CREATINE AMIDINOHYDROLASE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

A creatine amidinohydrolase having the following physicochemical properties: (a) hydrolyzing 1 mol of creatine to give 1 mol of sarcocine and 1 mol of urea; (b) having a substrate specificity for creatine; (c) having an optimum pH value of 6 to 7, in particular about 6.5; (d) being stable within a pH range of 4 to 11.0; (e) having an optimum working temperature range of 50 to 55 DEG C; and (f) having a molecular weight of about 92,000 Da (measured by gel filtration); and a process for producing this creatine amidinohydrolase which comprises culturing a microorganism capable of producing the creatine amidinohydrolase and collecting the creatine amidinohydrolase from the culture medium. Because of having the optimum pH value in the weakly acidic region, the creatine amidinohydrolase has a characteristic of being scarcely affected by bilirubin in assaying creatinine.