Characterization of the folate salvage enzyme p-aminobenzoylglutamate hydrolase in plants

Folate breakdown gives a p-aminobenzoylglutamate moiety that can be hydrolyzed to the folate precursor p-aminobenzoate. Subcellular fractionation and chromatography indicated that pea and Arabidopsis have at least two p-aminobenzoylglutamate hydrolase isoforms. Partial purification of the Arabidopsis root activity showed it to be a metalloenzyme; the preparation also hydrolyzed folic acid.