Identification and Characterization of a Novel Epoxide Hydrolase From Mouse Liver Microsomes

A new microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH2) has been identified and characterized. This enzyme has properties which distinguish it from previously described cytosolic (cEH) or membrane-bound (mEH1) epoxide hydrolases. The enzyme is an integral microsomal protein which is not dissociated from the membrane by repeated washing, high ionic strength salt, or chaotropic agent solutions, or by sonication. It is very different from the normally described microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH1) as shown by its different substrate specificity and kinetic properties and by immunological criteria. In contrast to the hitherto described microsomal epoxide hydrolase, mEH1, the new enzyme effectively catalyzes t…