Chemical Modification and Fluorescence Spectrum of Tryptophan Residues in Pullulanase

Tryptophan(Trp) residues in a pullulanase were modified by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). The results of the Spande method indicate that there are 18 Trp residues in the pullulanase and nine of them are located on the surface of the enzyme. Three of these Trp residues are nonessential residues which show the fastest reaction rate according to the Zou's plot. Two of the seven relative faster reacting residues are essential for the activity of the enzyme. The other eight are the slowest in the reaction rate or non-reactive residues for the reaction. The fluorescence and circular dichroism(CD) spectra of the pullulanase have been changed after the reaction with NBS. Potassium iodide(KI) and acrylamide also have remarkable influences on the fluorescence spectra of the pullulanase.