Truffle thio-flavours reversibly inhibit truffle tyrosinase

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 220; no. 1; pp. 81 - 88
• Main Authors: Zarivi, Osvaldo, Bonfigli, Antonella, Cesare, Patrizia, Amicarelli, Fernanda, Pacioni, Giovanni, Miranda, Michele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier B.V 14.03.2003; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: active sites; Agaricus - enzymology; animals; Ascomycota - chemistry; Ascomycota - enzymology; Biological and medical sciences; Catechols - metabolism; cell walls; Cresols - metabolism; Development; dimethyl sulfide; Ditiocarb - pharmacology; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzyme Inhibitors - isolation & purification; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; flavor compounds; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Fungal Proteins - isolation & purification; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Isoelectric Focusing; Kinetics; L-dopa; Levodopa - biosynthesis; Melanin; methane; Microbiology; mimosine; Mimosine - pharmacology; Molecular Weight; Monophenol Monooxygenase - antagonists & inhibitors; Monophenol Monooxygenase - isolation & purification; Monophenol Monooxygenase - metabolism; Mycorrhiza; oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Phenylthiourea - pharmacology; pigmentation; Species Specificity; Substrate Specificity; Sulfides - isolation & purification; Sulfides - pharmacology; tissues; Truffles; Tuber; Tuber melanosporum; Tyrosinase; tyrosine; Tyrosine - metabolism; Development; Tuber; Melanin; Truffles; Tyrosinase; Mycorrhiza
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(03)00065-X

Tyrosinase is an enzyme having two copper atoms at the reactive site occurring in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In animals tyrosinase is responsible for pigmentation, in plants for protection of injured tissues or, as in fungi, to harden cell walls. Some of us have previously shown that tyrosinase is involved in truffle development and differentiation. Here we present the purification, the molecular properties and the reversible inhibition of Tuber melanosporum tyrosinase by dimethyl-sulfide and bis[methylthio]methane, the main flavour compounds of black and whitish truffles. The MW r is 39 000. L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and L-tyrosine stain corresponding bands as expected for a true tyrosinase. Phenylthiourea, diethyldithiocarbamate and mimosine inhibit L-tyrosine and L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine oxidation.