Guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase activity in rat tissues

The GTP cyclohydrolase activity of rat tissues has been studied by means of the measurement of formic acid release and neopterin synthesis from GTP. After gel filtration of a 45%-satd.-(NH4)2SO4 fraction of liver homogenates, three enzyme fractions were separated and named A1, A2 and A3 according to the order of their elution. Fractions A1 and A3 displayed an 8-formyl-GTP deformylase activity; no proof of cyclized product has yet been established. This activity was heat-labile and required Mg2+ for maximal activity. Fraction A2 displayed a ‘neopterin-synthetase’ activity, with dihydroneopterin triphosphate and formic acid formed in stochiometric amounts. Fraction A1 isolated from heat-treated homogenates also produced dihydroneopterin triphosphate. Neopterin synthetase activity in fractions A1 and A2 was heat-resistant and inhibited by Mg2+. In liver the A2 fraction represented 70-75% of the neopterin synthetase capacity and was inhibited by reduced pterines (sepiapterin, dihydrobiopterin and tetrahydrobiopterin) and to a lesser extent by reduced forms of folic acid. In kidney and brain, fraction A1 and A3 GTP 8-formylhydrolase activities were found in significant amounts, in contrast with the neopterin synthetase activity, which was low and appeared to be confined to the A1 fraction.