Enzymatic Hydrolysis of an Organic Sulfur Compound

Sulfatases which cleave sulfate esters in biological systems are key enzymes that deserve special attention due to their significant roles in organic sulfur (OS) mineralization and inorganic sulfur () release. In this study, in-vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate S bonded substrate hydrolysis by a commercially available arylsulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1) from Aerobacter aerogenes. The enzyme-substrate interactions were assessed to determine: 1) rate of hydrolysis, 2) catalytic efficiency, 3) thermal stability, and 4) optimal pH of this enzyme. Arylsulfatase exhibited substrate hydrolysis with a high affinity for p-nitrophenyl sulfate (potassium 4-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS)). The optimum activity for the enzyme was observed to occur at a pH of 7.1. The optimal temperature was 37°C but ranged from 35°C - 45°C. The apparent Km and Kcat of the enzyme for pNPS hydrolysis at the optimal pH, and temperature were determined to be 1.03 mM and 75.73 μM/min, respectively. This work defines the catalytic and kinetic properties of arylsulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1) and confirms the optimal conditions for sulfatase activity testing. The resulting information is useful in elucidating the contributions that individual enzymes have for specific reactions rather than relying on traditional total enzyme activity measurements.