@article{article_1784792, title={First purification of glutathione S-transferase enzyme from honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and effects of heavy metal ions on bioactivity}, journal={Turkish Journal of Nature and Science}, volume={15}, pages={92–99}, year={2026}, DOI={10.46810/tdfd.1784792}, url={https://izlik.org/JA92YE95UA}, author={Aybek, Havva and Temel, Yusuf and Çiftci, Mehmet}, keywords={Arı, Glutatyon S-transferaz, Saflaştırma, Metal iyonlar}, abstract={Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Bingöl province of Türkiye play a crucial role in both pollination and contributing to biological processes through their bioactive compounds. Owing to these functions, they possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory, ecological, and economic significance. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs; EC 2.5.1.18) are detoxification enzymes found in all cellular organisms, including bacteria, plants, insects, and humans. Purifying the glutathione S-transferase enzyme (GST; EC 2.5.1.18) from Apis mellifera L. and examining how different metal ions affect the activity of the purified enzyme were the objectives of this study. The purification process was performed in two steps: homogenate preparation and glutathione-agarose affinity chromatography. The GST was purified with a specific activity of 0.379 EUmg-1 protein, yielding a 7.7% yield and a 77.2-fold purification. SDS-PAGE analysis was used to verify the purity of the enzyme, and only a single protein band was detected. Metal ion effects were evaluated through activity percentage plots, inhibition constants (Ki), and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values. Inhibition types were determined using Lineweaver–Burk plots for the metal ions exhibiting inhibitory effects. Pb²⁺ had no significant effect on enzyme activity. In contrast, Fe²⁺ and Co²⁺ ions activated the enzyme, while Hg²⁺, Ag⁺, and Cu²⁺ showed non-competitive inhibition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the purification of GST from honey bees.}, number={2}, organization={Bu araştırma kamu, ticari veya kâr amacı gütmeyen sektörlerdeki fon sağlayıcı kuruluşlardan herhangi bir özel hibe almamıştır.}