Studies on the Interaction of Water with Microsomal Cytochrome P-450

Abstract

There are many possible approaches to the study of such complex enzyme systems as the hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases. Among those which have been actively investigated have been the development of model systems such as Fenton’s reagent, the purification of bacterial systems which are readily solubilized like the camphor demethylase system of P. putida, and the more difficult detergent solubilization of the microsomes followed by partial purification by standard techniques. Although these have proven to be fruitful routes of investigation, since each system appears to have its own idiosyncrasies, it is still important to verify the observed biochemical phenomena in intact microsomes. Over the past several years I, and a number of collaborators, have used a variety of techniques to investigate the kinetic and physico-chemical properties of the microsomal membranes in order to better understand the control mechanisms and chemical processes involved in the mixed-function oxidase reactions.