Effect of divalent metal ions on the microsomal aniline hydroxylase system of rainbow trout

Abstract

The ability of trout to metabolize aniline in vitro in the presence of some divalent metal ions was investigated in the liver microsomes of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Trout liver microsomes were highly capable of catalyzing aniline hydroxylation to p-aminophenol with a specific activity of 0.068 nmoles/ min per mg of microsomal protein in potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 at 25 degrees C. The activity of the aniline hydroxylase system was competitively inhibited by Hg+2, Ni+2, Cd+2, and Zn+2, while Cu+2 and Fe+3 seemed to inhibit the activity noncompetitively at 1 mM aniline concentrations. IC50 values at fixed aniline concentration were estimated to be 0.45 mM for Hg+2, Ni+2, and Cd+2, 1.8 mM for Zn+2 and Fe+3, and 1.3 mM for Cu+2. Eadie-Hofstee plots gave identical Vmax values of approximately 0.046 nmol/min per mg of protein while K(m) values were increased in the presence of Hg+2, Ni+2, Cd+2, and Zn+2, indicating competitive inhibition. Both K(m) and Vmax values were affected by Fe+3 and Cu+2, suggesting noncompetitive inhibition. Ki values extracted from the Dixon plots were determined to be 0.23, 0.43, and 0.65 mM for Hg+2, Ni+2, and Cd+2, respectively, providing the most effective inhibition on the aniline hydroxylase system among studied metal ions. The Ki values were much higher in the presence of others. The results indicate a selective inhibition of the aniline hydroxylase system of trout liver microsomes by divalent metal ions.