresponding to an apparent molecular mass of 160 kDa, whereas it was 320 kDa on non-denaturating gel-filtration. This indicated a homodimeric nature of the enzyme. The specific activity of the purified bpNOS was 31.67 nmol L-citrulline fored/mtn/mg protein and an apparent $K\textrm{m}$ for L-arginine was 15.72 $\mu\textrm{M}$, The enzyme activity was dependent on $Ca^{2+}$ and calmodulin, and to a lesser extent on NADPH, FAD and FMN. $H_4B$ was not required as a cofactor for the activity. In an inhibition experiment with L-arginine analogues, $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) had the most potent inhibitory effect on bpNOS, and $N^{G}$, $N^{G1}$-dimethyl-L-arginine (symmetric; sDMA) did not have any inhibitory effect. Immunohistochemical analysis of the bovine pancreas using brain type NOS antibody (anti-bNOS antibody) revealed that acinar cells showed strong immunoreactivity against the antibody.