Alkaline phosphatase, one of the enzymes responsible for the conversion of
phosphocholine into choline, was purified from bovine brain membrane, where
the phosphatase is bound as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked protein, a
nd subjected to oxidative inactivation. The phosphatase activity, based on
the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate and phosphocholine, decreased sli
ghtly after the exposure to H2O2. Inclusion of Cu2+ in the incubation with
1 mM H2O2 led to a rapid decrease of activity in a time- and concentration-
dependent manner. In comparison, the H2O2/Cu2+ system was much more effecti
ve than the H2O2/Fe2+ system in inactivating brain phosphatase. In a furthe
r study, it was observed that the hydroxy radical scavengers mannitol, etha
nol, or benzoate failed to prevent against H2O2/Cu2+-induced inactivation o
f the phosphatase, excluding the involvement of extraneous hydroxy radicals
in metal-catalyzed oxidation, In addition, it was found that both substrat
es, p-nitrophenyl phosphate and phosphocholine, and an inhibitor, phosphate
ion, at their saturating concentrations exhibited a remarkable, although i
ncomplete, protection against the inactivating action of H2O2/Cu2+. A Simil
ar protection was also expressed by divalent metal ions such as Mg2+ or Mn2
+. Separately, it was found that H2O2/Fe2+-induced inactivation was prevent
ed by p-nitrophenyl phosphate or Mg2+ but not phosphate ions. Thus, it is i
mplied that phosphocholine-hydrolyzing alkaline phosphatase in brain membra
ne might be one of enzymes susceptible to metal-catalyzed oxidation.