Abstract
Myeloperoxidase and eosinophil peroxidase have been isolated from outdated human blood. Peroxidase activity was extracted from washed leucocytes using 0.5 M-CaCl2 and the extract further purified by chromatography on concanavalin A--Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose and finally by gel filtration. The final enzyme preparations were highly purified according to spectral and gel-electrophoretic criteria. Under reducing and denaturing conditions on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis myeloperoxidase gave rise to bands of Mr 57 000, 39 000 and 15 500, whereas the eosinophil enzyme yielded bands of Mr 50 000 and 15 500. Both enzymes were very resistant to denaturation either by the chaotropic agents urea and guanidinium chloride or by elevated temperatures. Spectral properties of the native and reduced forms of the enzymes are reported.